Rav 4 Prime?

With a skybox on top our hybrid mpg drops to 32 going from sea level to Tuolumne. Identical to what the old VW wagon got (turbo gas, no HV-battery!) That car really was a CUV alternative.
I do like accumulating all the regen miles coming down from the mountains, though. I just think its awesome to capture what was previously wasted energy.
The Sienna hybrid is super tempting - turn it into a road-tripper/camper setup. Great alternative to a Sprinter setup, if you can do without a bathroom/shower inside.
My old Tiguan 4Motion really struggled to get 26 mpg with the roofbox on AND with Nokian tires... the 4Motion really helps as I don't need to chain up in the Caltrans R2 chain controls
 
Prime bump!

Dareo will remember that I'm a sucker for deals on vehicles and track expenses closely. My first new car was due to VW's dieselgate giving me an awesome deal on a new GSW.
So when I saw that my 2016 GSW kept increasing in value... I told myself, if it gets to $12k I'll sell it and replace it. Originally I had planned on keeping it for another 1-2 years - it was a little over 5 years old and had 72k miles ($18.5 + TTL new!). I figured it was worth $9k privately as there was a dent/crease (small, and not that bad actually) on a rear quarter panel. Base model. Stick shift. Used car values made me jump - I knew that in 2 years the GSW would be worth a good bit less.
Well in June 2021 I sold it and replaced it with ... Rav4 Prime SE. I got 1.24% interest from DCU for a loan, so I put the $ from the VW into the market and just financed nearly the whole thing. $700/mo payments - WTH. That's so abnormal for me. Over twice the cost of my GSW!!! But with the tax credit, and rarity of the R4P, it has increased in value and I can sell it today and pocket thousands (net after tax credit). High resale, so I don't plan on owning it all that long, actually.

We also have a Prius Prime, and used the GSW for camping/climbing trips where we need storage space. The Rav is taking over that role. Nearly identical storage/cargo capacity vs the wagon, but it has higher ground clearance and the adaptive cruise that we wanted. That was a main driver for the upgrade - lane centering and adaptive cruise on road trips makes the drive much less tiresome. Also I'm not irked by the vehicle slowing down with ACC b/c its regenerating! If I was in a Subie (was sure we'd get an Outback) I'd be annoyed each time it slowed down and sped back up, wasting gas.

The Rav4 Prime and hybrid have amazing powertrains, IMO. Toyota hybrid design and implementation is something I'll be hard pressed to go away from on future vehicles. Long-term I'd rather own a Rav4 XLE hybrid, as it gets 10% better mpg, and we can just use the Prius Prime for local EV miles. A bit more cargo space than the R4P and I'd be much more comfortable scratching up and soft-roading in a cheaper vehicle. ($31k vs $42k) I don't need the 300 hp either! I'd be happier with more efficiency. lol (thread drift - if Ford would allow adaptive cruise on the XLT level hybrid Maverick, I'd be tempted for that as a cheaper alternative, but you must load it up to get ACC at over $31k - kills the cheap vibe)

The PHEV tax credit won't always be around, so that $7500 along with the Prime's exclusivity makes it an easy call for short term ownership. I might replace it with another one in 2022 to try and get a more base model SE without the moonroof package. If I can find one...

Ws6 - great vehicle choice!
We pay 25c/kwh here and it still is cheaper than gas per mile by 25% roughly. Would love our own solar setup, but our electric bill is low enough that break even is too far off to deal with installing currently.
Ultimately, I'm not sure how it comes out, but I average 55-65mpg, and my electricity is relatively cheap at $0.11kwh, plus the fact that I create most of it myself.
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Wow, Surfstar, your golf is gone?! Is this RAV 4 Prime the new Camry/Crown Vic BITOG Favorite?
Yeah, I had to cash it in this year with the increased value instead of holding out for 1-2 more years.
I view my Rav4 Prime as a "bridge" vehicle to get me into something I plan to own longer term and with a lower price! With the tax credit, I can sell it and recoup all my depreciation (and currently "profit" a bit) - I think longer term I'd be happy with just a hybrid, Tucson or Rav4 or Maverick... those are my top contenders now but we'll see in 6-18 months what plays out. We have my wife's Prius Prime for EV around town and ultimate hwy mpg when we don't need the cargo space, still.
The VW was my last stick, that much I'm sure of. I still feel that VW does a better job (well at least in 2016 they did, I've seen some cheapening out since) with fit and finish and small touches - like felt lined glove box, door pockets and sunglass holder. Why can't OEMs spend $2 in materials and a few bucks in labor for items like that? Door closing -thunk was better in the VW also. It punched above its price tag. Hood strut instead of prop. Stuff like that!
 
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Yeah, I had to cash it in this year with the increased value instead of holding out for 1-2 more years.
I view my Rav4 Prime as a "bridge" vehicle to get me into something I plan to own longer term and with a lower price! With the tax credit, I can sell it and recoup all my depreciation (and currently "profit" a bit) - I think longer term I'd be happy with just a hybrid, Tucson or Rav4 or Maverick... those are my top contenders now but we'll see in 6-18 months what plays out. We have my wife's Prius Prime for EV around town and ultimate hwy mpg when we don't need the cargo space, still.
The VW was my last stick, that much I'm sure of. I still feel that VW does a better job (well at least in 2016 they did, I've seen some cheapening out since) with fit and finish and small touches - like felt lined glove box, door pockets and sunglass holder. Why can't OEMs spend $2 in materials and a few bucks in labor for items like that? Door closing -thunk was better in the VW also. It punched above its price tag. Hood strut instead of prop. Stuff like that!
If things keep going you could buy a Rav 4 Prime every year and just drive it to Utah and sell it for a profit.
 
The Lexus has a nicer interior, im sure, but I much prefer my Prime XSE for looks
Lexus says Utah is not getting the plug in model. Toyota in utah says they get rav4 primes very rarely.

Come on Toyota, just go ahead and make some of these please!
 
Well, I can officially opine that 3 more horsepower isn't going to be enough to make the new WRX worth considering if environmentally conscious Toyota SUV's being faster than you are annoying, rofl!
 
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...and its gone.

Sold the Rav4 Prime to Carvana for $46,4xx (MSRP was $41,883) in Feb. Also collected $7500 tax credit for 2021 taxes.

Have a Ford Escape SE plug-in on order. Minimal options and price. Should get it for ~$2k under MSRP (X-plan + student $750 incentive). Not sure how long I'll keep that one, but I'll happily drive it for a few months to 2 years and sell for a net gain :)
 
...and its gone.

Sold the Rav4 Prime to Carvana for $46,4xx (MSRP was $41,883) in Feb. Also collected $7500 tax credit for 2021 taxes.

Have a Ford Escape SE plug-in on order. Minimal options and price. Should get it for ~$2k under MSRP (X-plan + student $750 incentive). Not sure how long I'll keep that one, but I'll happily drive it for a few months to 2 years and sell for a net gain :)
Same. Traded for $48K to a dealership and claimed the $7500. Went with a 2022 RDX ASPEC Advance for a few hundo over MSRP. Ultimately, it was fast in a straight line sometimes (perfect conditions), and otherwise horrible.
 
Ultimately, I'm not sure how it comes out, but I average 55-65mpg, and my electricity is relatively cheap at $0.11kwh, plus the fact that I create most of it myself.View attachment 76949

How much did that panel setup cost you? If I have space for that many panels I probably would get a plug in hybrid too. Is it grid tied or battery to inverter off grid?
 
Same. Traded for $48K to a dealership and claimed the $7500. Went with a 2022 RDX ASPEC Advance for a few hundo over MSRP. Ultimately, it was fast in a straight line sometimes (perfect conditions), and otherwise horrible.
Can you expand on the horrible part? I'm curious.
 
Can you expand on the horrible part? I'm curious.
Handling was abysmal on throttle due to lack of traction. After a few thousand miles it seemed rather rattly. Steering was numb. In ice and snow it did horrible unless you were just crawling. Interior was $15k car level. Didnt even have illuminated door controls or light buttons. Very very lackluster in all but mpg and power, but it couldn't hook so meh. Also the cooler for the hvac, which was also the battery cooler, was very exposed and a simple pebble would equal an insurance claim very likely.
 
Handling was abysmal on throttle due to lack of traction. After a few thousand miles it seemed rather rattly. Steering was numb. In ice and snow it did horrible unless you were just crawling. Interior was $15k car level. Didnt even have illuminated door controls or light buttons. Very very lackluster in all but mpg and power, but it couldn't hook so meh. Also the cooler for the hvac, which was also the battery cooler, was very exposed and a simple pebble would equal an insurance claim very likely.
…even my Dodge Caliber SXT, the absolute epitome of cheap, had illuminated door controls.
 
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Handling was abysmal on throttle due to lack of traction. After a few thousand miles it seemed rather rattly. Steering was numb. In ice and snow it did horrible unless you were just crawling. Interior was $15k car level. Didnt even have illuminated door controls or light buttons. Very very lackluster in all but mpg and power, but it couldn't hook so meh. Also the cooler for the hvac, which was also the battery cooler, was very exposed and a simple pebble would equal an insurance claim very likely.
Thank you, appreciate it. You should do a review thread IMHO, would be good for other people to know that. The low rent interior on a lot of vehicles really bugs me so it's nice to see you call it out.
 
Thank you, appreciate it. You should do a review thread IMHO, would be good for other people to know that. The low rent interior on a lot of vehicles really bugs me so it's nice to see you call it out.
This was just absurd. Absolutely absurd. The map lights did not illuminate. The sunroof toggle did not illuminate. They were right next to each other. Total BS. The window switch and lock switch on the driver's panel were the only switches that illuminated, I believe, aside the climate control and stuff on the dash and I believe steering wheel. It was beyond low rent. The seats were legit, and the NAV and dash displayer were fine. Otherwise, it was a $15K vehicle inside. My RDX actually punches at its price point.
 
This was just absurd. Absolutely absurd. The map lights did not illuminate. The sunroof toggle did not illuminate. They were right next to each other. Total BS. The window switch and lock switch on the driver's panel were the only switches that illuminated, I believe, aside the climate control and stuff on the dash and I believe steering wheel. It was beyond low rent. The seats were legit, and the NAV and dash displayer were fine. Otherwise, it was a $15K vehicle inside. My RDX actually punches at its price point.
Wow, yeah, that IS surprising!
 
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