Please help me decide on a new car to purchase and how to fund the purchase

[RetiredHappy]

Two words for you: Car Cover

We cannot park in the driveway because it will get in the way of the golf carts and car coming out of the garage. We also live in a community where you are not allowed to park in the streets, and we wouldn't want to as well.

 

[wmc1000]

Congrats on your tesla lease. Hope you will continue to update us over your 2 relocation periods how it is working out.

 

[Koolau]

How so? I bought a 2025 Tesla Model 3 and I don’t see how you can improve much on the efficiency or the ease of charging on a trip.

I think the difference is that charging on a trip is optional with a plug-in hybrid while imperative for an EV.

 

[Texas Proud]

I think the difference is that charging on a trip is optional with a plug-in hybrid while imperative for an EV.

Exactly!!!

On our 6K mile trip we were not able to charge that often.. I was hoping to find some free chargers but only did one for a bit over 1 hour... other places we stayed did not have any near them...

We did stay in AB&B a few times and plugged in there which gave us some free juice..

I would have hated to have to find a fast charger as we were doing back roads and national parks along the Blue Ridge... our fillup time for gas was very short and we got 450 to 500 miles..

Love the PHEV for the long trips (heck and the short ones with EV only) and my EV for my short trips..

 

[TheWizard]

EVs are fine for commuter-mobiles...

 

[TrvlBug]

Exactly!!!

On our 6K mile trip we were not able to charge that often.. I was hoping to find some free chargers but only did one for a bit over 1 hour... other places we stayed did not have any near them...

We did stay in AB&B a few times and plugged in there which gave us some free juice..

I would have hated to have to find a fast charger as we were doing back roads and national parks along the Blue Ridge... our fillup time for gas was very short and we got 450 to 500 miles..

Love the PHEV for the long trips (heck and the short ones with EV only) and my EV for my short trips..

This is the reason we'll be using DH's gas sedan rather than my EV for roads trips. We'll be going to some places off the beaten path and don't want the stress of trying to find charging.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Range anxiety is real but it has not stopped our road trips. We do several a year, as part of our getaway in summer and winter.

In summer, it was 320 miles to Ca, went home after 3 weeks, and headed out the next day to Park City Utah, 450 miles and spent another 3 weeks.

In winter, we drove 280 miles to Scottsdale, AZ. A couple of weeks later we went to California and drove 300 miles, then did another 120 miles to another location where we are currently at, and we will return home later this month and will drive 290 miles.

We only needed to charge once between California and home but twice when we went to Scottsdale and Park City. In the case of Scottsdale, the issue is the lack of charging station mid-point of our trip, which necessitated 2 charges.

 

[steady saver]

Yes, salespeople suck at Tesla showroom. We wanted to buy the model X last year (Oct) and left due to poor experience with sales and went over to Cadillac and bought the Lyriq Luxury 3 model. But we keep comparing Cadillac's Supercruise to Tesla's full self driving and there is really no comparison. Hence we would like to get the Tesla. Model X is wider than the Y, but the ride is still not as comfortable as the Lyriq. We have not test driven the S, but we have decided that 2026 Model S is what we really want because of its long range when we can put 3 golf bags in the boot. After we moved to EV, we just never want an ICE (or hybrid car) ever again. The experience is just night and day. We used to own 3 BMWs, loved them but hated the lack of reliability, bought a new Lexus, hated it and dumped it in less than 12 months. I know many people on this forum recommend a Lexus, you cannot pay me enough to own one again.

The best salesperson for Tesla is a family member who is a Tesla owner! I agree that the dealership was only okay (but certainly not bad in our area) but our son's enthusiasm AND help after we purchased our Model Y was what did it for us. Truly, if you can find a friend that's passionate about Teslas and can help you over time with all of the ins and outs, then that is ideal. I personally wouldn't have bought one b/c EVs were so foreign to me and it took me a month to really start to feel comfortable driving it. But I LOVE that car now. And DH uses the self-driving feature (monthly subscription) about 90% on the highway (which we are often on) and more and more in the city. It's nice b/c I notice his driving feels a little less smooth but when it's on auto drive then I'm not a backseat driver telling him not to tail so close!

 

[steady saver]

If you are in your 70s then you might expect your next car to be the last car you will own. For reliability I suggest a Toyota brand. The infrastructure for battery EVs is not quite there yet, so I would avoid Teslas or similar vehicles unless you wish to install a level 2 charger in your garage.
My first choice would be a Prius PHEV. The new models look much better than older Prius's and have enough battery range that you would never need gas for in town driving. Since the battery is much smaller than for a full EV you can charge overnight from a regular 120V outlet or in 4 hours from a 240V outlet. So no fancy charger to install. If you go on a long trip there is no find-a-charger worry using the ICE. I suggest the top trim level XSE premium which is about $41.6K and pay cash unless you can get a zero interest rate loan from the dealer. If you don't have a garage, then I suggest a Toyota Camry hybrid. There are more Camrys on the road than any other car, so no one will pay extra attention to yours. You can expect either of these cars to last the rest of your driving years with no problems.

We have a Tesla Model Y and don't have a fast charger in our garage. Unless you are driving all the time, it is quite adequate. We used to have range anxiety on car trips but no more. Tesla's software maps your route so you can rest easy that you'll get where you need to go just fine. In the early days, we did install a charger in MIL's garage in NE Oklahoma b/c charging in Okla wasn't so hot. Not a problem now. One thing our son taught is is to "trust technology"...We'd charge all the way at each destination and it took much longer than if we'd just follow the software's routed map. Once you get past 60% or so, the charging slows way down. I didn't realize that.
I do think the recommendation for a Prius is a good one. I owned an older model and loved it. It was easy to drive and Semi-Retyrd makes a good point about being able to drive around town easily but having peace of mind on road trips if charging is a concern for you. One HUGE benefit of a Tesla, though, I will say is that it just doesn't seem to ever have any problems. We've had ours two and a half years and never have had a problem. No appointments to the mechanic, no pumping gas. I love it.

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

They say SUV's are easier to get into as you get older so I would start with considering that lens on the car. Next, I'm a really big fan of the Tesla self drive and I think as it supports city and highway self drive; highway is great and city is pretty good. I expect in the next couple of years they'll be more self drive as BMW and Mercedes are close to city self drive functionality I hear. Then I'd put a lens on what consumer reports says for reliabiility and there is a new article out on that. Those would all be factors I'd suggest you consider.

I ended up with the Tesla Y.

What do you mean by putting a lens on what CR says? What new article/where?

Thanks.

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

Congrats on your tesla lease. Hope you will continue to update us over your 2 relocation periods how it is working out.

Thanks!

The Y has been great! The cargo space with the seat down is enormous, and really helps moving things back and forth. The Full Self Drive is a winner so far.