redLEAF said:
GRA said:
<snip>
[As Soup Nazi] "No e-tron for YOU!" A Sonata or Volt (1st or 2nd Gen), depending on how much you value having a real fifth seat versus never using any gas. Or an i3 REx, if you're willing to pay the brand premium for four seats. Or maybe an Outlander depending on what the EPA gives them, but I suspect they'll fall into the same range as the Sonata.
Yep, I actually had a number of 4 door sedans in the past and now prefer hatchbacks, SUV's (up to mid-size) due to their practical utility; did the minivan thing (owned 3 over the span of several years) when the kids were small up through college so, mostly for my own driving now its either my '12 LEAF or '13 Touareg; that's why I'm waiting to see the production Q7 e-tron as it could possibly combine enough EV range for work commutes with longer trip use & utility. I had the chance to drive an i3 ReX and its a bit weird on what its 'mission' is ... I mean you can't really drive it very long distances, plus its a bit small on cargo space ... very nice ride, etc, and fit & finish but for that price (loaded these things easily get into the mid-50K range) it has a small niche. Now if Chevy decided to go a bit bigger with their Volt (they showed a mid-size SUV as a prototype a few years back) that might be something ... as far as Mitsu and their Outlander, don't hold your breadth for the US; just maybe in CA or West coast but not the rest.
We seem to be on much the same page; I've never understood the appeal of the i3 for the price, and its sales have amazed me. Give it a fuel tank at least twice as big so it could go at least two hours between fill-ups on the ICE, and include hold mode (owners shouldn't have to hack it) and it would make more sense, but compared to a Volt, especially Gen 2, I just don't see the value; the performance level and BMW-ness doesn't overcome the operating limitations.
... (something Captiva-sized would be my choice, although many would prefer the larger Equinox. You can't buy Captivas new in the U.S., but they are available as CPO which must be why I see them around) ...
... The A3 E-tron is nice, but I'd prefer a real wagon instead of a hatchback/short wagon. Give me an AWD Jetta GTE Sportwagen with at least 15 but no more than about 30 miles EPA AER (mostly limited to inconvenient L1 charging only, with opportunistic occasional free/cheap L2) for $30k or less, and if I can't hold out until an appropriate BEV/FCEV arrives, that would fully meet my needs. I might even consider foregoing the AWD if it got the price down below the magic figure.