Help recommending a company vehicle
 

I've tasked myself with helping my boss pick out a replacement (new) company vehicle. Right now, we have a 2nd gen Prius and a Sienna. I believe the Sienna is nearing retirement. He's mainly looking at hybrids and PHEVs, though a Bolt isn't out of the question.

Needs only seat 4, but rear headroom is a big deal as it will regularly need to move tall passengers.

Having a hatch area which doesn't recess (drop down just inside the door) is a major plus for dragging equipment in and out. Hatch doesn't need to be huge as long as the rear seats can fold down. A standard sedan trunk isn't going to cut it.

Here's what I have so far:


https://i.imgur.com/1286ae6.png


My conclusion here was that the Volt is out due to passenger headroom (on paper), the C-Max has terrible reviews, the Accord is not a hatch, the Clarity is expensive and may not be available, the Model 3 can't be purchased, the Malibu is lackluster in general, and the BMW is a BMW and he wouldn't want to be seen owning one.

The Pacifica Plug-in looks really attractive, except for Chrysler's generally hideous reliability record. The Niro (especially plug-in) is very attractive, except that Hyundai/Kia's past DCT (and most Euro DCT) have lackluster reliability. He'll probably still look at both.

The Prius Prime is a possibility, but he's leaning toward the V due to cargo space and rear headroom, even if it lacks EV - fuel economy is great in principle but not an absolute deciding factor once it's in the 30's. The Rav4 hybrid is a contender due to total space, headroom, and the AWD is a nice perk in Vermont winters. The Rogue looks like a competitor on paper but I know little about it, and Toyota's drivetrain has a good reputation.

Frankly, if a PHEV Prius V or Sienna were available, they'd make top of the list, if that helps exemplify what's important here.

Am I missing any vehicles? Thoughts? Questions?

A Bolt sounds like the most efficient option. The Prius V has been canned. I'm sure its still available on lots, but not for super long.

Outlander PHEV should be hitting the dealers soon.

I would include dealer repair availability into your equation. My company made the jump from Ford to Chrysler a few years ago $$$ and the dealer support in our area is terrible. I think we are going back to Ford and I am good with that.

Most everything is within walking distance of the office. The only dealer not really here is Honda; it's about 40 minutes out.

Mitsubishi seems to be really underestimating the electric only range unless they are changing the batteries for the US. Watching utube stuff seems closer to 25-30 miles EV range and up to 60 or 70 mph. Would have loved to get one for my wife last year but, stuff happens and her car got moved down to a daughter.

I'd for sure go with the Bolt if you don't need to travel more than 200 miles in a day, and it meets your utility requirements. The car is fun to drive, and has very low maintenance and fuel costs.

It might become my next personal/company vehicle.

Wouldn't the Prius V remain available stateside for fleet sales?

Where do you get 30mpg for a Malibu Hybrid?

The 2016’s were up to 48mpg city.

Also C-max is being discontinued soon and gets lower than EPA real world metrics

Thanks for the correction, I must have taken the non-hybrid EPA rating by mistake.

Maybe, in case the Prius V turns out to be unavailable at all, it seems like the Rav4 might not be a bad choice.

Any fleet vehicle is judged on fitness for use and average annual cost per year over the vehicle life. Interior space and cargo capacity are given specs. Fuel and repair costs are critical including down time for service and insurance rates. Compare prices of routine maintenance items such as tires and filters. In Vermont things like ground clearance and traction in mud and snow are considerations. Does the heater and defroster heat up quickly? Is there adequate leg and head room? Is that vehicle make or model prone to rust? When I sold auto parts I would check Consumer Reports annual used car charts so I could anticipate what models would need which parts.

Frankly, we're not going much off road in these vehicles. The highways are clear except for a few hours on the worst of days, such that any sedan or hatch is going to be able to navigate it. AWD is a bonus but it isn't going to sway purchase decision.

Headroom and cargo space are major considerations. My boss ruled out just about every sedan, because we have some very tall employees and some of them simply can't sit in the back of a Prius (non-V) comfortably for long periods. The Bolt doesn't carry quite enough in the back. The Prius V he described as "feeling dated and underpowered" compared to the competition.

The top choices right now are the Rav4 and Kia Niro, with a leaning toward the Niro. Kia's warranty largely makes up for the reliability considerations on the transmission, though he tasked me with checking out the reputation of the service department at the Kia dealer. The Chrysler Pacific is a runner-up, but he's thinking he doesn't want a vehicle that large. I'm going to have him sit in a Clarity just for giggles, but it's probably not going to make the list.

It's a shame the plug-in Niro probably won't be available before the federal tax rebate runs out. (?)

I love the Pacifica plug in hybrid. You think you don't want a vehicle that large but if I was a client and somebody put me in the back seat of any of the other listings, that would be the last time.
pacifica http://autonxt.net/wp-content/upload...d73e5325bc.jpg
nitro http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopo...-rear-seat.jpg
side by side that would be 10 times more dramatic. After living with a minivan since 1988 I never could have anything else.

We don't transport clients. Several technicians will often travel to client sites, with some bins of equipment.

That's where a van of some sort shines. I'd look at the Pacifica, but not the hybrid. The seats drop into the floor so you can have one, two or three rows of seating as needed, changing your available cargo volume from decent through huge to ridiculous.

The hybrid's batteries are in the space where the second row seats would fold into. That's giving up more cabin versatility than I'd be willing to lose.

Well then, let them ride in the trunk! JK, Fat Charlie makes a good point. Just the other day I took 2 mins, folded the rear and middle seats into the floor of our T&C and picked up my mom's new leather sofa up on a rainy day. I personally with a garage don't need that middle row to fold, our last van it was almost faster to clip the middle seats out and set them beside the van in the garage, I think the old captains chairs were more comfortable than the stow and go thin seats as well. Plus we would really benefit day to day never even using the gas engine with the plug in. Just a few trips a year would need gas range. Either version the rear seats quickly fold into the floor and that's the common ones we fold up and probably have folded up most of the time.

Since the rear seats would be actually in use, the space taken by the battery packs wouldn't be wasted at all. And with the rearmost seats flat-folded, there's still plenty of cargo space.