Scotty,
We have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee that we purchased new and have put 230,000 miles on it without any major repairs. It has been burning oil for a while but it is getting worse. We are looking at a slightly used Sienna because we like to take a lot of road trips. Should we consider getting a hybrid or stick with gasoline? We don't want a car that we have to perform a lot of maintenance on and we want to be able to put 200.000-300,000 miles on it. It seems like it will cost less to get a new car because of used car prices but Siennas only come in hybrid now. Maybe Honda Odyssey would be a better choice? What do you think?
Aimland from Washington
Based on your goals, a plain gas Sienna would be best. FAR cheaper in the long run as you don't have the expense of replacing the batteries when they go out.
Toyota hybrids are very good quality so if you are buying a brand new Sienna and it's offered in hybrid only it's going to be totally fine and last some good time if you keep up with the needed maintenance. Or if you want to buy new and have a gasoline only option if a suv works for you then you might want to look into the Highlander too. But if buying used I would suggest staying away from hybrids in general because if the car has too much mileage then you would need to change the battery at some point which is expensive. But if you buy brand new hybrid then you'll be okay.
If you intend to keep for 200,000-300,000 miles then definitely go with a regular gasoline Toyota Sienna.
We don't want a car that we have to perform a lot of maintenance
Every car needs maintenance and you need to be on top of those, even on Toyota’s, if you want it to last.
With Toyota hybrids, the maintenance is very similar to a regular ICE Toyota: oil changes, tire rotations, topping off fluids…
The biggest noticeable difference is not needing to change the brakes as much with a hybrid. And eventually the traction battery on the hybrid.
I would get a used gasoline Sienna. Buying a brand new Hybrid is not bad, but do not even think about the Odyssey. Those have many issues.
