If you had to get a new car today...

The new Civic hybrid doesn't have a transmission so that worry would be out BUT the way it is set up is kind of like the Ramcharger only with the engine charging a small hybrid battery vs a large EV battery. The only time the engine is able to power the car vs just acting as a generator is at 62 mph and over. This is worrisome to me for 2 reasons. 1. If the hybrid battery dies the car is not driveable and 2. I don't see how that battery could last very long since it is constantly charging and discharging with no help from the engine at all speeds under 62 mph. There is also concern that hardly anybody is getting the advertised mpg with these (some averaging as low as 28 mpg), so definitely another win for Toyota there.

The price is the main reason I'm not just jumping into the Camry. With the options I want it will be around $42k USD, our Prius when new was about half that price... Kia and Hyundai I would never consider. I know people that got lucky and have had vehicles that were perfectly fine but the vast majority of Kia/Hyundai owners I know their car is at the dealer getting something fixed on it multiple times a year. I don't have time to be messing around with that.

Right now I'm heavily leaning towards the Camry. It will be hard to give up the storage of a hatchback but the Camry checks pretty much all my other boxes. If a 22 prius limited with low mileage became available at a good price though I still may consider that. Just not really interested in paying $28-30k for one of those (seems to be the going rate from dealers for ones with 40k miles or less on them)