My parents are in their late 60’s, and my moms car has kicked the bucket. They want to get a hybrid SUV, and 99% of their driving is in a small SC town. What hybrid SUVs would you recommend if buying new? The only ones they have looked at so far is the RAV4 and the highlander. I wanted to ask before they got too far into the shopping process.
thanks!
When it comes to hybrids, Toyota makes the best and most reliable relative to all the competitors. If going new, any of the Toyota hybrid offerings should be good, but for CUV/SUV I would look at the RAV4 hybrid, assuming its size, space, features work for them. Also, if they plan to keep well past 200,000 miles I would not even consider a hybrid as it can get pretty expensive to repair at that point.
They but less than 7k miles a year on their vehicle. I doubt they would ever get close to 100k if I am honest
I usually recommend going with Toyota hybrid SUV’s. Their tech has been around for 20+ years, time tested, and they are known for their brand reliability.
The only other non-Toyota I would recommend is Honda, and that is because of the brands reliability. The Honda hybrid technology used in current cars is relatively new. It’s actually a very compelling technology because it acts like an EV at speeds below 45 mph, and gas engine charges the battery.
Compare this to Toyota hybrid, where both the engine and the electric motor in some combination move the car below 45 mph.
Since your parents are in their 60’s, make sure they are comfortable with push button starts. If going with Toyota hybrid, they are all push button start. I know some old people have a hard time with push button starts.
RAV4 or CRV if they don’t need anything too big.
Venza if they need something a bit fancier.
Highlander if they need something with more space.
IMHO the current RAV4 and CRV are the perfect size, not too big, not to small. But it really depends on what they need.
+1 for Venza. RAV4 size and Highlander ride. Might be a good compromise
Both are good choices. Have them test drive both to see which one they like better.
