PIP - Leaf - Or Volt ??? - Help Me Decide

Also on a side note since you asked about the leasing I went with a lease myself for a myriad of reasons.. I am unsure about the Li-Ion batteries, and in worst case scenario I wanted to just be able to give the car back if it became a nuisance... Also resale value was another reason as I did not want to be stuck with a lemon in the above scenario. Most importatly though I wanted to maintain flexibility in case over the next 3 years EV's advance a lot so that way I can give the Volt back and trade up. You also maintain the option to buy your lease out in the end if you do decide you love the car as well.

The BAD side about leasing is that you must maintain the car in good condition at all times. So any accidents/spills/wear will set you back in that department. You are also limited on mileage. With my 12,000mi/yr lease that only works out to 230 miles a week. Perfect for me, but it is not for everyone. Then if you give it back in the end you gave that money away for no equity. So you must carefully weight your options. I think for right now leasing a true EV/PHEV is more beneficial than these downsides for the just in case.

 

It doesn't look like you are an early adopter, considering your first Prius is 2007. That's why "what if" is bothering you.

In that case, PiP is the most suitable for you as it is based on the proven technology.

 

Would love to see a pic of your bulldog, please

 

I think you should get the FORD Focus Electric. And you're in luck because you live in the initial launch area and could start working on getting one RIGHT NOW>

It looks good, advertises more range than a Leaf. If my daily comment were not so far I'd get one. $39,900 with a $7500 tax credit.

Check out the FORD website, you might be impressed.

 

It is true they are not offering a lease, the last time I checked.

They claim they are taking a $2000 loss per each car, at the intro price.

It has a mini- Aston Martin look to me. I believe a 120 mi. range is advertised

 

All those smilies and you don't know how to post a pic? LOL j/k

Reply with the "Go Advanced" button.
Write a few choice words then scroll down and click "Additional Options"
Click on "Manage Attachments" and retreive a cute photo from your computer.
hope this helps.

 

One thing you haven't said is how much your wife drives. I keep hearing you say "What if my wife needs the Prius?" but I was wondering how often your wife needs to do more than the 70 miles or so the Leaf would give her.

Noel

 

Do you plan on getting a 240v charger? Not sure how it would work with the lease. Will you have to buy it yourself and sell it back at the end of the lease? Perhaps you'll keep it for your next plugin?

Here is the maximum charging time with a standard plug 120v / 240v charger.

PiP: 3 hours / 1.5 hours
Volt: 10 hours / 4 hours
Leaf: 25 hours / 7 hours

Those are maximum duration if you use up all the charge. If your trip is short, all 3 plugins should finish about the same.

Maybe the recharge time become another "what if" for you. In that case, PiP can get away with a regular household plug.

 

See that is one thing I like about the Volt. As long as I behave myself and keep up with the flow of trqffic I always get the range it shows me in the morning even after it sits for 10 hours at my work. I have even tracked the distance using my GPS and the cars trip meter to ensure it is spot on. Not to mention when you turn th climare control on within a few seconds it gives me my new range estimate. Very rarely though do I get less than 44 miles. It takes some serious abuse of the car & environmental control systems to drastically reduce the range. Darn sport mode!!

Just thought I would add I ordered the L2 charger today but the regular cord is more than adequate. I have come home at 11pm and by the time I left for work at 6 the car was more than charged fpr my 24 mile round trip to work using the 120 charger... so even with the Volt trickle charging is no problem unless you use the max range just to go to or from work.

 

How soon do you need this car? The Ford C-max Energri PHV will be available next year.

If it's the company's car, I wouldn't make plans with it as my own. You've already acknowledged that the third party complicates the planning with an EV. In that scenario, I wouldn't get an EV. I see the company car as one that is just long term borrowed, and I'd want my sole, primary vehicle to be free of the EV limits.

That said, how do you feel about renting a car for your trips? With forwarning getting a rental shouldn't be a problem. It also lets you try out another toy a couple times a year.