Get a Prius Prime

After reading the article I'm afraid that I couldn't, in good conscience, recommend a Prime.
This isn't a dig on Primes....because one could argue that in some places they are a much better value than a garden variety G4, BUT in many areas a 25 mile EV range is not all that great when there are a lot of other choices to consider.


"......In a plug-in hybrid vehicle, I would want at least 35 miles of all-electric range, decent hybrid (gas-electric) fuel economy, as well as the driver aids and cargo capacity mentioned above."

The article's author (Jan Wagner?) would undoubtedly be better served by something like a Pacifica with it's 32m electric range and SUV-like cargo capacity. I'd also consider waiting about a year to see if the 2020 Rav4 has a usable EVR.
Mitsu's Outlander PHEV might be a theoretical option once it launches, but I'm reluctant to recommend them because of their lack of street cred for reliability.


Other than that, there are not many PHEVs with a 35-mile EV-only range BUT there are many PHEVs out there with better EVR than the Prime if you want to trade out a little cargo capacity (which the Prime also lacks.)

G2 Volt (53m)
Honda Clarity (47m)
Ioniq (29m)
Niro (26m)

 

agree with the author, nothing fits my desires either. maybe the new rav4 plug in hybrid when available?

(s)he is fortunate to be in cali, with many more offerings than the other 49 states

 

^ You probably still do well with your Pip!!

By the time it's 10 years old there will probably be a few more PHEVs to pick from.
Sad thing is....if Yota made the Rav4 with decent range and kept the price down they would sell every one that they built, and it would do much to advance the nation's public charging infrastructure.

However (comma!!) it's probably going to be up to the Koreans to punch out a PHEV crossover with something like a 40-50 mile EVR with a sub-$40,000 price tag.

 

do we have price on the rav4?

 

Yes, 25 mile range is short, do we all agree? But, what about PiP owners with 15? With Gen2 Prime, what would be the sweet spot for most current Prime owners, that might not be interested in a Toyota BEV. Would 45 or 50 be enough? Overkill? If a Gen2 Prime got a 50 mile EV rating, would MPG-e also go up from the 133 mark?
Personally, with a Gen2 Prime getting 50 miles EV and perhaps 150 or so MPG-e I think a 10 gallon tank might last our two driver household 4 or 5 years, given our current usage. Long road trips of 500 miles or more are relatively rare for us, put we do make them on occasion and longer range per tank is always welcome, in my book anyway. again ymmv snd usually does

 

its more about what works for you personally. if the author wants 35, than 35 it is. but is it?

highway way vs side way? summer vs winter? heat pump vs resistance? a lot of variables to consider

 

I heard back from Jan. He's going to try a Toyota RAV4 Plug-Hybrid.

His write up of it:

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime may be the best all-around SUV ever!