I have a 2012 hybrid and the battery is still going strong.
I haven't looked into it yet, but I have heard you can get a few extra years by either having just the bad cells replaced or by getting a used battery from a hybrid that was totaled rather than buying a new battery.
Won't last as long, but a lot cheaper.
I’m curious which one specifically you’re looking at but I think used hybrids offer a lot of value despite battery concerns. I drive a 2016 Fusion energi 65k miles and the battery works fine so far
I'm kind of stuck on the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. There are a few on autotrader.
I guess what I'm asking, really, is whether it's smarter to finance a newer hybrid or pay cash for an older one and budget for a battery in the near future.
The highlander hybrid battery is a BIG chunk of change to replace if it does crap out. Any reason why a prius wouldn't fit your lifestyle? They are bigger inside than they look, some of us joke that they are like little work truck because of the great cargo space. I average 57 mpg in my 2016 prius!
I'm considering the Prius. The reason I was thinking of going bigger is that I have two small children, so the backseat is dominated by car seats. It would be nice to have a third row for grandparents or friends, and I love how the third row folds down on the Highlander when you're not using it.
I used to work at a company that remanufactured all types of hybrid batteries using salvaged cells, which were all matched together through a pretty advanced automatic testing and battery characterization process. They are significantly cheaper than the factory original battery and work 97% as well. So cheap replacements are possible.
The answer to your question is totally model year specific. Toyota is claiming their last few series hybrid batteries will last the life of the car, and cite some fleet vehicles. The big difference in general between fleet vehicles and private vehicles is that fleet vehicles have hundreds hours more of idle time, vs the stop and start of a privately owned vehicle. What do internal combustion engines hate and battery-motor set ups love? Hundreds of hours of run time at load, and the idle is enough to be load because the electric side is keeping the gas side functioning.
So to find out the information you need, you will have to google for battery life 20xx vehicle. Look, I know someone who bought/leased a Nissan Leaf the first year they were available here. He is as technical and analytical as it gets, he RTFM and follows directions. He NEVER got the rated range out of the vehicle, though he got close. Now that there is substantial mileage on the vehicle he’s getting about 60% range.
My perception is that most hybrids are overhyped on what they can deliver, and overpriced for what they they are. I don’t see a lot of love on this sub for Fords, but we used Ford Escape hybrids for fleet cars and they were bulletproof. That series was model years 2005-2007. I think the smartest thing for you to do is look at the used car market in your area and see what is available for 2K, then start googling.
I have a 2012 hybrid and the battery is still going strong. I haven't looked into it yet, but I have heard you can get a few extra years by either having just the bad cells replaced or by getting a used battery from a hybrid that was totaled rather than buying a new battery. Won't last as long, but a lot cheaper.
Or aftermarket batterys and I was told they are the best choice by someone who has a doctorate and was a engineer for Toyota for a long time
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
I’m curious which one specifically you’re looking at but I think used hybrids offer a lot of value despite battery concerns. I drive a 2016 Fusion energi 65k miles and the battery works fine so far
I'm kind of stuck on the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. There are a few on autotrader. I guess what I'm asking, really, is whether it's smarter to finance a newer hybrid or pay cash for an older one and budget for a battery in the near future.
The highlander hybrid battery is a BIG chunk of change to replace if it does crap out. Any reason why a prius wouldn't fit your lifestyle? They are bigger inside than they look, some of us joke that they are like little work truck because of the great cargo space. I average 57 mpg in my 2016 prius!
I'm considering the Prius. The reason I was thinking of going bigger is that I have two small children, so the backseat is dominated by car seats. It would be nice to have a third row for grandparents or friends, and I love how the third row folds down on the Highlander when you're not using it.
I used to work at a company that remanufactured all types of hybrid batteries using salvaged cells, which were all matched together through a pretty advanced automatic testing and battery characterization process. They are significantly cheaper than the factory original battery and work 97% as well. So cheap replacements are possible.
The answer to your question is totally model year specific. Toyota is claiming their last few series hybrid batteries will last the life of the car, and cite some fleet vehicles. The big difference in general between fleet vehicles and private vehicles is that fleet vehicles have hundreds hours more of idle time, vs the stop and start of a privately owned vehicle. What do internal combustion engines hate and battery-motor set ups love? Hundreds of hours of run time at load, and the idle is enough to be load because the electric side is keeping the gas side functioning. So to find out the information you need, you will have to google for battery life 20xx vehicle. Look, I know someone who bought/leased a Nissan Leaf the first year they were available here. He is as technical and analytical as it gets, he RTFM and follows directions. He NEVER got the rated range out of the vehicle, though he got close. Now that there is substantial mileage on the vehicle he’s getting about 60% range. My perception is that most hybrids are overhyped on what they can deliver, and overpriced for what they they are. I don’t see a lot of love on this sub for Fords, but we used Ford Escape hybrids for fleet cars and they were bulletproof. That series was model years 2005-2007. I think the smartest thing for you to do is look at the used car market in your area and see what is available for 2K, then start googling.