Which Car to Buy???

[TrvlBug]

Looking for some input to make sure our thinking is on track. DH and I have decided to replace his ICE 2017 Lexus ES350 with new. One reason being we replaced my SUV with a BMW IX EV last fall and love all the new safety features/technology, especially the 360 camera which makes parking into our tight garage a breeze.

As my EV is not a Tesla, we do not plan to take it on road trips some of which will be off the beaten path. Our initial thought was to replace his Lexus, which he loves, with their current ICE model. It has all the bells and whistles we are looking for. Upon further thinking, the equivalent BMW 540i made it on our short list. Further thinking says look at the Tesla Y which would go on road trips. At the Lexus dealership today, the salesperson says no to ICE, go with the hybrid (traditional, not PHEV). DH has decided no hybrid, so that model is off the list.

One of our concerns is having 2 EVs. Does anyone see any downside with that? We have a level 2 charger and would install a Tesla charger in the other bay. With respect to no hybrid, DH's thinking is along the lines of another thread here that's not too enthusiastic about a hybrid vs. a full EV.

Thanks for any and all insights.

 

[madatrub]

When the machines take over, you'd probably want an ICE.

 

[Telly]

.........One of our concerns is having 2 EVs. Does anyone see any downside with that? We have a level 2 charger and would install a Tesla charger in the other bay. With respect to no hybrid, DH's thinking is along the lines of another thread here that's not too enthusiastic about a hybrid vs. a full EV.

Well, with a hybrid, you can keep going, and going... just need a brief stop for gas. It seems there's always someplace to buy gas, even anytime of night. A gas fill up is pretty quick, if stopping late night in some dicey location, getting just a couple gallons of gas and go gives you quite a few miles of range to get to a better area.

 

[RetireRay]

Get the Tesla Model Y, with 19” wheels (softer ride, vs the 20” wheels). Ours receives regular over the air updates, at no costs. The car is virtually maintenance free. We live in California and have driven two 3,200 mile road trips with no issues. We’ve driven to Salt Lake City, over the Rockies to Denver, visited the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Las Vegas and other places as well. Charging at home is easy, and you’ll have a car charged up for you in the morning ready for another day’s worth of driving.

 

[Sunset]

When the machines take over, you'd probably want an ICE.

Or when the enemy bombs our electrical power generation. Very common in war.

Gas would still be available via tiny portable generator can run gas pumps that can fill the generators and cars.

I seriously would not want an EV if I ever had to evacuate, like folks do in Southern states from hurricanes.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I rode in a Model Y for a couple of hours today.

You'll love it.

 

[RetireRay]

Or when the enemy bombs our electrical power generation. Very common in war.

Gas would still be available via tiny portable generator can run gas pumps that can fill the generators and cars.

I seriously would not want an EV if I ever had to evacuate, like folks do in Southern states from hurricanes.

Evacuation orders are given days in advance. Have you seen the lines at gas stations during evacuations? An EV can charge up at home and pass all the gas stations when evacuating.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Answer: The one you like the most, does the job you want it to do, that fits your budget and has the best terms.

 

[folivier]

Have you ever been in a major evacuation? The vast majority of people will not be able to leave "days in advance" due to not knowing exactly where or when the hurricane will hit, work, family, costs to stay in a hotel since evac centers won't be open yet, etc. Being retired we're fortunate to not be here during hurricane season. And evacuation orders are not put out days in advance (see above). Just pointing out that reality.

 

[Aerides]

Have you ever been in a major evacuation? The vast majority of people will not be able to leave "days in advance" due to not knowing exactly where or when the hurricane will hit, work, family, costs to stay in a hotel since evac centers won't be open yet, etc. Being retired we're fortunate to not be here during hurricane season. And evacuation orders are not put out days in advance (see above). Just pointing out that reality.

I'm in SE.Fla, and as a retiree I do have the luxury of leaving "days" in advance. Either way, it's no more than a 400 mile drive. But I haven't felt the need to do it, and I've been here 40 years. close, but never actually gone.

Evac orders aren't relevant to me. I'm not in any of their zones as I'm a mile or so inland. They are mostly local schools within 5 miles of my house.

If I needed to drive out of Florida 2 days before a storm I absolutely can and would. Would an EV make that harder? 400 miles, tops, so yes, I'd have to plan to stop and recharge once, but I would not base a car purchase decision on such a rare singular event.

 

[Midpack]

1 BEV and 1 HEV is the best two car choice to me (assuming you can charge at home), but it depends on how often you do long trips. If you very rarely do trips outside the range of an EV, I wouldn’t be against being a two EV family as long as at least one was a Tesla to take advantage of the superior charge stations as the OP noted. And in a pinch I’d rent an ICE if we had two EVs. There’s no reason to buy a PHEV in my view.

 

[Ian S]

I'm not sure why you'd necessarily take the advice of a car salesman: if the Lexus meets all your requirements get it. Depending on how long you keep it, it may be the last ICE vehicle you ever buy.

 

[Koolau]

One of our concerns is having 2 EVs. Does anyone see any downside with that? We have a level 2 charger and would install a Tesla charger in the other bay. With respect to no hybrid, DH's thinking is along the lines of another thread here that's not too enthusiastic about a hybrid vs. a full EV.

I can only go on my son's experience with only one car - an EV. He loves it, but found his long trip requiring 3 days instead of two due to charging. I would be even more concerned when there is a mass exodus. Imagine a 5 hour line to get TO an electric charger when you're getting low on battery. I have no idea if that would happen, but clearly, there would be a lot of EVs traveling north along the same route and stopping at the same charging stations. Total wild guess on my part, so YMMV.

 

[W2R]

Have you ever been in a major evacuation? The vast majority of people will not be able to leave "days in advance" due to not knowing exactly where or when the hurricane will hit, work, family, costs to stay in a hotel since evac centers won't be open yet, etc. Being retired we're fortunate to not be here during hurricane season. And evacuation orders are not put out days in advance (see above). Just pointing out that reality.

+1000

That's been my experience here in Louisiana, as well. Maybe it differs from state to state.

 

[Jerry1]

Our initial thought was to replace his Lexus, which he loves, with their current ICE model. It has all the bells and whistles we are looking for.

That’s exactly what I would do. Simple decision and very high likelihood that you’ll be happy with the decision.

 

[aja8888]

I've been thorough every hurricane in south Texas in the last 32 years. Evacuation orders? Hah!

I have seen I-45 turned into a parking lot for three solid days and the line went almost 200 miles north! Whatever you are driving (ICE, EV, etc) may not work if you wait for the order to leave.

 

[TrvlBug]

OP here. Thank you for all the comments. Lots of comments about evacuations. Living in the SF Bay Area (peninsula), evacs are of no concern. And if we end up in a "parking lot" driving situation, my understanding is that the BEV will do a better job in saving energy than the ICE vehicle will...but then I might be mistaken.

Problem with the Lexus is that the seat is still 'tight' and with my hip issue, when it flares, I can't drive his car because of the excruciating pain and being a passenger in same car is not that pleasant either. That's one reason we're test driving the BMW tomorrow. The decision between Lexus and BMW will be based mostly on comfort. And if we decide on the BMW, I can always point to my $15K seat .

The hybrid is out because we just don't drive his car enough for the gas savings to make a difference. We've spent exactly $103 year to date and just filled up last week, so are on track to spending maybe $150/year. He only has 6,800 miles on the 6 year old car . Between our 2 cars, we drive about 6k miles/year. I used to drive his car more and even out the mileage between the 2 cars until I took off the mirror housing on my previous car backing out of the single bay...that's why a 360 camera and/or parking assist is an absolute must on the new car. I used to switch cars in the bays however, my new car will not fit in the single bay. The 'mid-size' SUV's are getting bigger and bigger.

Personally, I'm leaning more and more towards the Tesla YLR and we'll arrange a test drive next week. Will check out a video or 2 to get acquainted with the car.

 

[Jerry1]

Problem with the Lexus is that the seat is still 'tight' and with my hip issue, when it flares, I can't drive his car because of the excruciating pain and being a passenger in same car is not that pleasant either. That's one reason we're test driving the BMW tomorrow. The decision between Lexus and BMW will be based mostly on comfort. And if we decide on the BMW, I can always point to my $15K seat .

Given the vehicles you’re looking at, money may not be an issue, but if the only reason to spend an extra $15K is for a softer seat, you may way to just get one of those gel pads for your seat. This seems a little “tacky” but for the amount of mikes you’re driving it seems reasonable. Plus, given that you have a medical need for a softer seat, you might need some extra cushion even with the BMW. Have fun selecting your next vehicle!

 

[Aerides]

Problem with the Lexus is that the seat is still 'tight' and with my hip issue, when it flares, I can't drive his car because of the excruciating pain and being a passenger in same car is not that pleasant either. That's one reason we're test driving the BMW tomorrow. The decision between Lexus and BMW will be based mostly on comfort. And if we decide on the BMW, I can always point to my $15K seat .

For me, a deciding factor is always when I sit behind the wheel. Cars I loved on paper, I sat in them and felt...off. The right car fits.

 

[Dash man]

I had a 2015 Lexus GS350 that I traded in for a BMW 540i xDrive two years ago. I love the BMW. I have back and neck pain issues and the BMW is much more comfortable for me than the Lexus was, but I’m not saying the Lexus was uncomfortable. The use of the navigation/entertainment system is much easier than the Lexus. The BMW the best car I’ve ever had.
Regarding evacuations, you are in earthquake country, so their is a possibility.

 

[eytonxav]

I would not want to go to two EVs, as you never know when you might need that extended range without having to rely on charging stations.

 

[folivier]

Speaking only of hurricanes along the Gulf coast I've been through many while w*rking where I had to stay to rebuild facilities after storms. Our company always had a large fuel tank for us to use. It came in handy after storms to avoid the hour+ long lines to fuel up at gas stations. Most of these stations were running on generators for sometimes up to 2 weeks. Can you imagine trying to get around with an EV in these conditions? Maybe some charging stations might have large generators powering them but they would have to be manned or they could disappear.

 

[Masquernom]

I was going to ask the OP why her husband wouldn't consider a hybrid vehicle. She explained it well. Driving only a little over 1,000 miles a year....

 

[aaronc879]

Most EV chargers I have seen are not drive thru so I wonder how things work if there is a line. During an evacuation gas stations have a clear line so there should be very little if any chance of people cutting in. Seems like it could be a big issue for EV chargers though.

 

[TrvlBug]

The decision is going to be more difficult than I thought. We test drove the BMW 540i today and it is more comfortable than his 2017 ES350. However, we both felt the interior was a bit more claustrophobic. The huge plus with this car is waiting until the 2024 comes out as it will have the idrive8 infotainment system which will be the same as on my IX. It will also have more safety features.

On the way home, we realized we were going right by a Tesla dealership so stopped and test drove the Y (not the LR). Seats very comfy (sideways, more so than the BMW) and I loved the infotainment setup. So intuitive and responsive. I like it much better than mine. DH was a bit apprehensive driving it w/o all the stalks and knobs but quickly got used to it. We are taking an LR home on Sunday for an overnighter . Viewing videos and putting together more questions now.

Ultimately, it will be solely DH's decision. but I'm leaning more and more to the Tesla.