Last update: Got a car UPDATE: Continuing my car search

[Marthe48]

Last edited Mon Aug 19, 2024, 08:01 PM - Edit history (2)

I am off Kia for now. I had a disappointing experience with the Kia dealer I went to, and then after many comments on my initial post here in June, researched Kia and decided it isn't the car for me. I thought I'd look at Nissan Sentras, but haven't so far.

In the meantime, my son-in-law suggested I lease a tesla (I don't want a tesla) He has been looking at them himself and gave me a lot of information about charging, getting a charger installed at my house and other information.

I posted on fb that I was looking for a car and one of my friends called. He worked at a local dealership for many years, and is definitely a car guy. He and his wife bought a Bolt a couple years ago, and they love it. He said there is a manufacturer's incentive that takes 7500.00 off the price of the car, and that GM would also give you money to install a charger, but you have to buy. After I talked to him, I started researching Bolts. I found a tax break of 7500.00, but not an incentive that is taken off the price of the car. When I looked for 2024 Bolts, Google returned links that say that GM is going to quit making them or has. He got back to me later yesterday and gave me the name of a couple of dealers in Columbus. When I told him GM weren't making Bolts, he checked and said they are. I might have fooled myself when I was looking at the dates and I'll try again.

I feel like the universe is directing me to EVs for a new car. I looked for EV chargers in Ohio and there are a lot of them, including 3 in Marietta, and more important, there are several near my friend's home that I could use when I visited her. If I get an EV, I can have a charger installed at the house. One drawback is that I stress about the batteries on my devices, and make sure they are charged all the time, so I wonder if I'd transfer that stress to an EV vehicle. (I probably would and I'm not sure I want volunteer anxiety!)

I would buy a used car, but around here, the used cars are close in price to new cars and have the same or higher miles than my Prius. And it seems like the local dealers advertise low priced new models, but you check their inventory and they don't have those. This is the first time I'll buy a car on my own and I'm not making much headway.

Does anyone have any opinions on EVs in general or personal experience?

My daughter and her husband have been helping me, and saw a couple of lease deals online, so we went out to some local dealers Sat. Went to the Mazda dealership first. They were open, but shorthanded or something, because we stood around for 20 minutes and no one greeted us or acknowledged us, so we went to the Nissan dealer. A salesman came right out. There was a lease deal for a Sentra online, but not at the dealership. There was a new Sentra, with some buyer incentives, but we saw a 2021 Rogue with 36K miles and a little of the warranty on it. I hope I can get it, we'll see. I appreciate all of the posts, full of advice and personal experience. I wanted to buy local to avoid long drives for service. It doesn't seem like what's online is available locally. Seems like I have to trade convenience for choice. Getting a car was the big thing on my list this year, and by now, I just want to get it over.

August 19, 2024: I got the 2021 Nissan Rogue. I got it about 10 days ago, and I like it okay. I was heavily influenced by my daughter's opinion, but I think it'll suit my needs and hold up. I drove up to Cleveland and back this last weekend. It is peppy and very stable on the road. On the way up, I ran into heavy rain, and was glad the wipers and defrosters worked. The controls like wipers and turn signals aren't very different from the Prius, but I need to learn more about the H/AC and of all things, the radio. The dealer helped me get the blue tooth connected before I left the lot. While I was in Cleveland, I drove from from my friend's house to the hospital where she had surgery, and I was comfortable in traffic. The mileage is pretty good, not as good as the Prius, but acceptable. It is a lot bigger than the Prius, and I like the interior roominess. I'll pic my grandkids up from their first day of school this week and that'll be their first ride in it. I really appreciate all of the advice and comments. I don't know if this will be my last car, or if I will look for something easier on gas and if I don't need this big vehicle, something smaller.

Happy Convention week!

[Jerry2144]

1. I"ve got the Kia EV6

Great car. Electric is awesome. In the EV forums, people have Ubered them for more than 250,000 miles with no problems. Maintenance is minimal.

The answer is to ensure you have a Level 2 charging available at home. Public networks are expensive, subject to vandalism, and often crowded. 40 amp, 240 V outlet is sufficient for about 7.6 kW charging into the battery (0%-100% in 10 hours). Charge every night and you have full range each morning. I've set mine to routinely charge to 90% (1200% about once per month) and get about 250-280 miles on 90%, depending upon temperature (HVAC load), weather (wind and temp), and how I drive it (instant torque and snap acceleration are hard to resist using). Maintenance has been 4 tire rotations (at $30) and replacing the HVAC filter ($20 from that internet monopoly shopping site) over the last 2 years. Tire life could be better. I am at 45,000 miles and needing tires soon (factory tires rated for 55K) and many people need them sooner. At my utility rates, I pay about 3.5 to 4 cents per mile driven and get about 115 MPG-equivalent.

The trouble is Kia dealers. They're terrible. They don't know much about EVs and don't have great service.

[Bobstandard]

2. Maybe a hybrid?

It turns out that range anxiety is a big issue for a fairly large portion of new ev buyers. It’s not that their cars don’t have enough range on battery or that they can’t find chargers when they need them . The problem is that they worry about it. Apparently it’s more pervasive among older ev buyers than among the young. The worry may be misplaced but who needs more anxiety?

Hybrids get you that good mileage without having to about charging. Just a thought.

[cloudbase]

3. Stay away from anything Nissan makes that has a CVT.

You'll be happy you did.

[iscooterliberally]

4. I don't know much about EVs, but I did buy a car earlier this year.

I have a friend who bought a Hyundai SUV type EV. He really loves it and said the maintenance was really inexpensive. I was afraid to buy one of those, so I went with a Subaru Impreza wagon. I found one that was a year old with a manual 5 speed transmission. I was driving and old Nissan 350Z with a manual so I"m used to that. The Subaru is very slow compared to the 350z, but I can get more out of it since it's a manual. I would hate to try and get on the interstate with the CVT transmission. Anyway, I like the Subaru. It sips fuel and runs smoothly. It has all wheel drive too. I don't need that so much in South Florida, but I know these cars go well in the snow. You might want to check out car edge dot com. They have a lot of advice on how to deal with car dealerships. They have plenty of free youtube videos to check out as well. Good luck and I hope you get a great deal no matter what you buy.

[DemSigns]

5. VW ID.4

Look at the ID.4 new or Certified Pre-owned First Edition.

[BlueInPhilly]

6. IMO EV is not ready for Prime Time

There is still an issue with range. Tesla no longer qualifies for tax incentives, not to mention the supply chain and Musk. Plus their truck is butt ugly.

Maybe in 5 years or so, new batteries capable of delivering long range would be available at a reasonable price. For now, hybrid is not too shabby. I have a Honda hybrid and so far, so good.

[lastlib]

7. You might check out the electric Chevrolet Equinox. New this year.

They're cheaper than the gas model. I bought a gas Equinox last year, and love it. Electric would be icing on the cake. My 2cts.

[PuppyBismark]

8. The Toyota hybrids are a great choice

Once again, Toyota has been picked as the most reliable car by consumer reports. we’ve got a Prius that is 12 years old and It only had one thing to fix and that was the 12 V support battery. It gave out after 10 years. really take a good look at the Toyota hybrids. The 2024 Prius got great reviews

If you want luxury then look at a Lexus.

[Marthe48]

11. I'm driving a 2008 Prius

I love it, and I thought it'd be my last car, but 16 years is pretty old.

[Lulu KC]

9. EV lover here

I have a Leaf. It is from 2015 and has a tiny range, which works for me but I realize I'm an outlier. (We also have a 2010 Prius that we use for long trips.) It is the most fun car I have ever had. Zoom zoom!

I was so afraid of EVs. I'm usually more of an "early adopter" type, but it just sounded hard. Then I rode in a friend's new Leaf (this was around 2019) and another friend's Tesla. The Tesla friend said, "I plug it in when I go to bed, just like I do my phone." Those words completely opened my brain. The quiet of both of the cars was also something I hadn't considered. It is much more pleasant.

I have a friend with a Bolt who adores it. When we think that our Prius might be on its last legs, we talk about a plug-in hybrid.

It is so much fun to drive by gas stations and just wave! And the maintenance costs are ridiculously low. Wiper blades, brake pads, tires. It's a very different way of life. While I know they are not environmentally perfect, it's a delight to stop handing money directly to fossil fuel companies. It's made me more of an activist about clean electricity.

Range anxiety is real. Select a car that has adequate range for you and allow a little extra for hot or cold weather, when they seem to use a little more. (At least the older ones do--all of that may have changed with newer cars. The technology is always improving dramatically.)

I have found that Reddit has really good pages on specific cars and there are always people willing to give advice to potential buyers about what to look out for.

Have fun!

[3Hotdogs]

10. WARNING !!! Whatever you do buy, DO NOT LEASE IT unless you own a business and can deduct it's expenses.

At the end of the lease, you have nothing. No equity. Nothing.

Unless you prearrange and pay more per month, leases are gauged at 12k miles per year. Nobody drives that few miles per year. At the end of the lease, you get billed per mile for the difference.

[flvegan]

12. Why not just get another Prius?

Sounds like the current one has been a good car. I have a number of friends who have Prius' (Prii? Priusses? Who cares) and they all swear by them. Not my cup of tea, but I can recognize how such a car can be an excellent choice depending on the owner. Don't have to worry about the current challenges of EV ownership, either.

[Marthe48]

13. If I could find one I can afford

I am ready to buy, but not sure I want to afford another Prius.

My husband was alive when we bought the one I have and finiances have changed a little.

[Marthe48]

14. Thanks everyone!

All of the comments have been so helpful. I like knowing that I'm not the only one with battery anxiety

I didn't know it, but my daughter and s-i-l are helping me search.

I realized since I posted that I'm not being picky. I am ready to make a deal, but I'm having trouble finding a local dealer who has what I want. I'm open to ideas, and I'll take what's in my price range. I thought the Covid shortages were over, but maybe they aren't.

I'll be sure to follow up when I have a new/different car.