Interested in purchasing first hybrid car!

[asciutto]

Hi all,

As the title states I'm looking to buy my first hybrid car. Been doing research across different models, but what really landed me in the hybrid market was miles between fill-ups.

I drive an Xterra right now and during my ownership (2.5 years, 38k miles) it is averaging 16.5mpg. With a tank size of 21 gallons I'm able to get typically around 320 miles between fill-ups.

I'm drawn to the Hyundai Ioniq because it is a hatchback with the largest hybrid fuel tank (11.9 gallons) and a generous MPG. Even if I can only manage 53MPG (seems to be the real world average) I'm able to get 600 miles give or take per fill-up which sounds awesome.

All this to say, my question to this wonderful community is what recommendations as far as hybrids do you all have?

I'm looking for the following:

• Hatchback
• 600+ mile range (the more the better)
• Heated seats
• Android Auto support

I've looked into the Toyota and Honda offerings but they have smaller tanks, lower expected MPGs, typically more expensive trim to achieve the same features, or have less trunk space because they aren't hatchbacks.

If my conclusions are off base please correct me! I only know as much as what I've read.

Appreciate you reading this far and thank you again!
Anthony

[RedDevil]

The Ioniq is a sound choice if you want to buy new.
If the shape of it does not offend you, consider a second gen Insight which looks like the Ioniq stole its molds. Not as economical as the Ioniq but dirt cheap second hand and fairly reliable.
Avoid 2013 and early 2014s unless they had an engine/piston ring rebuild.

Me, I wish I had an EV. My next car will be an EV.

[redpoint5]

Do you have a garage to park in, or some access to a regular outlet to charge from? Are you looking to purchase new or used?

The Prius Prime qualifies for $4,502 in federal tax credit and has about a 30 mile EV range. That means less stops at the petrol station.

The RAV4 Prime is set to release this summer, and it has a 40 mile EV range and qualifies for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. It's supposed to get 40 MPG and the specs look very good.

[cowmeat]

You'll be lucky to get 600 miles out of anything if you drive those Cincinnati hills on a regular basis! I don't miss driving there, especially in winter

The PHEV Ioniq kind of reminds me of my Volt. The site says it only does 29 electric miles before kicking in the ICE, but it's definitely cheaper out the gate than a Volt and has a longer overall range! It's pretty nice looking, but like the Volt it looks like the back seat is pretty small. I just lay down my back seats since I never have anybody in the back of mine, I can put a lot of stuff in the back since it's a hatch
The cars are pretty comparable, but if you have a sub-60 mile daily commute you can make it on EV only in a Volt, and still have over a 400 mile range if you need to go farther.

[Fat Charlie]

Ignore the 600 mile range and just go for overall efficiency- any jerk can make a car go 600 miles by putting in a big tank. Because of my small tank I plan on 400 miles and very short pit stops.

[redpoint5]

Was curious why overall range was an important criteria. My truck has a 35 gallon tank that can go up to 700 miles if driven carefully.

I regularly got 700 miles out of my plug-in Prius with its 10 gallon tank because I covered 30% of the miles with electricity.

[Fat Charlie]

I drove an Xterra for 8 months. It beats low-crawling to work, but only because it kept the rain off me. Any car at all will be like going to heaven.

I think my first 6 months of payments and gas on the Fit were within $200 of what gas alone in the Xterra would have been for the same miles. And any car at all is way more fun to drive than an SUV.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Was curious why overall range was an important criteria.

Some people don't like wasting time at the gas station. Here in Oregon where we aren't allowed to pump our own gas each trip is about 15 minutes wasted.

OP:

If you are buying new I would only look at PHEVs. Yes, they cost more but the EV tax credit almost always pays the difference. In some cases the PHEV is cheaper after the credit.

Personally I would get the Kia Niro over the Ioniq. The interior volume is the same but the Niro has a more useful box shape that allows large items and a flat roof to carry things on top. My biggest complaint about my Prius was the fastback hatch's lack of height. The room is worth the extra $1.50 a week in gas to me. The Niro and Ioniq are the same car under the skin.

The Prius Prime is another excellent candidate. 11.4 gallon tank x 54 mpg should give a 615 mile range not counting the electric miles. The Prius Prime is cheaper than the standard Prius after the tax credit.

Used I would strongly consider the Volt. Yes, it has a smaller tank but you will drive the first 50 miles every day on electricity which will greatly reduce trips to the gas station.

The 2nd generation Insight mentioned above is a nice car (based on the Fit platform with good aftermarket options) but it has an engine driven A/C compressor. That means in the summer the A/C turns off at every stop.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

The PHEV Ioniq kind of reminds me of my Volt. The site says it only does 29 electric miles before kicking in the ICE, but it's definitely cheaper out the gate than a Volt and has a longer overall range! It's pretty nice looking, but like the Volt it looks like the back seat is pretty small. I just lay down my back seats since I never have anybody in the back of mine, I can put a lot of stuff in the back since it's a hatch
The cars are pretty comparable, but if you have a sub-60 mile daily commute you can make it on EV only in a Volt, and still have over a 400 mile range if you need to go farther.

One important difference between the PHEV Ioniq and Volt or Prime--the Ioniq doesn't have a true EV mode:

The gasoline engine definitely fires up less often than in a standard hybrid, but the boundaries are blurred. For the Ioniq, Hyundai says it depends on torque demands, load, and vehicle speed—and even the rate at which you depress the accelerator.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Vman455

One important difference between the PHEV Ioniq and Volt or Prime--the Ioniq doesn't have a true EV mode:

Very true. The Hyundai and Kia use a single electric motor sandwiched between the engine and six speed automatic. It is basically a beefed up version of the old Honda hybrid system.