I want a hybrid utility vehicle

[Aptos Driver]

We bought a new, 2012 Camry hybrid this past summer. My wife drives it most of the time. We both love the car, which is averaging better than 40 mpg the last time I checked. Our other car (my car) is an '07 RAV4 Limited -- six cylinder, 4WD. I thought I'd be using it in the winter on ski trips up to the Sierra. But for reasons not worth going into here, it hasn't worked out that way. It runs great, doesn't even have 45,000 miles on it yet, but its gas mileage is paltry compared to the new Camry -- 18 mpg on surface streets, 23 mpg in mixed local driving, 27 mpg on rare longer-distance trips (which have become rarer since we got the Camry hybrid). So now I'm thinking about replacing it sooner rather than later with a hybrid with utility comparable to the RAV4. I want a vehicle that can haul things that won't fit in a conventional car trunk, has some power to spare and won't cost more than $30K before tax and license. Oh yeah, and with some creature comforts. I haven't even seen the C-Max hybrid yet, but everything I've read about it sounds encouraging, especially the part about the 188 combined hp. I'm in no particular hurry; I don't envision replacing the RAV4 before late 2014 or sometime in 2015, but I'm starting my "due diligence" now. So I'll be watching this forum to see what owners say about the C-Max, also Consumer Reports to see how they eventually rate it. And I'll be interested to see how Toyota responds to the competition. (Will they increase the Prius V's power? Go to lithium-ion battery technology?)

 

In the meantime, I want to learn whether C-Max owners are satisfied with the way their cars drive and ride, and how reliable their cars prove to be (reliability is a big issue for me).

[CassidyB]

By waiting till 2014-2015, you should have a few more options. The RAV4 is scheduled for a redesign for 2013-2014. I'm not sure what kind of changes are instore as far as drivetrain. There are rumors of a Prius redesign but I haven't heard anything as far as the engine. Honda has plans for the Fit platform to include a CUV. If you get a chance, look up Buick Encore..

[ScooterS]

I have a C-Max on order and am trading in my RAV4. Stay tuned for updates over the coming months!

[Aptos Driver]

The RAV4 is scheduled for a redesign for 2013-2014. I'm not sure what kind of changes are instore as far as drivetrain.

I checked, and learned that Toyota will offer an all-electric RAV4; no plans for a hybrid as far as I've heard.

[Aptos Driver]

I have a C-Max on order and am trading in my RAV4. Stay tuned for updates over the coming months!

What model year is your RAV4? I4 or V6? FWD or 4WD? Why did you decide to trade it in?

[ScooterS]

I have a 2010 RAV4 I4 Ltd. I really like it. It is in great shape and I'm probably crazy for trading it. However, this is my 2nd RAV4 and after 5.5 years, I'm ready for a change. I do most of my driving running the freeway to work and back. Looking forward to increased gas mileage.

[Aptos Driver]

I have a 2010 RAV4 I4 Ltd. I really like it. It is in great shape and I'm probably crazy for trading it. However, this is my 2nd RAV4 and after 5.5 years, I'm ready for a change. I do most of my driving running the freeway to work and back. Looking forward to increased gas mileage.

Two RAVs in 5 1/2 years? I generally keep a car 9 or 10 years. I kept my first Volvo -- a 240 DL wagon -- nearly 15 years and drove it 285,000 miles. So if I replace my RAV4 after "only" six or seven years, that'll be an unusually quick turnaround for me. I hope you enjoy your C-MAX and I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.

[ScooterS]

Everyone has their own approach! I've been fortunate to be able to buy new. I've always figured that you are going to pay the same amout for a car each month. Sometimes it is on new payments, other times it is on repairs. The trick is not to have both! I drive about 18- 20K miles a year, so it is pretty easy to go through a car quickly. I try to take very good care of mine, which has helped me sell high and buy low. If you do it right, it isn't as expensive as some think.

[Aptos Driver]

When I worked and commuted, I regularly drove 20K miles/year. But now we barely put 12-13K miles on our cars annually. As I may have mentioned, 5 1/2 years after buying my RAV4, new, I still don't have 45,000 miles on it. I bought both the RAV and the Camry hybrid new, for cash, no car loans. In the past my practice has been to drive my cars "into the ground." That's what I did with my first Volvo and close to it with my second and third. (The second one, a '97 850, was the best ever; we gave that one to my wife's brother for his son to drive; at the time, it had 150K miles on the odometer. When I got the RAV and disposed of the Volvo 850, my wife got the last Volvo, a 2000 S70, that I bought slightly used, for cash out of a rental fleet -- the 850 had also been a rental. The S70 had "only" about 125K on it. I just decided that it was time to replace it.)

 

This time around, however, I think I'd like to swap the RAV for a utility hybrid while the RAV's still worth something, assuming I decide to sell it; I might give it to one of my daughters. But I'm in no rush. I learned the hard way never to buy a new vehicle in its first model year back in 1975 when I bought a first-gen carburated VW Rabbit. The car was a disaster; a true lemon. It was even yellow. I've read that the hybrid drivetrain in the C-Max is the same or similar to the one that was in the Escape hybrid. But I've also read that it's brand new in some respects. Consumer Reports has yet to rate it; there's no crash-safety data on it yet. Toyota may bring out a next-gen Prius in the next couple of years (with more power, quieter cabin, better ride?), so I'll watch and wait for a while.