Any recent experience on how these different cars stack up? I'm seeing a lot of used Ioniqs especially, and they're a good $3k cheaper than Gen 4s, and often with lower mileage. I'm looking at the same range of years so far. For example, a 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Blue with 107k miles for $8,000, clean title. Salvage Prii with that kind of milage are going for more than that. Also curious about Kia Niro/Hyundai Kona. Also, aside from the obvious design differences, is the Corolla hybrid very different from the Prius? They also seem to turn up at better prices. Thanks.
IMHO; I'd stick with a corolla hybrid, it replaced the PriusC in Toyota's line-up. As long as proper, timely maintenance is done - odds are they will hold up better, in the long run. Kia & Hyundai are not know for overall long-term reliability, especially if you don't wrench. On the plus side, they don't use a CVT transmission, but Toyota's eCVT works fine and is pretty much "bullet-proof". Ask any tow truck driver, they'll tell you that's they are the most likely cars they hook-up. My neighbor had an old Sportage and she got 175K miles out of it before it quit. She dumped a lot of money into it for intermittent problems, before it stopped running all together. YMMV
i would spend some time on the car forums of models that interest you, and ask questions. that's where you can learn about overall problems that might plague a model year, ec., like the gen 4 exhaust coolant heat exchanger debacle
I'll do that, too, but they might have more brand loyalty so thought I'd also ask here where people are maybe more likely to be critical of non-Prii
agreed. we see that here when people are told that they need to clean the egr circuit, or avoid gen 3.
I wouldn't dare compare any Toyota vehicle against any of that KN/Hungdai garbage. 5 years ago I had a technical support role that allowed me to signout a range of vehicles to use to travel around the large site and other offsite locations..and I remember when they got some new Ionic hybrid sedans...and I can say that I have never sat in a car that gave me claustrophobia as much as that Ionic- the roof was just too low, and no matter how far I reclined the drivers or passenger seat, my head just didn't have the space and it was just so uncomfortable. Maybe the battery forced the floorboard up 6 inches higher than every other comparable ice or hybrid sedan? I do not know...but coupled with having to deal with KN's dealership around the same time for repairs to my kid's Mom's sh1tty Optima and seeing those cars frequently catch on fire on the main roads around the dealership...yeah I turn my nose at those particular car makers lineups
