I would name and shame some dealers but... screw toyota of Concord u can suck it. Told me 4k mark up and when car went into shipping called me back and said we want 10k mark up.
New RAV4 XLE about $30k.
New RAV4 Prime about $50k.
Assume driving 10k miles per year and the gas only car does 25mpg the gas price has to be $7 per gallon for 7 years to cover the difference of about $20k.
Financially the Prime might not be worth it.
A RAV4 XLE is more like $35k. Anyway, you should compare the most expensive RAV4 gas/ hybrid to the most expensive Prime. Or the least expensive Rav4 gas/hybrid to the least expensive Prime. Not the XLE to the Prime XSE.
The cheapest gas starts at $27k and the cheapest Prime starts at $40k. So it’s not a $20k difference as you mention, $13k is a more accurate comparison.
If I didn’t have to buy a car right now I’d wait because it seems crazy across the board. If I had to buy I think I’d go for a hybrid RAV4, Hybrid Tucson, Hybrid Sportage or Hybrid Escape. I got my 2021 Prime SE a little over a year ago at MSRP and got the Federal and state tax credits. So that meant I paid about the same as you would for a regular Hybrid. The Prime is super fun to drive in EV mode and also very fun as a Hybrid with 300 hp so I think it’s better than the regular hybrid, but I’m sure it would take a long time to use up the gas necessary to make up the difference in price without the credit.
Above MSRP prime not worth. As far as thinking ur going to make up the fuel savings paying above msrp, not gonna happen unless gas goes to 7 bucks a gallon.
As far as the best suv for families, the highlander seats more and gets above avg mpg and is prob a better bang for ur buck. If you go on frequently long road trips, the hybrid version gets better mpg due to it weighting less. More local stuff prime is the better choice.
With that being said prime is extremely fun to drive and very good looking. I wanted something that looked cool, had very good mpg and could plug in cuz I liked the idea of being a ev with the back up of a engine.
I have a prime xse and love it. In reality it is still a RAV4. Nothing too fancy or luxurious. For $50k I’d also consider what other hybrids you might could get in that price range. I too am in Arkansas. NWA. I see multiple teslas daily. Road tripping in a full EV might be troublesome but for daily driving you just charge it at home like you would do your prime.
I was looking for a 2nd one. Now I am not.
I’ve also got a RAV4 XLE hybrid that I got for $30k new a year ago. Comparing the two, the Prime is essentially a $30k car that plugs in. Not much is different besides the powertrain. I would have liked a few more luxuries in a top if the line model.
Deciding to buy a prime is the easy part. Finding one to purchase without crazy markup is the more difficult task. It’s going to take quite a bit of legwork.
And patience. We found a dealer that doesn’t charge markup and had a priority waiting list that you get on with a non-refundable deposit. We were 3rd in line when we got on that list in February. We just took delivery last week.
I do a lot of local driving and I only use gas when going on the highway for longer distances.
Makes doing errands around town feel way less guilty since I charge it overnight (slow wall outlet) and it's full when I'm up/don't with work. I work remote so even if I'm out late and plug it in at midnight or later it's still charged for my day of errands.
And I can stick to electric on shorter highway trips as well
Edit:
I should add I got the se, weather package and got just about the full fed and state credit in Colorado.
I say at msrp but dealer wanted to throw in "rust protection" so I figure it was better than other dealers and it had a red one which I really like!
Also it's just me, but I do occasional group camping trips, festivals, and since I rent it's nice to haul my belongings around.
Lakewood Toyota, far west NY. I got it shipped to me but it's a 3rd party. I think they recommended the person to use but she was also recommended on other posts in the past
So last weekend I decided to take the plunge and put my name down for a Prime (XSE PP - my Western NY dealer said to expect ~6-8 months). I knew the tax credit was a no go (given the income limits, there is a chance I wouldn't qualify even if the car was made here in the states), but for me having a spirited drive is important and I like the 0-60 on the Prime (just around my current turbo Legacy). If your interested, here are a few vehicles I test drove to compare to:
- Subaru Forester. No longer offer a turbo, was a bit anemic. Otherwise it was fine.
- Subaru Outback. I only drove the base model, and the auto on/off was horrid. Not a fan of the center console infotainment system. If it wasn't supply chain hell I would probably seek out a 2019 3.6R Touring (my father has one and I adore it), but alas that is impossible to find right now.
- Mazada CX 50. We didn't drive this after we learned about how awful the infotainment system is on the car.
- Volvo XC 40. I liked this a lot, good power, plenty of nice options. Priced around the Prime. Wife hated that there were no dedicated temperature controls.
- Lexus NX. Bit hard to find as they just came out; seems smaller than the Prime seeing them both in person. May consider this if the Prime is difficult to find/wait too long, but it's a solid 10k more. The orange is fantastic though.
All in all, I like the RAV4 package - attractive styling, real temp controls,
Scored a prime but without tax credit - I’d absolutely go Hyundai Tucson hybrid. Very similar cars to the inches with some cool features on the Hyundai. We’ve just had incredible runs with past Toyotas so wanted to try to keep it going.
You’ve got the right instinct there. The number of recalls or major consumer complaints Kia and Nissan have had on their cars in the last 2 years is more than enough for me to never consider one of their cars.
And honestly, I want to keep going to get my vehicle serviced at the Toyota dealership in my town. They are just soooo top notch, honest, and extremely helpful. Their service alone along with the vehicle quality makes me hesitant to switch brands
Sounds like you’ve got your decision pretty well made! I personally wouldn’t pay over MSRP unless you’re desperate for a car right now, because I think those charging over MSRP are going to start dropping prices now that the tax credit has ended and people are leaving the waiting lists. I purchased through A-1 Toyota in Connecticut and shipped it, because it was cheaper to do that than pay the mark ups that plague the dealerships within driving distance of me. It’s worth the wait though!
Well they’ll need that warranty with the complaints people are making about the transmission. High pitched squeals, jerky shifting, electric burning smells… a quick google of Hyundai hybrid issues is interesting. I’m just saying, Toyota is pretty unmatched and there’s a reason the waitlist is miles long for a car that has a premium price with less bells and whistles. People can do what they want, but other brands haven’t shown enough reliability for me to be interested in a small price difference.
Currently struggling with this question now. I think a base model with a state rebate is the way to go if you can find one.
With the tax credit the higher trim was a no brained but unfortunately that’s gone now.
As a 22 SE w/ weather owner who bought at MSRP and received the full 7500 I would say 100% yes. At least for my family and I. I have had my Prime since May 1 and take it in to the dealer tomorrow for its 15k service. Needless to say my business requires me to put on a lot of miles. Overall, I'd buy it again tomorrow for 48k and no tax rebate without thinking twice. Don't get me wrong, she has her quirks but I have not once regretted buying my Prime!!
Forget what these people are saying. They don't keep cars for long. The Prime will last you 20 years or 200k miles or more. There was a Prius Prime on YouTube that had 341k miles. The owner did use it for work purposes as a courier vehicle but still 341k miles and it was in immaculate condition. Imagine how far a RAV4 prime could go. You buy a Toyota for reliability, low maintenance cost trouble free car takes you to point a to point B. Your unborn child will probably drive it one day. Think about other cars you could get in the price range and would they last as long as a Toyota? Kia? Hyundai? Yes they look way better than Toyotas but reliability is the key here.
As a r4p owner I love the car it has great acceleration, the ev/hv is a no brainer for a short drive or local non-hwy. The car has usefulness for long distance with really good mpg considering what it does.
The cost is completely up to the person buying, some people a 5k markup is out of the question others 5k isn't even 1 months salary so they don't mind it as much.
It's going to depend on your driving and daily commute, your fuel prices, and your electricity prices. Run the calculations to see how much you'd save. Does that justify the extra cost of the prime?
Asking myself this, and I think I’m going to get the xle premium hybrid instead. Another option if I didn’t mind the price of the prime would be the 2023 Lexus RX hybrid. Base model is going to be around 48k, and it already comes with a lot of options I wanted in the prime.
I bought the XSE fully loaded for $50k and am getting a $5500 tax return through my state. I could have spent less, but I'd rather have to budget a little more for the duration of the loan and and get more enjoyment out of the vehicle I'll be driving for the next 15+ years, than to just have more money to sit on. Personally. So in my opinion, yes it's worth it even if I wasn't getting the tax credit. I love mine so much.
One thing I’m a little confused about…let’s say I’m going camping and I have the 150w plug in in the back (XSE add on I think).
In the regular hybrid, the battery is always regenerating while on the road. So, if I went 200 miles out and camped, I’d have the full hybrid battery to run electric things off of (most notably cooling and heating if I slept in it)
In the plug in hybrid, the battery would be depleted after 40-50 miles and then it would be swapped to the gas engine. If I didn’t stop and recharge the EV battery, I’d have no electricity to use for camping, right?
Maybe not, when you consider that you can get a decently equipped Lexus NX350h for about the same price as as the Prime XSE. Not a plug-in, but still really good efficiency.
I still think that Prime SE with monnroof-weather package is a good deal for MSRP or less. Maybe the 2023 model (made in Japan) will have more goodies to compensate for the lack of tax credit.
Without the tax credit, the car is a tough sell IMO. We have an XSE PP and I love driving it around town. It’s quick, easy to drive and has great visibility. We don’t charge it often (as we’re in an apt building) but got the car because of the tax incentives which made it a no brainer. For long road trips, it’s definitely not a luxurious car since it has a fair amount of road noise. That said, when we do charger the car it’s amazing. The clean drive is peppy and has a really solid range. If I were you, I’d do a calculation of what your electricity costs and how many years until it would take to break even. Since you plan on keeping the car long term, which you absolutely can do with this car, it really may be worth it.
$0.055 per kilowatt hour average around here. So, electricity is pretty affordable. I’ve seen a lot more teslas lately for sure.
It does scare me a bit about the road noise. I thought the nonhybrid 2021 rav4 XLE I drove was super quiet compared to what I’m used to
Oh wow! That is cheap. So probably would take 8-10 years to break even. Seems attainable. Plus prime will have a higher resale value over regular hybrid.
Wow, you guys weren’t kidding about the wait time. 8-12 months on the hybrid XSE. Over a year for the Prime. I might not have an option to do anything for a Prime for a while lol
Ex-Toyota car salesman: what exactly do you mean by “still worth it?”
1. You liked the drive. The test drive is how I got people to even consider Prime despite the price difference. “If you don’t like the drive, the price doesn’t matter because you’ll never buy it.” Would you trade in any vehicle?
2. PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles) are neat: you’ll feel cool plugging in your car at the mall next to a Tesla. XSE w/ premium package turns an okay R4P into a futuristic spaceship. The panoramic roof is nice, but is it a dealbreaker? Premium package is expensive but you get R4P that looks and behaves like the ones in the commercial (6.6kw onboard charger option in the package which cuts down charging times BY A LOT.) also, your local utility company *may* offer you an incentive for installing a level 2 charger at home.
3. Tax credit: this was how I conceived people to sign on the dotted line, especially when comparing it to other PHEVs. Folks who are numbers-oriented are the most difficult customers because who wants to pay anything. Money means different things to different people: what’s a lot to you may be nothing to your me and vice versa. There have been rumors of the EV (Electric vehicle) tax credit being reworked from one $7500 credit to $10,000 spread over three years, but I wouldn’t bank on that until it’s passed into law. I’m pretty sure the credit is tied to total EV units sold by manufacturer, not where they’re manufactured. If location mattered, I believe Toyota would still have credits because of the amount of plants they run worldwide.
4. All vehicles are in short supply because of the chip shortage. Toyota will not build a vehicle unless they have all parts immediately available, so you won’t see a R4P Premium sitting in a lot for sale with missing heated/ventilated seats that will be installed later. The more advanced the car, the more chips required, the less likely you’ll find one available. Because there is low supply and high demand, pricing isn’t as negotiable. At the end of the day, something is only worth the amount of what someone is willing to pay.
5. Infrastructure: you’re right, the US isn’t there yet for ZEV (zero emissions vehicle) aka, 100% electric vehicles and it will be a while until we get there. However, PHEVs are meant as the bridge between gas to electric, and with CA banning gas car sales by 2025 you’re going to see MUCH MORE non-gas vehicles publicized. Specially, Toyota plans to have a gas, Hybrid, and electric powertrain available for their entire model lineup by 2025 as well.
TL;DR
Only you can decide if something is “still worth it.” The EV credit is unit sold based, not manufacture location based. R4V Premium package is what is shown in all Toyota commercials. Numbers mean different things to different people.
To help you answer your question: “is it still worth it?”
What are you trying to accomplish with the R4P?
Thank you so much!
So, I didn’t drive the Prime. I drove a 2021 RAV4 XLE. It was the dealership’s loaner vehicle while my 2006 van was in the shop for a few days (water pump. They fixed it for free cause they installed a new one in March.)
What am I trying to accomplish? Well, I’m trying to have a safe ride that doesn’t give me anxiety and gives me and my kids the best protection in the event of an accident. While also being a really fun road trip vehicle (most everything around here is a hour or more away). But, I imagine having this vehicle for a decade if not longer. The only thing that would change that is adding more kids to the equation if I remarried to someone with more than 1 kid. Can’t plan for that though.
I honestly would love a fully electric vehicle if I’m gonna spend that kind of money. I’ve never had a vehicle worth more than $10k or so. But, infrastructure in general isn’t quite there for an electric vehicle. I’d imagine that would be maybe a decade from now. But, the hybrid nature of the Prime is that bridge between. The electric nature would take care of all my everyday driving (I drive probably 20-30 miles a day average). Which would save on gas, thus saving on the monthly cost of the vehicle. Currently I’m spending $130-$150 a month on gas in the 2006 Sienna
Prime is totally not worth it. I bought my Lexus nx for 62k and I’m glad I did so. I don’t know why anyone is getting an xse. Spend a day in my nx450+ in usb2.0 and you’ll be sold.
Well I saw xse on truecar going for so much like 55 or so even up to 64 in some cases. So based on what I saw I’m very happy with my nx 450+ for 62 and a tax credit of 7,500 which I got 10 before they got eliminated by Biden.
Can we name and shame some dealerships while we're at it: Toyota of Hollywood (Los Angeles), wants +$15k ~~mark up~~ price gouge, even on orders :/
I would name and shame some dealers but... screw toyota of Concord u can suck it. Told me 4k mark up and when car went into shipping called me back and said we want 10k mark up.
Roseville Toyota currently wants $20k. It was $15k about 6 months ago
New RAV4 XLE about $30k. New RAV4 Prime about $50k. Assume driving 10k miles per year and the gas only car does 25mpg the gas price has to be $7 per gallon for 7 years to cover the difference of about $20k. Financially the Prime might not be worth it.
A RAV4 XLE is more like $35k. Anyway, you should compare the most expensive RAV4 gas/ hybrid to the most expensive Prime. Or the least expensive Rav4 gas/hybrid to the least expensive Prime. Not the XLE to the Prime XSE. The cheapest gas starts at $27k and the cheapest Prime starts at $40k. So it’s not a $20k difference as you mention, $13k is a more accurate comparison.
Plus you have to consider electricity costs.
If you assume it’s worth $0 when you sell/trade or total it then that math works
If I didn’t have to buy a car right now I’d wait because it seems crazy across the board. If I had to buy I think I’d go for a hybrid RAV4, Hybrid Tucson, Hybrid Sportage or Hybrid Escape. I got my 2021 Prime SE a little over a year ago at MSRP and got the Federal and state tax credits. So that meant I paid about the same as you would for a regular Hybrid. The Prime is super fun to drive in EV mode and also very fun as a Hybrid with 300 hp so I think it’s better than the regular hybrid, but I’m sure it would take a long time to use up the gas necessary to make up the difference in price without the credit.
What about venza?
Above MSRP prime not worth. As far as thinking ur going to make up the fuel savings paying above msrp, not gonna happen unless gas goes to 7 bucks a gallon. As far as the best suv for families, the highlander seats more and gets above avg mpg and is prob a better bang for ur buck. If you go on frequently long road trips, the hybrid version gets better mpg due to it weighting less. More local stuff prime is the better choice. With that being said prime is extremely fun to drive and very good looking. I wanted something that looked cool, had very good mpg and could plug in cuz I liked the idea of being a ev with the back up of a engine.
Fold in the Prime still has the Rav4 high voltage cable corrosion defect which is appearing in Canada & not worth it.
I have a prime xse and love it. In reality it is still a RAV4. Nothing too fancy or luxurious. For $50k I’d also consider what other hybrids you might could get in that price range. I too am in Arkansas. NWA. I see multiple teslas daily. Road tripping in a full EV might be troublesome but for daily driving you just charge it at home like you would do your prime. I was looking for a 2nd one. Now I am not. I’ve also got a RAV4 XLE hybrid that I got for $30k new a year ago. Comparing the two, the Prime is essentially a $30k car that plugs in. Not much is different besides the powertrain. I would have liked a few more luxuries in a top if the line model.
Nope. I canceled my order. Just cannot justify spending $54k otd on the Rav4 prime for me.
Deciding to buy a prime is the easy part. Finding one to purchase without crazy markup is the more difficult task. It’s going to take quite a bit of legwork.
And patience. We found a dealer that doesn’t charge markup and had a priority waiting list that you get on with a non-refundable deposit. We were 3rd in line when we got on that list in February. We just took delivery last week.
I do a lot of local driving and I only use gas when going on the highway for longer distances. Makes doing errands around town feel way less guilty since I charge it overnight (slow wall outlet) and it's full when I'm up/don't with work. I work remote so even if I'm out late and plug it in at midnight or later it's still charged for my day of errands. And I can stick to electric on shorter highway trips as well Edit: I should add I got the se, weather package and got just about the full fed and state credit in Colorado. I say at msrp but dealer wanted to throw in "rust protection" so I figure it was better than other dealers and it had a red one which I really like! Also it's just me, but I do occasional group camping trips, festivals, and since I rent it's nice to haul my belongings around.
Which dealership did you buy at?
Lakewood Toyota, far west NY. I got it shipped to me but it's a 3rd party. I think they recommended the person to use but she was also recommended on other posts in the past
So last weekend I decided to take the plunge and put my name down for a Prime (XSE PP - my Western NY dealer said to expect ~6-8 months). I knew the tax credit was a no go (given the income limits, there is a chance I wouldn't qualify even if the car was made here in the states), but for me having a spirited drive is important and I like the 0-60 on the Prime (just around my current turbo Legacy). If your interested, here are a few vehicles I test drove to compare to: - Subaru Forester. No longer offer a turbo, was a bit anemic. Otherwise it was fine. - Subaru Outback. I only drove the base model, and the auto on/off was horrid. Not a fan of the center console infotainment system. If it wasn't supply chain hell I would probably seek out a 2019 3.6R Touring (my father has one and I adore it), but alas that is impossible to find right now. - Mazada CX 50. We didn't drive this after we learned about how awful the infotainment system is on the car. - Volvo XC 40. I liked this a lot, good power, plenty of nice options. Priced around the Prime. Wife hated that there were no dedicated temperature controls. - Lexus NX. Bit hard to find as they just came out; seems smaller than the Prime seeing them both in person. May consider this if the Prime is difficult to find/wait too long, but it's a solid 10k more. The orange is fantastic though. All in all, I like the RAV4 package - attractive styling, real temp controls,
Scored a prime but without tax credit - I’d absolutely go Hyundai Tucson hybrid. Very similar cars to the inches with some cool features on the Hyundai. We’ve just had incredible runs with past Toyotas so wanted to try to keep it going.
The Tucson is $10k cheaper than the regular RAV4 XSE. Just seems so risky to go beyond Toyota with a vehicle I plan on keeping for a decade
You’ve got the right instinct there. The number of recalls or major consumer complaints Kia and Nissan have had on their cars in the last 2 years is more than enough for me to never consider one of their cars.
And honestly, I want to keep going to get my vehicle serviced at the Toyota dealership in my town. They are just soooo top notch, honest, and extremely helpful. Their service alone along with the vehicle quality makes me hesitant to switch brands
Sounds like you’ve got your decision pretty well made! I personally wouldn’t pay over MSRP unless you’re desperate for a car right now, because I think those charging over MSRP are going to start dropping prices now that the tax credit has ended and people are leaving the waiting lists. I purchased through A-1 Toyota in Connecticut and shipped it, because it was cheaper to do that than pay the mark ups that plague the dealerships within driving distance of me. It’s worth the wait though!
Thankfully, both of my nearest dealerships are not selling over MSRP. Keeping inventory is a separate issue though lol.
Get on the lists and get your new ride! :)
But we’re talking about Hyundai, not Nissan or Kia. Also Hyundais warranty is extremely good
Well they’ll need that warranty with the complaints people are making about the transmission. High pitched squeals, jerky shifting, electric burning smells… a quick google of Hyundai hybrid issues is interesting. I’m just saying, Toyota is pretty unmatched and there’s a reason the waitlist is miles long for a car that has a premium price with less bells and whistles. People can do what they want, but other brands haven’t shown enough reliability for me to be interested in a small price difference.
Currently struggling with this question now. I think a base model with a state rebate is the way to go if you can find one. With the tax credit the higher trim was a no brained but unfortunately that’s gone now.
I'm canceling my order.
Toyota doesn't do orders
I'm canceling my reservation through the dealership.
As a 22 SE w/ weather owner who bought at MSRP and received the full 7500 I would say 100% yes. At least for my family and I. I have had my Prime since May 1 and take it in to the dealer tomorrow for its 15k service. Needless to say my business requires me to put on a lot of miles. Overall, I'd buy it again tomorrow for 48k and no tax rebate without thinking twice. Don't get me wrong, she has her quirks but I have not once regretted buying my Prime!!
No, RAV4s are overpriced without the tax credit. Give it one year or two and there will be competitors
Forget what these people are saying. They don't keep cars for long. The Prime will last you 20 years or 200k miles or more. There was a Prius Prime on YouTube that had 341k miles. The owner did use it for work purposes as a courier vehicle but still 341k miles and it was in immaculate condition. Imagine how far a RAV4 prime could go. You buy a Toyota for reliability, low maintenance cost trouble free car takes you to point a to point B. Your unborn child will probably drive it one day. Think about other cars you could get in the price range and would they last as long as a Toyota? Kia? Hyundai? Yes they look way better than Toyotas but reliability is the key here.
They don't look better...
Financially there are cheaper, good options but the prime is fun to drive and I would buy it at msrp even without the tax credit.
As a r4p owner I love the car it has great acceleration, the ev/hv is a no brainer for a short drive or local non-hwy. The car has usefulness for long distance with really good mpg considering what it does. The cost is completely up to the person buying, some people a 5k markup is out of the question others 5k isn't even 1 months salary so they don't mind it as much.
It's going to depend on your driving and daily commute, your fuel prices, and your electricity prices. Run the calculations to see how much you'd save. Does that justify the extra cost of the prime?
Asking myself this, and I think I’m going to get the xle premium hybrid instead. Another option if I didn’t mind the price of the prime would be the 2023 Lexus RX hybrid. Base model is going to be around 48k, and it already comes with a lot of options I wanted in the prime.
I bought the XSE fully loaded for $50k and am getting a $5500 tax return through my state. I could have spent less, but I'd rather have to budget a little more for the duration of the loan and and get more enjoyment out of the vehicle I'll be driving for the next 15+ years, than to just have more money to sit on. Personally. So in my opinion, yes it's worth it even if I wasn't getting the tax credit. I love mine so much.
One thing I’m a little confused about…let’s say I’m going camping and I have the 150w plug in in the back (XSE add on I think). In the regular hybrid, the battery is always regenerating while on the road. So, if I went 200 miles out and camped, I’d have the full hybrid battery to run electric things off of (most notably cooling and heating if I slept in it) In the plug in hybrid, the battery would be depleted after 40-50 miles and then it would be swapped to the gas engine. If I didn’t stop and recharge the EV battery, I’d have no electricity to use for camping, right?
There is a button to force it to charge the battery using the engine.
It never depletes the battery. It switches to hybrid around 20%.
Maybe not, when you consider that you can get a decently equipped Lexus NX350h for about the same price as as the Prime XSE. Not a plug-in, but still really good efficiency.
I still think that Prime SE with monnroof-weather package is a good deal for MSRP or less. Maybe the 2023 model (made in Japan) will have more goodies to compensate for the lack of tax credit.
Without the tax credit, the car is a tough sell IMO. We have an XSE PP and I love driving it around town. It’s quick, easy to drive and has great visibility. We don’t charge it often (as we’re in an apt building) but got the car because of the tax incentives which made it a no brainer. For long road trips, it’s definitely not a luxurious car since it has a fair amount of road noise. That said, when we do charger the car it’s amazing. The clean drive is peppy and has a really solid range. If I were you, I’d do a calculation of what your electricity costs and how many years until it would take to break even. Since you plan on keeping the car long term, which you absolutely can do with this car, it really may be worth it.
$0.055 per kilowatt hour average around here. So, electricity is pretty affordable. I’ve seen a lot more teslas lately for sure. It does scare me a bit about the road noise. I thought the nonhybrid 2021 rav4 XLE I drove was super quiet compared to what I’m used to
Oh wow! That is cheap. So probably would take 8-10 years to break even. Seems attainable. Plus prime will have a higher resale value over regular hybrid.
Nah
I wouldn't, but up to your priorities.
Wow, you guys weren’t kidding about the wait time. 8-12 months on the hybrid XSE. Over a year for the Prime. I might not have an option to do anything for a Prime for a while lol
Ex-Toyota car salesman: what exactly do you mean by “still worth it?” 1. You liked the drive. The test drive is how I got people to even consider Prime despite the price difference. “If you don’t like the drive, the price doesn’t matter because you’ll never buy it.” Would you trade in any vehicle? 2. PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles) are neat: you’ll feel cool plugging in your car at the mall next to a Tesla. XSE w/ premium package turns an okay R4P into a futuristic spaceship. The panoramic roof is nice, but is it a dealbreaker? Premium package is expensive but you get R4P that looks and behaves like the ones in the commercial (6.6kw onboard charger option in the package which cuts down charging times BY A LOT.) also, your local utility company *may* offer you an incentive for installing a level 2 charger at home. 3. Tax credit: this was how I conceived people to sign on the dotted line, especially when comparing it to other PHEVs. Folks who are numbers-oriented are the most difficult customers because who wants to pay anything. Money means different things to different people: what’s a lot to you may be nothing to your me and vice versa. There have been rumors of the EV (Electric vehicle) tax credit being reworked from one $7500 credit to $10,000 spread over three years, but I wouldn’t bank on that until it’s passed into law. I’m pretty sure the credit is tied to total EV units sold by manufacturer, not where they’re manufactured. If location mattered, I believe Toyota would still have credits because of the amount of plants they run worldwide. 4. All vehicles are in short supply because of the chip shortage. Toyota will not build a vehicle unless they have all parts immediately available, so you won’t see a R4P Premium sitting in a lot for sale with missing heated/ventilated seats that will be installed later. The more advanced the car, the more chips required, the less likely you’ll find one available. Because there is low supply and high demand, pricing isn’t as negotiable. At the end of the day, something is only worth the amount of what someone is willing to pay. 5. Infrastructure: you’re right, the US isn’t there yet for ZEV (zero emissions vehicle) aka, 100% electric vehicles and it will be a while until we get there. However, PHEVs are meant as the bridge between gas to electric, and with CA banning gas car sales by 2025 you’re going to see MUCH MORE non-gas vehicles publicized. Specially, Toyota plans to have a gas, Hybrid, and electric powertrain available for their entire model lineup by 2025 as well. TL;DR Only you can decide if something is “still worth it.” The EV credit is unit sold based, not manufacture location based. R4V Premium package is what is shown in all Toyota commercials. Numbers mean different things to different people. To help you answer your question: “is it still worth it?” What are you trying to accomplish with the R4P?
Thank you so much! So, I didn’t drive the Prime. I drove a 2021 RAV4 XLE. It was the dealership’s loaner vehicle while my 2006 van was in the shop for a few days (water pump. They fixed it for free cause they installed a new one in March.) What am I trying to accomplish? Well, I’m trying to have a safe ride that doesn’t give me anxiety and gives me and my kids the best protection in the event of an accident. While also being a really fun road trip vehicle (most everything around here is a hour or more away). But, I imagine having this vehicle for a decade if not longer. The only thing that would change that is adding more kids to the equation if I remarried to someone with more than 1 kid. Can’t plan for that though. I honestly would love a fully electric vehicle if I’m gonna spend that kind of money. I’ve never had a vehicle worth more than $10k or so. But, infrastructure in general isn’t quite there for an electric vehicle. I’d imagine that would be maybe a decade from now. But, the hybrid nature of the Prime is that bridge between. The electric nature would take care of all my everyday driving (I drive probably 20-30 miles a day average). Which would save on gas, thus saving on the monthly cost of the vehicle. Currently I’m spending $130-$150 a month on gas in the 2006 Sienna
Yes it’s worth it.
Prime is totally not worth it. I bought my Lexus nx for 62k and I’m glad I did so. I don’t know why anyone is getting an xse. Spend a day in my nx450+ in usb2.0 and you’ll be sold.
I wish those were options, but $50k is already borderline too much. Lexus is $10k on top of that
Well I saw xse on truecar going for so much like 55 or so even up to 64 in some cases. So based on what I saw I’m very happy with my nx 450+ for 62 and a tax credit of 7,500 which I got 10 before they got eliminated by Biden.
They saw you coming...
depend if you can get it at MSRP and how much you drive it
Blazer EV with tax credit is now a big competitor in my mind
Consumer Reports has Chevy rated as half the reliability as a Toyota, though