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Questions on hybrid cars
Klein
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I am looking to replace my car with a sedan hybrid car, around 2010-2015. Electric vehicles are not an option with my current situation. Anything newer is likely to be outside of my budget.
1. How susceptible are batteries to extreme cold? It can dip down to -20 F where I live.
2. Are there any notable hybrids I should consider other than a prius? I am looking for something that gets good fuel economy and is reliable mainly. I like the lift back of the prius for transportation.
3. How do lighter, less powerful hybrids handle snow? I am experienced driving in snow on normal all season tires and I have not had an issue, but my car is heavier with average power.
Thank for any input and advice.
1. How susceptible are batteries to extreme cold? It can dip down to -20 F where I live.
2. Are there any notable hybrids I should consider other than a prius? I am looking for something that gets good fuel economy and is reliable mainly. I like the lift back of the prius for transportation.
3. How do lighter, less powerful hybrids handle snow? I am experienced driving in snow on normal all season tires and I have not had an issue, but my car is heavier with average power.
Thank for any input and advice.
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I haven't had any issues handling snow either, compared to any other sedan I've ever driven. Not sure what it would be like for something lighter or less powerful, but I can tell you I see a ton of Priuses around here.
I got the vehicle used for 17k with less than 30k miles so for my money it was an incredible value. I definitely recommend checking one out if you see it around.
3 - Ahh... the Prius C handles like dogshit in the snow, but it has a tiny engine. I used to drive one for work when we switched from the VW bug and I hated driving it six months of the year. The regular Prius and the V have a bigger engine and weigh more, though, and they handle fine in the snow.
Can you give us a heads up on your actual budget? If you want something bigger and with AWD for helping to handle snow better, I'm seeing things like Toyota Highlander hybrids and Lexus RX400h's for between $7k-$9k on cars.com.
The reason I ask is that a newer non hybrid subcompact might be close in fuel efficiency with much greater reliability.
My first two were in Colorado. My first one had a lot of issues with the cold as it got older. It was a 2003, so they have gotten better. No issues with the other ones.
I only had an issue once in my time driving in the snow in Colorado. It was a large unplowed, unsanded hill, traffic stopped halfway and I slid down into a ditch. I didn't have snow tires, and have never really driven with them. But in over a decade of driving, that isn't so bad.
My second one died at an inopportune time, so when I went for my latest car, I just got a lease I could afford. It ended up being a Prius Plug-in that was cheaper than normal due to the line being discontinued. So far it works well- we don;t have access to a charger, so I cannot comment on that part, but the normal hybrid part works fine. Only problem is no spare tire, since the charging takes up a bit of trunk space.
As far as buying from a dealer, any suggestions there when I comes to negotiating a used vehicle? I few family members I have spoken to told me generally most places will not come down much since prices are posted online.
I have been looking through the suggestions on this thread, any thoughts?
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/8tx3lp/ultimate_new_car_buying_guide_part_1_of_2
I bought my last car through Costco's car buying service, it was a new car but it was about 5k under MSRP. The only annoying thing was I got a bunch of phone calls from car dealerships.
One dealership called me like 5 fucken times. Still it was the best pricing.
If I were in that budget range looking for something fuel efficient I would get a brand new Kia Rio, but because you are looking for a hybrid. See if you can get certified used because that has some warranty on it.
I made a good highway trip earlier this week of about 211 miles and used just under half the tank with a few larger hills. The transmission in that car is a 6 speed which is so much smoother on steep climbs.
So my research on this is a few years out of date so take with a grain of salt but the battery packs in hybrids are scheduled for replacement at like 8 years. That's gonna be a huge cost just lurking and may spike your budget. The condition of the battery pack is going to be a huge factor in the value of a hybrid and what a good price would be.
Just for the record, I've got a 2005 Prius with original batteries that's still going strong.
Honestly, if you're planning on driving a car for 10+ years, you should probably be buying new - especially if you can get it from a place that throws in your maintenance.
For financing, look for local (or national) credit unions you can join. They'll usually have some pretty sweet rates on car loans.
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This has been the experience of the hybrid owners I know as well. After a certain age/mileage the battery will trigger a check engine light until it's replaced, and even though the car still drives fine you can't register it.
Nothing like a little forced obsolescence.
If the check engine light is on, something is wrong with the battery pack or the hybrid control system.
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