Vehicle shopping

[browne497]

Hey everyone, I know this topic has been discussed many times but I figured I'd present my situation and ask what you would do in my situation.

I'll be moving back to the US after what will have been 3 years in the UK. With that, owning a car will be necessary again for me. With that being said, I'm pretty sure I've narrowed my list to 4 choices: Toyota Prius, Prius prime, corolla (not the hybrid) and the Nissan Leaf.

My reasons for each are as follows...

Prius- A reliable, very fuel efficient car. Pretty simple.

Prius Prime- Same as the standard Prius, but with the added benefit of 22 mile capabilities without the gasoline engine being used. I will live about 5 miles away from work (though the only road that leads to work from where I'll likely live is a 55 mph road so I'm VERY reluctant to continue cycling to work when I move there) so I should be able to get to work and back without using a drop of fuel it seems.

Corolla- I like it for the same reasons as the Prius. The only differences really weighing on me is that there's usually a $2-3k price difference (in favor of the corolla) between similar mileage Corollas and prius and the Prius obviously being the more fuel efficient vehicle.

Nissan Leaf- another tried and true mustachian vehicle. Plenty of range on a charge for day to day life in the area I'll be living in. Owning this would make my travelling plans change significantly though. I'll be living about 7 hrs away by car from my family who I try to visit pretty frequently (once every couple months or during a long weekend usually). Owning a leaf, I'll either have to rent a car to make the haul for family visits or book flights, and share my mom's car when I visit. The car itself though would likely be the cheapest of all 4 options.

Other notables- I'm active duty military so moving closer to family isn't within my control, but with that also comes me being able to compile virtually as many nice travel credit cards as I want as the annual fees are waived for me. Also, there is a free charging station in my neighborhood about 2 miles from where I'll be living so charging the Prius prime or Nissan leaf would be of no cost to me most of the time. Charging the Prius prime would likely be a daily or every other day task for me due to the short EV mode range but should only be a 2 hour task.

I think that's just about everything. Let me know what you guys think. If there's anything I didn't cover, feel free to ask.

[Bernard]

First, to get this out of the way, there's nothing "simple" about the Prius, unless you are a space ship mechanic. It's a vehicle with 2 different engines and a complex computer system that manages these engines. It also is full of lithium batteries that cost a gazillion dollars when they need to be replaced. No less than 6 mechanics died when servicing a Prius. If you want simple, buy an old Volkswagen Beetle. Now that is a simple vehicle that you can drive for the next century without having to worry about a thing costing more than a few bucks.

That being said, since your commute is super short, you could drive a Hummer H1 and still won't feel much of an impact. What vehicle you buy has nothing to do with saving money. They most expensive part will be the purchase and the depreciation. Buy what gets your boat floating. If you are on the green trip, a Nissan Leaf with the extended range 32/36? battery pack seems to be the most sensible solution to your non-existing problem.

[GoCubsGo]

I'd figure out how many miles a year you plan to drive.  I doubt the $3k price difference between a Corolla and Prius would be made up through gas savings.  It'll probably be hands down Corolla.  If you plan to drive it for a very long time I'd probably also lean towards the Corolla as I'm sure there are less unknowns 10 years from now.  That said, I'd never drive a car I didn't like to drive (personal preference), so if one of them really appeals to you I'd go with that.  It'll probably will be a rounding error in the grand scheme of things.