Fuel efficient SUV/Car search

[kev374]

which Toyota’s brakes are $750-800?? I got new brake pads AND brand new rotors for my Nissan Frontier pickup for $350 installed!

[bearishgurl]

[quote=kev374]which Toyota’s brakes are $750-800?? I got new brake pads AND brand new rotors for my Nissan Frontier pickup for $350 installed![/quote]

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. That price is for a complete brake job on the 4WD Toyota Tacoma or 4Runner. The parts and labor for Toyota Corolla, Camry, Avalon, etc is less.

[jimmyle]

The Prius V will reduce your gas bill by more than half. But you will have to put up with half the power and the all of the Prius haters out there. Some will say that it is like driving a coffee maker but you don’t double the gas mileage and not give up anything. The Prius V has almost the same amount of room as the CR-V. Prii are top notch in reliability if you believe Consumerreports.

You don’t replace your brakes until 150k miles. And 99% of their batteries (2nd and 3rd gens)make it past 200k miles.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=spdrun]That’s why overweight SUVs lugging around 5500 lb of pigfat and with 400 hp so a soccer mooooomy can plaster her ill-behaved sprogs to the leather seats by pressing the loud pedal are impractical to own. Yep, the 5500 lb is CURB weight, not GVWR. 1500lb heavier than your average 70s or 80s American land barge. Fail.

Q7? Just call it the Audi Suburban, Canyonero, or Power Wagon. Every time I see one of those things on the road, and think back to when Audi made light, innovative, fun-to-drive cars, I want to burst into tears.[/quote]

Spoken like a true bachelor with no kids (I’m assuming.. LOL). Yeah, so if you are a single guy with no kids/family then obviously you wouldn’t want an SUV. But here’s the rub…… When you have 2 kids already and you are planning on having another in the next year and you don’t want a mini-van… you have very few alternatives.

Also, when we have in-laws come and we also have to have room for them. There are few vehicles out there that I like that are stylish and that is something that we’d like. The Audi Q7 really is perfect for us. Other than the brake shock….really it’s been a GREAT vehicle for our family.

No, it’s NOT the same thing as a suburban. I’ve rented Suburbans before and this is nothing compared to it. Really we don’t regret our decision to buy the Q7 TDI. Was it expensive? Yep. Very, especially considering we got the Premium package with just about everything you can get on the inside.

But it’s very powerful, roomy for us, comfortable and really was the best option for us. I’m not one of those people that change cars often or buy something because it’s a certain brand. For me, it really was the best option for my family. It gets GREAT gas mileage for it’s size/weight and super functional for our family. The third row seating granted isn’t big enough for adults but for our kids it’s plenty of room and will last until they grow up.

We added the trailer hitch that will hold up to 5 bicycles with the removable holder, and there is plenty of room in the back for strollers, etc. We bought one of those roof racks and the great thing with the Audi is you can remove it when you’re not using it. We bought one of those cargo boxes to put on top which holds TONS of stuff. I’m not a road trip type but we did drive it up to Lake Tahoe and it was really great. Handles great in snowy weather as well.

So I take a grain of salt with your comment as I am guessing you probably are a single guy with no kids.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

[quote=no_such_reality]

I’ll be honest, I don’t understand the Nissan Leaf. Given SoCal traffic and heat, I can’t imagine most people wouldn’t need to plug it in after their morning commute to not risk running out of ‘gas’ on the way home.

MPGe is a bit laughable too. They use a conversion based on the BTU content of “gallon of gas” but assume a 100% efficiency in the production of electricity.

In the case of renewable like solar that may be true, if you charge during the day, in the case of coal, it’s 33%. Which mean if you’re charging in an area dominated by coal produced power, your real MPGe is 1/3rd…[/quote]

I’ve owned a LEAF for almost two years. I think you are over-thinking MPGe. If you are discounting the MPGe by accounting for the efficiency of electricity production why wouldn’t you also discount the less than 100% efficiency in producing the gallon of gas ?

The simplest way to consider the LEAF is to count dollars.

Assume $4 per gallon, 11 cents per kilowatt hour and and 10,000 miles a year.

One year of fuel for a LEAF is:
$323 (assuming 3.5 miles/kWhr, which is what I’ve averaged over 2 years).

One year of fuel for a Prius is:
$1000 (assuming 40 miles per gallon)

One year of fuel for an SUV
$2700 (assuming 15 miles per gallon)

Not to mention maintenance costs. So far, after 23 months of ownership we have spent a grand total of $0 on maintenance for our LEAF. Some day we will need to have brakes or new tires, and maybe a new battery after 8 or 10 years, but there are no oil changes. Electric motors are pretty simple.

SO Cal, particularly LA with our heavy stop and go traffic and mild climate is ideal for this car, especially in a 2-car family. Spouse and I fight over who gets to drive it and use it for all local travel that we can. For us, it’s a no brainer. Never have issues with range for 99% of our lives. Otherwise we drive the SUV on long trips.
If you own a home (so that you can wire up the 220 circuit), have two drivers in the family and one commutes less than about 30 miles each way to work, it’s a great deal.

If you live in Riverside county and commute into San Diego, or drive around a lot for work, or have to haul a truckload of stuff it’s not gonna work for you.

[sdsurfer]

I got the wifey a Kia Sorrento last year and she loves it.

I did the same research you did before I bought it and it was the best thing I could find dollar for dollar.

I think anything that gets good gas mileage is going to be cramped for the big dogs and the sup.

Everyone I know they has every had an Audi has had issues with repairs one way or another…maybe that is just my friends, but I do not think so.

Good luck!

[TeCKis300]

Based on what I think I’m reading your needs are, there might be an interesting option for you, and it’s one my family has bought into recently. Your concern doesn’t seem to be fuel efficiency directly, but more the running cost/mile. Which in the case of diesels, won’t buy you any cost benefit as their higher price/gallon reflects their inherent energy density advantage making it mostly a wash.

I think you’re also saying that for extended trips, your family uses your husbands free fuel vehicle?

If that’s the case, the Toyota RAV4 EV might just fit your needs. It’s a joint venture between Tesla and Toyota…essentially a Tesla Model S drivetrain/battery adapted to a proven RAV4 chassis. It’s my wife’s DD and the weekend family runabout, and it’s way exceeded my expectations. From an efficiency standpoint, for the size vehicle, it cannot be beat. ‘Fueling’ costs are about 1/4-1/5 the cost of gasoline through the utility company. And maintenance costs are practically nil save for tires.

Just to give you a perspective, I had an ’05 4Runner V8, and the RAV4 easily eclipses that car in interior volume since you said that’s a factor. I have a LX470 that we use to use as the weekend car, and it’s use has been mostly displaced by the RAV. The unibody of the RAV lends it an inherent advantage in interior volume over body on frame vehicles like my LX470. Yes the LX is wider/roomier, but I was pleasantly surprised at the interior space offered by the RAV.

Along with what others have mentioned, I refuse to do tin can econo cars like the leaf/prius, as when push comes to shove in an accident, mass will win. The RAV4 EV is a legitimate sized vehicle, with the exact same tire fitments as the gas version, so safety is not compromised for the sake of efficiency.

As it’s the Tesla drivetrain, the RAV4 EV is shockingly performant – just about the fastest of all the EV production vehicles save for the Tesla models themselves. Easily a 6.9-7 sec 0-60, which is even faster than the V6 version of the RAV4. And it can go 100-140 miles depending on a standard charge or extended charge. Plenty for a runabout.

It’s a 49k car, but with huge incentives: $10k CA/Fed, $10k Toyota finance cash, and 0% 5yr financing. I got $10k in pocket before I even made practically any payments.

If you don’t need the car for long trips, I wholly recommend it. It’s even more awesome when it’s fueled by a solar system 😉

[spdrun]

Spoken like a true bachelor with no kids (I’m assuming.. LOL). Yeah, so if you are a single guy with no kids/family then obviously you wouldn’t want an SUV. But here’s the rub…… When you have 2 kids already and you are planning on having another in the next year and you don’t want a mini-van… you have very few alternatives.

I’m getting a vasectomy after the second little shitting, squealing, pissing pink grub. Even if I have to do it all by my lonesome with a rusty razor blade and an old Singer sewing machine.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=spdrun]

Spoken like a true bachelor with no kids (I’m assuming.. LOL). Yeah, so if you are a single guy with no kids/family then obviously you wouldn’t want an SUV. But here’s the rub…… When you have 2 kids already and you are planning on having another in the next year and you don’t want a mini-van… you have very few alternatives.

I’m getting a vasectomy after the second little shitting, squealing, pissing pink grub. Even if I have to do it all by my lonesome with a rusty razor blade and an old Singer sewing machine.[/quote]

Ouchie. Yikes, sorry for assuming you didn’t have kids. LOL.

[patb]

A minivan does haul a lot of crap, especially with the seats pulled.

http://autos.aol.com/car-finder/style-suv/mpg-30/

now a RAV4 EV is real economical. Lease one.

the Escape hybrid is a real fuel sipper.

[treehugger]

TeCKis300 I read about the RAV4 EV, but the $49K price tag was a bit crazy! If I am reading you correctly you received $10k federal and $10k toyota rebates for a total of $20k in rebates and a purchase price of $29k out the door with 0% finacing? Now that is certainly an option.

I have been driving some friends Prius’ and went to the car lots this past weekend. Drove the Jetta TDI, but yes overall cost to drive doesn’t make sense given the higher cost of diesel. I have heard from several that the maintenance costs on Audi is high, but I do like the Audi A3 wagon, but they no longer make them and the dealership was out. Supposedly they will be returning in the near future as a hybrid, that should be interesting!

The Ford Escape no longer comes in a hybrid.

Any more info on the RAV4 EV would be greatly appreciated.

[TeCKis300]

Yes, the MSRP is indeed crazy and a non-starter without incentives. But understand that the technology onboard is the best of its kind as it comes straight out of the Tesla Model S. With incentives, it is indeed 29k + (tax on 49k) making it roughly a 33k out the door car. At that price, it’s a steal IMO, that is further sweetened by the very very low running costs. Note that you may not want to lease as Toyota does not pass the federal incentives to the buyer (like Nissan does with the Leaf).

Between my wife and I, we were paying ~$550/mth in fuel costs. Granted, we have a couple other rather thirsty vehicles. After adding the RAV4EV to our stable, our total fuel costs have dropped dramatically to ~$130/mth for the ~2000 miles/mth.

The RAV4EV is an easy car to get along with. It’s a solid driving car without the typical compromises of a fuel efficient car. Powerful. Tons of utility, storage, and space as the interior is not compromised at all by the battery pack.

It has all the latest electronics – big 8″ NAV, HD/Sat Radio, Bluetooth, Keyless everything. All LED lighting.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions and I’ll happily answer.

[mike92104]

I’d recommend a Subaru as well. Either the Forester or the Outback. I have a ’99 Outback with nearly 200k miles. So far I have had to replace one bearing and an alternator. The AWD is excellent. I’ve driven in snow, ice, sand, and mud without issue. There’s plenty of room inside, and if you really need it, you can put 300 lbs on the roof rack. There are even accessories that will turn the cargo area into a kennel for your dogs. Definitely take a look at them before you make your decision.

[Anonymous]

Prius wagon, hands down.

[jimmyle]

Yes, why consider changing from 19 mpg to 24 mpg with other SUVs? The cost of selling/trading negates any savings in mpg gain. Might as well stay with your 4 Runner. With the Prius wagon, you are going from 19 mpg to 42-44 mpg and the savings is significant.

[quote=Andy2]Prius wagon, hands down.[/quote]

[Author]

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