Okay I'm going to throw a Malibu Maxx into the equation here. The standard 3.5 L will get you 28 to 30 miles to the gallon on the highway. Parts are cheap tons of interior room. Like if you want to fold down all the seats you can carry a 9-foot tall ladder inside of it completely. And it actually had more rear legroom then a same year Tahoe And I'm sure you could manage to lift it a good inch and a half or so if you wanted to.
If you're considering something in the smallish crossover segment, Toyota makes a hybrid Rav4 that sells for not much more than the gas AWD ones, makes more power and gets better mileage.
RX8driver said:If you're considering something in the smallish crossover segment, Toyota makes a hybrid Rav4 that sells for not much more than the gas AWD ones, makes more power and gets better mileage.
Hmm...and it looks like it can be had as early as 2012.
I wonder what kind of reliability those motors (2.5 L 2AR-FXE I4 (hybridgasoline/electric) are having?
It'd be rad if you could find a Rav4 Hybrid with a Manual trans, but I doubt it.
As an aside, TrueCar.com can help analyze the market rates for vehicle shopping - for instance when I compare the aforemention Rav4 Hybrid against the Subaru Outback, the Subarus have more miles and are older for the same price than similar Rav4 Hybrids - and the Rav4 gets better MPG as well.
More comparison of few-year-old Subaru Outback vs Rav4 Hybrid show that the Rav4 would be faster from the lights than the 2.5i Outback, but would be dusted by the 3.6R. The 3.6R also would only get about 27mpg highway, compared to the 34 of the older Rav4 Hybrid.
Just bought a Pacifica Hybrid Limited. Its a pretty awesome rig. 30 miles of electric range, 520 miles total range, lots of great tech, lots of room for people and stuff.
Rated at 84mpge. We've put about 600 miles on it and used a little over 10 gallons of gas. The $7500 in Federal tax credits, plus an additional $2500 from our home state, helps soften the blow.
The panoramic sunroof is great, helps brighten the interior (we have the S package that blacks the chrome out and has black leather interior).
Cameras, blindspot monitor, radar cruise control, the ability to park itself are all pretty nice features and tech.
The V6 has a great power curve and when combined with the electric motor its sneaky quick for a rig its size and intended use. So passing isn't an issue. The engine is an Atkinson cycle version of the other model's V6 and in non-hybrid form is pretty reliable as its been around for at least a generation.
Hybrid uses a CVT that tends to be more reliable than the 9-speed in the gas models. Though I think they've made strides in reliability there.
Higher seating position, lower hoodline helps visibility out the front.
A couple of minor things to be aware of:
Suspension feel is ok, its pretty comfy. The stock tires have a lot of sidewall so they help with the ride, but also make it feel a little squishy. Pretty common wheel/tire size, so finding something more aggressive wouldn't be too hard.
It would handle a pretty standard gravel road just fine. I would put paint protector on the lower portions just to prevent sandblasting it all away. Lifting it with larger tires should be possible as well, not sure.
Hybrid means you don't get to stow and go the middle row. They are removable though. Rear bench/3rd row folds flat into the trunk though.
Panoramic sunroof and hybrid means no 8th seat between the captains chairs up front. There is no place to anchor the upper seat belt for the middle seat, so its not included. The mount on the floor isn't included. Some have added this afterward and others have simply added a generic center console to provide more cup holders/storage.
If you have any other questions, let me know.
pheller said:RX8driver said:If you're considering something in the smallish crossover segment, Toyota makes a hybrid Rav4 that sells for not much more than the gas AWD ones, makes more power and gets better mileage.
Hmm...and it looks like it can be had as early as 2012.
I wonder what kind of reliability those motors (2.5 L 2AR-FXE I4 (hybridgasoline/electric) are having?
It'd be rad if you could find a Rav4 Hybrid with a Manual trans, but I doubt it.
As an aside, TrueCar.com can help analyze the market rates for vehicle shopping - for instance when I compare the aforemention Rav4 Hybrid against the Subaru Outback, the Subarus have more miles and are older for the same price than similar Rav4 Hybrids - and the Rav4 gets better MPG as well.
More comparison of few-year-old Subaru Outback vs Rav4 Hybrid show that the Rav4 would be faster from the lights than the 2.5i Outback, but would be dusted by the 3.6R. The 3.6R also would only get about 27mpg highway, compared to the 34 of the older Rav4 Hybrid.
On that end of things, the Ford Escape hybrid seems to be the cheapest used hybrid that you can buy.
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