I have a 2018 Ridgeline and a 2015 Prius and want to downsize to one vehicle. What would be a good choice to get for utility and gas mileage? I was thinking about a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. Any other suggestions come to mind?
I did the numbers out of curiosity on the rav 4 vs rav 4 hybrid about a month ago. The hybrid costs a bit more, and you will never make back that money with the extra mpg of the hybrid, even if you drive it 200k miles. The car will also depreciate more because people are scared of them as they age, as they should be. I would get the regular rav 4 if it were me.
Don't get me wrong, both are good cars, but there really isn't any benefit to at that I can see, but several downsides.
I can see what hes sayin here. Plus if you take his advice and go regular gas RAV4 then it would be easier to go used and possibly if old enough, save you money in the long run.
If you are looking for a cross between the Ridgeline and the Prius, in terms of utility and gas savings, the RAV4 Hybrid and the CRV Hybrid are probably your better choices. But there is a caveat.
Granted the hybrid versions of these cost a little more. Depending on how long you keep the car, and whether you do more highway or city driving, can help determine if it is more cost effective to get the hybrid version versus the ICE version.
Here is a chart of the RAV4 Hybrid vs the RAV4 ICE (Internal Combustion Engine).
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-bVho8e_wwS-9oU_et-SPaqGYyqXH0ZTX7-euJiKRCk/htmlview
On the average, the break even point is about 100,000 miles. If you keep your car less than 100,000 miles, might as well get an ICE. If you keep your car more than 100,000 miles get the hybrid.
If you do more city driving, the break even point is earlier, closer to 50,000 miles. If you do way more highway driving, the break even is beyond 250,000 miles. I assumed $4.00 gasoline. The numbers will change depending on how much gas cost in your neck of the woods.
Granted, there are other benefits to hybrids like, less engine wear, less brake wear.
FWIW, I am a big (Toyota) hybrid fan, my Prius reached 300K+ miles, with basic maintenance. At the same time, I am intrigued with Honda’s version of a hybrid, because it is basically an EV, that happens to run on gasoline.
@kaizen Yeah you make valid points, and 300k for a hard driven prius isn't all that hard to do, cabs often get well over that, I have heard of some going 600k+.
I loved my 2013 Prius, but honestly I never got better gas mileage in the city, I think it is very specific city driving that actually gets better. Mine would normally go down to like 45-48, but I have actually got 52 on a 2500 miles round trip from south Georgia, to Cincinnati, to new York, and back to Georgia, mostly highway and interstate. Not that it makes much difference when factoring in how much you will save/lose.
The other thing to keep in mind that this chart does not account for, is resale value of the hybrid when you have over 100k, pretty sure it is going to be a good bit less than the regular ICE. Gas prices and car shortages could also affect that theory though.
Hondas hybrids scare me, I saw too many that were having battery issues before 100k, unless they have ironed out their issues, I would surely stick to toyota for a hybrid.
What are you lookin for budget wise? If your budget is ok the Rav4 Hybrid would be a great choice but ONLY if you go NEW. NEVER buy a USED Hybrid.
