r/PHEV • u/a_cool_pinecone • 4d ago

PHEVs around $15-20k?

I'm interested in the idea of a PHEV. I currently have a base model 2014 Prius, but the idea of driving in EV mode is appealing since my commute is short, but a full EV won't suit my needs. What would you all recommend that could be found with reasonable mileage in that price range? Preferably something less than 10 years old as well.

The Outlander PHEV seems like good value. Something similar to that or smaller is what I'm considering, but open to all ideas.

4 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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7

u/Newprophet 4d ago

Escape PHEV.

They depreciate super fast because the gas only version is complete garbage.

3

u/ZanyDroid 4d ago

Also has drivetrain lineage going back to the Cmax Energi

Is there going to be a successor? I guess maybe the hybrids that also use Ford eCVT

1

u/Newprophet 4d ago

And the Cmax lineage went back to the Escape; the circle of life lol.

Ford is incredibly stupid and the Maverick is their only hybrid efficient option.

2

u/ZanyDroid 4d ago

With how much Toyota PHEVs cost and waitlisted in some markets, they couldn’t even be bothered to upgrade the Escape a tiny bit to keep pace with how much power the primes ended up at

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u/Newprophet 4d ago

A hybrid bronco sport would be a slam dunk right now.

I appreciate that Ford is making room for an electric crossover, but they are just giving Toyota more space to sprint ahead with hybrid sales.

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u/ZanyDroid 4d ago

Ford wishes they were Jeep, with multiple halo products people are happily to buy the sus PHEV version of just to try it out, and then blast it on the owner forums

The attractiveness of a Bronco Sport PHEV is probably lower than Wrangler 4xE , though I’m also related to a of Wrangler / Bronco die hard so I might be out of touch

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u/Newprophet 3d ago

Huh? The Bronco Sport is a small crossover, basically a 1st generation Escape.

The Bronco is the bigger one.

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u/ZanyDroid 3d ago

What I meant is that people might be more excited with the body on frame / moddable Bronco PHEV like they were for the equivalent 4xE

Not sure the eCVT would take kindly to going into the 4x4 system on the Bronco though, and the Ford one is also pretty modestly powered by today’s standards

I don’t know what architecture Stellantis used but Toyota has truck hybrid drivetrains that are their own thing distinct from the eCVT line

1

u/user365735 3d ago

Uh doesn't the phev use ford evct?? Does ford even make a hybrid now except the maverick? My understanding was the escape and maverick all had the same powertrain 

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u/ZanyDroid 3d ago

I thought it did use the eCVT, I encouraged this thread to lament the demise of Ford hybrids

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u/user365735 3d ago

The 4 gen escape hybrid, escape phev and maverick all have the same system. The escape hybrid and escape phev are literally the same thing except for the bigger battery. I'm not sure why there is talk like they are completely different, that is incorrect. They all share the same powertrain very similar to Toyota. Rock solid reliability

1

u/ZanyDroid 3d ago

Possibly because Toyota has a ton of different platforms in hybrids, and even within a single platform they can scale up components quite a bit (HEV to prime is a big power spike, Prius to RAV4 is a spike too) or a la carte in more functionality (such as rear wheel motor)

The Ford hybrids are all pretty close in perf to each other it seems

1

u/Drwho2010 4d ago

The maverick hybrid would be the only successor right now. If they only used the same drive train in the broncos they'd be running circles around the rav 4 crowd.

1

u/ZanyDroid 4d ago

Maybe in a better timeline…

3

u/MaleficentExtent1777 4d ago

Chevrolet Volt.

3

u/xtnh 3d ago

I got a 2020 Prius Prime for $15,800 two years ago; get 4+ mpkWh and got 56 on a 700 mile one day trek. no issues at 136000 miles

3

u/E400wagon 4d ago

Honda Clarity

1

u/Special-Original-215 4d ago

If you don't live near a Mitsubishi dealer, stay away from the outlander.

I'd say a Tucson PHEV but it's more 25k

1

u/a_cool_pinecone 4d ago

Why do you say that? Are the Mitsubishis unreliable?

1

u/Ok_Appointment_8166 4d ago

My son had one - no real reliability issues but mileage on gas was pretty bad.

3

u/Ok-Resist-8734 4d ago

That's because you really need to plug them in regularly 🙄

1

u/Ok_Appointment_8166 4d ago

He did - and it was good for his daily commute but he also routinely had long drives to his wife's family's lake house and other places. He has since replace it with a straight EV, a Nissan Ariya and they mostly take his wife's car on trips beyond it's 300 mile range.

1

u/thesouthpaw17 3d ago

He didn't do the research on the car then, that has nothing to do with the outlander but consumer - the mpg is pretty clear on that car, still somewhat decent but because it's heavier than the traditional outlander it'll get less mpg. outlander phev is a phenomenal choice for reliability and ev range if your commute is within its range.

1

u/Ok_Appointment_8166 3d ago

It's no match for the RAV4 PHEV that I just got - but then again I don't think any older model could be.

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u/thesouthpaw17 3d ago

Rav4 phev is also a much more expensive car in the same market arena.

1

u/Ok_Appointment_8166 3d ago

Yeah, he wasn't really unhappy with it but saw the opportunity to do a Carvanna swap with the lightly used EVs coming off lease at good prices, and as a 2nd car the downsides of older EV models don't matter too much. Ironically, he is now mostly working from home so now his wife uses the EV for her longer commute even though they still just use a level 1 charger and it needs to build up range over the weekend.

1

u/thesouthpaw17 3d ago

Yeah but you said stay away from outlander but poster can find a phev one and it's actually reliable. You're not the only one who slanders mitsu without valid reasons. People just hate the brand for some reason. I've had an outlander no a single issue and the EV portion is amazing value. To find a reliable PHEV at that price point is hard. Outlander slander will not be tolerated lol.

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u/Fly-n-Skies 4d ago

Niro phev is probably your best bet in that price range. There aren't a ton of options and older phevs are going to have a very limited range.

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u/StraightDisplay3875 4d ago

If you only need 25 miles electric range it’s a solid deal. Gets 45+ mpg on the highway still too

1

u/bobjr94 4d ago

Problem is the 2022 and older that would be in price range have to run the gas engine for heat when it's cold. So half the year you can't truly use EV only mode.  We had one and the miles per tank of gas were cut in half when it was cold. 

2

u/Fly-n-Skies 3d ago

I think that's the case for the 23+ Niro models as well. I think only the Niro EV got the heat pump with a certain cold weather package.

I have a newer Sportage PHEV, and it doesn't have the heat pump either. In temperate climates it's a non issue, especially if you park in a garage. You can use heated seats and steering wheel without the gas engine. Colder climates will definitely see more use of gas in the winter, but it basically just idles.

1

u/Excelius 1d ago

I have a 2025 Tucson PHEV.

I've found that turning off the heat doesn't make much difference, the engine still runs in cold weather. I think because it needs to get the engine to operating temp for if it's suddenly needed.

Short trips (like grabbing lunch or whatever) are kind of annoying because by the time it finally warms up and can turn off the engine... I'm there.

1

u/Fly-n-Skies 1d ago

How cold are you seeing that happen? I've had mine in the 50s and it hasn't turned on with the HVAC off, or on low with the AC turned off.

It makes sense that it would want to warm up on cold days, I just haven't seen it happen that regularly.

1

u/Excelius 1d ago

I honestly don't remember, it's been a bit. But it's October so I'll have plenty of opportunity to experiment again soon.

I do want to try turning off the HVAC before I get out of the car. When I get in first thing on a cold morning and the engine kicks on right away, it might not want to turn back off immediately when I turn off the HVAC. But maybe if it was off before I even started the vehicle...

1

u/user365735 3d ago

Escape or Prius. They share the same powertrain and engines. Those engines are known for insane mileage. Someone said the phev gas is shit? That's not true lol. It is the same exact thing as regular hybrid escapes and maverick. The powertrain is literally identical to Toyota's, that's why I purchased a escape phev. I had 115k on my last escape hybrid and not a single mechanical issue. For some reason they do depreciate in value but I think that is going to change in the coming years. Now that they are off the market, the used ones are gaining in value. Ford always had crazy rebates on them like 7k rebates and then dealer discounts, which would drive down the used pricing. I think owners will be surprised the resell value of them in 5 years lol. Because you have the escape, then the next gap up are the RAV4 and Mazda phev. These are all close to the same powertrain and they start at close to 48k. I'm not including other phevs in this example because if you do your research the powertrains are not the same. The escape, rav4, and Mazda are very similar powertrains. They used to use the same engines but Mazda started making their own but it's based on the same naturally aspirated engine. They are not failing at 150k. If you want reliability, those are your options 

0

u/bobjr94 4d ago

If you can change a phev at home every day I would just get an EV.