Hey Scotty me and my wife are in the market for a new suv and are trying to decide between the 2020 Toyota highlander or the kia telluride. And if highlander should we get the hybrid? is it reliable?
We have an 2015 highlander XLE since new and it's been awesome. Very reliable and the materials and tech still look and work great. I used to have a Camry hybrid and I don't think it's worth the additional cost at all. Any fuel savings is eaten up by the additional cost of the car. I'd go gas.
If you want to get the car that lasts the longest, get the gasoline Highlander. Toyota makes great hybrids but ALL hybrids are expensive to keep on the roads as they age.
The Kia could be OK for a while but it won't last half as long as the Highlander.
The difference in fuel economy is not that much in my opinion 29 highway vs 35 highway but if you want to get the Hybrid it should last a good 10-12 years at least.
If you are going to keep the vehicle for as long as possible and put hundreds of thousands of miles on it, get the Toyota Highlander (regular). Historically, the Toyota hybrids can be good to 150,000 - 200,000 miles (or thereabouts) before serious repair on the hybrid system. As for the Kia/Hyundai products in general they are OK to 100,000 miles but really diverge in terms of reliability from the Toyota’s as you go well past 100,000 miles.
Not sure your priority, but if you plan to get rid of before 100,000 miles then you got more options and it would come down to which of the 3 you like best.
I’d never get a Kia recently they had cars catching fire because of a problem in ABS brakes.
you could drive the regular highlander for ten years and still have a decent resale value
Based on what I've learned from Scotty over the past few years, I would definitely go with the Regular Highlander, instead of the hybrid one. I've seen 2 different videos that Scotty has out on the Highlander hybrid and how they don't typically last quite as long as the regular highlander's. I wouldn't get the Kia either, as their quality isn't quite as good as Toyota.
One more piece of advice that I may concur with Scotty. If you are going to go with a hybrid, best to buy them brand new.
If you go conventional, used may be ok.
I also agree with that. A 2018 or so Highlander could be more proven and you could get a better price with lots of life left while a new Hybrid will come with a warranty and might last longer.
I’m probably the only vote for the hybrid. My guess is that by the time you need to replace the traction battery, prices will have come down dramatically. But that’s only a guess.
I’m quite fascinated by the Toyota hybrid system, because it removes the use of a starter and an alternator. I presume the Highlander Hybrid to be the same.
In many ways, it’s actually a less complex system than a traditional ICE.
Do you or anyone else know what was the cost of new battery when first Prius came out?
I don’t remember the exact price when first coming out. I’ve seen them in the 6K price range, and the last time I checked it was in the 1.9K price range, depending on dealer. That’s just for parts. And there are aftermarket batteries which are even cheaper, though I don’t know the quality of them.
@g-t @kaizen
Used ones are around $1500-$2,000 according to many internet sources. The dealership might be giving a used one, just like how some install junkyard engines in cars when their engines fail. Most new ones shouldn't cost more than $4100-4200. But the general rule for a new one should be upwards of 3k to 6 7k.
I also found this relevant information:
Toyota hybrid battery replacement costs
Below is a list of MSRP battery cost details for the various hybrid Toyota models offered since 2001.
2001-2003 Toyota Prius (1st generation) - $3,649
2004-2009 Toyota Prius (2nd generation) - $3,939
2010-2011 Toyota Prius (3rd generation) - $4,080
2012-2015 Toyota Prius Liftback - $3,939
2012-2016 Toyota Prius V - $3,939
2012-2016 Toyota Prius C - $3,807
2007-2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid - $4,892
2012-2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid - $4,892
2013-2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid - $4,892
2006-2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - $6,198
2011-2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - $6,353
Each of these prices will be reduced by a $1,350 "core credit" for the old battery pack being replaced, which the dealer then recycles through a long-established Toyota program.
Battery replacement costs were not immediately available for most 2016 models, or for the 2012-2015 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid.
Labor rates differ from vehicle to vehicle, and vary by location, but the customer will likely pay for more hours than the minimal number of hours for which Toyota will reimburse dealers doing warranty work.
The lowest warranty-reimbursement rate is 1.3 hours for a 2012-2016 Prius C pack, but customers will likely be charged for 2.0 to 3.3 hours in that case.
On the high end, Toyota reimburses a dealer for 3.7 hours of labor to replace a 2011-2013 Highlander Hybrid battery, but customers may be billed for 5.6 to 9.3 hours.
@kerem
Interesting info you provided there. Anyway hybrids cost too much for me. And there in Europe only hybrid Camry is avaliable among new cars. Non hybrid RAV4 is only the diesel one.
When I was in the market for a replacement hybrid battery for my Prius, I was looking at a brand new one from the dealer ~$1900 or a refurbished one ~$1500. By the time I was ready to buy it, the price of the new one jumped to $3000, so I went with a refurbished. Weeks later the price went back down to ~$1900.