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by dragontamer 1423 days ago
RAV4 Prime looks good.

I probably should plug its competitors: Hyundai Tucson PHEV and Ford Escape PHEV. They're cheaper and roughly the same size. They don't have the insane acceleration of the RAV4 prime, but they accomplish the goal of going from A-to-B with 40ish miles of all electric range + gasoline backup.

If you're willing to sacrifice the acceleration, the Hyundai Tucson PHEV should be competitive. Ford Escape PHEV is FWD only and also slower, but its the cheapest of all 3 options.
2 comments
wing-_-nuts 1423 days ago
Sub 8 second 0-60 is needed on backlane country roads to enable safe passing.

Having said that, I mainly drive on city streets and interstates now days, but I still understand why someone would want a car with a little pep.

Funny how EVs have changed the game on performance. I don't think anyone sells an EV with a 0-60 over 8s, and one can pretty easily get a model 3 with ~ 3s 0-60. That was supercar territory not so long ago.

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coffee_beqn 1423 days ago
Very happy with the Escape. I thought I’d miss the 4WD but honestly the one time I drive to the mountains or something is usually in May-September and FWD is perfectly fine for that in the PNW. The 40 mile range is amazing for a mild climate commute and driving around the city. I still haven’t added any gas and I’ve had it for 6 months. I considered the Prime but I cared much more about the price and getting one this year
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wing-_-nuts 1423 days ago
My only concern with PHEVs is that gas goes stale. That gasoline in your tank has now started to undergo all manner of nasty transformations that will clog fuel injectors, ruin fuel pumps, etc.

It can be combated somewhat with fuel stabilizers, but it's absolutely a concern.

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dragontamer 1423 days ago
It takes months for gas to go stale though.

Just "don't charge" your PHEV once or twice, and you'll cycle through the gasoline. Pretend its an ICE vehicle about once every 3 to 6 months and you should be fine.

You probably have a road trip / beach trip where you were planning to use its gasoline tank anyway in that timeframe. You only need to travel ~300 miles to cycle through most of your gas tank.

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