eschatfische
Well-known member
My 2001 Volvo wagon appears to be in death throes and is back at the mechanic's for a second time in a week, so I'm seriously considering buying a new second car.
We've been some of the lucky ones; our RAV4 EV, with the exception of the 31st-of-the-month charge timer bug, has been problem free. We purchased the RAV4 EV cheap at the end of May, and it's been a great daily commuter for my wife, so it'll be our primary car for a while.
I don't put much mileage on our cars; I generally drive 2-3 times a week on fairly short trips, with 2-3 long trips each month. That's low enough mileage to consider a Zipcar or rentals for when we need a second car, and certainly saves on hassle with registration and parking, but we tried that before I bought the Volvo, and we found that dealing with rentals was aggravating and expensive enough to make it worthwhile to have a second car.
I can go and get another used beater like my old Volvo, but I've been spoiled by the smooth ride, cheap power and keyless features of the RAV4 EV; it's been a jarring experience getting into the Volvo after getting used to the RAV4. I'm considering getting a plug-in hybrid. But there are a few catches:
1) We have a single-car garage. This means that whatever car I get I'll need to street-park; it'll get a little beat up on the streets of SF, and if it's a plug-in, I'd need to "sneak it in" to the charger.
2) We're claiming the $7500 Federal credit for the RAV4 EV as well as the credit for our EVSE on our 2013 taxes, which will be great. I'm not sure we're going to make enough to be able to claim much more than that, though, so if I got a plug-in, I would probably lease rather than buy to take advantage of the federal credits.
3) I'm 6'5", and I just don't fit well in the Prius, not even the Prius V. (The RAV4 EV is great for me, with lots of headroom and good visibility.)
Thoughts on the best deal for complementing the RAV4 EV? I'm planning on looking at the Volt, the Fusion Energi and the Accord Plug-in, as well as conventional, larger, used cars with mileage >25mpg.
We've been some of the lucky ones; our RAV4 EV, with the exception of the 31st-of-the-month charge timer bug, has been problem free. We purchased the RAV4 EV cheap at the end of May, and it's been a great daily commuter for my wife, so it'll be our primary car for a while.
I don't put much mileage on our cars; I generally drive 2-3 times a week on fairly short trips, with 2-3 long trips each month. That's low enough mileage to consider a Zipcar or rentals for when we need a second car, and certainly saves on hassle with registration and parking, but we tried that before I bought the Volvo, and we found that dealing with rentals was aggravating and expensive enough to make it worthwhile to have a second car.
I can go and get another used beater like my old Volvo, but I've been spoiled by the smooth ride, cheap power and keyless features of the RAV4 EV; it's been a jarring experience getting into the Volvo after getting used to the RAV4. I'm considering getting a plug-in hybrid. But there are a few catches:
1) We have a single-car garage. This means that whatever car I get I'll need to street-park; it'll get a little beat up on the streets of SF, and if it's a plug-in, I'd need to "sneak it in" to the charger.
2) We're claiming the $7500 Federal credit for the RAV4 EV as well as the credit for our EVSE on our 2013 taxes, which will be great. I'm not sure we're going to make enough to be able to claim much more than that, though, so if I got a plug-in, I would probably lease rather than buy to take advantage of the federal credits.
3) I'm 6'5", and I just don't fit well in the Prius, not even the Prius V. (The RAV4 EV is great for me, with lots of headroom and good visibility.)
Thoughts on the best deal for complementing the RAV4 EV? I'm planning on looking at the Volt, the Fusion Energi and the Accord Plug-in, as well as conventional, larger, used cars with mileage >25mpg.
It's inexpensive and actually quite reliable, with excellent resale value. 
