We want to replace our 2011 Toyota Venza with something smaller and electrified

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We are in our early 70s and drive a 2011 Toyota Venza with 280,000 kilometres on it. It has been maintained well and we are not in a rush to replace it, however, we want to be informed about choices if it hits the wall and needs major repairs. We are likely to look at hybrid or full electric.

I have noticed that most of the popular SUVs are at least as big as the Venza. We feel that we should look at something smaller to meet our needs.

What might you suggest for a smaller, quality vehicle – likely an SUV (so it’s easy to get in and out) that we will be happy to drive for another 10 years or so? We’re willing to pay for quality, but not sure that the issues with some European cars give us confidence. – Jim

Petrina Gentile: Wow! Jim’s Toyota Venza has 280,000 kilometres on it – that’s impressive. And definitely no surprise. Toyotas are known for reliability and dependability.

Mark Richardson: The Venza is basically a lowered, crossover version of the best-selling RAV4 SUV, so if he wants to go a size down and into an electrified vehicle, he should first look at the Toyota Corolla Cross.

Gentile: That’s a great place to start. The Corolla Cross is based on Toyota’s best-selling Corolla sedan, but it’s taller, longer and wider. And it has a great seating position that helps make it easy to slide in and out of the front seats without having to bend down or stretch up.

Richardson: My mother-in-law has creaky knees and finds it difficult to get in and especially out of our Honda Civic sedan. She much prefers our taller Toyota RAV4.

Gentile: A few extra millimetres makes all the difference. The Corolla Cross also comes with many standard features and lots of safety equipment.

Richardson: The Corolla Cross offers a hybrid powertrain, but you need to step up to at least the $37,000 SE edition to get it, which includes plenty of other features over the basic $30,500 L edition. Do you think Jim should look at the all-electric bZ4X while he’s in the Toyota showroom? It’s about the same size.

Gentile: He could look at the bZ4X, too, if it’s on the lot. But we don’t know where Jim lives, if he’s to take advantage of provincial incentives on the pricing. We also don’t know what type of dwelling he lives in – an older house, a condo or multi-family residence could present issues for setting up the proper charging at home. So a gas-powered Corolla Cross might be the better bet.

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Richardson: He did say he’s interested in electric cars, but Jim, don’t consider a fully electric car unless you can plug it in at home to charge it overnight. That high distance on the Venza suggests you take plenty of longer road trips, though, and the EV will be twice the purchase price of the Corolla Cross, too.

Gentile: And way more headaches when charging at home or on the go. The infrastructure isn’t the best in Canada. He’d be better off with a gas-powered vehicle.

Richardson: If he can charge an EV at home, I’d suggest thinking about the Chevrolet Bolt. I know you don’t like it, but it could be just what he’s looking for.

Gentile: You’re right. While the Bolt EUV is the right size, practical and affordable, I still can’t forget about the battery fires from a few years ago.

Richardson: General Motors learned from those fires, recalled every affected Bolt and fixed the problem. There’ve been no issues since. Your hesitation is like saying you’ll never buy a Hyundai because the original Pony was such a terrible car.

Gentile: Hyundai has come a long way since its Pony days. But that was a long time ago. The Bolt fires were more recent. Wait another few years and I may change my mind.

Richardson: The batteries in the Bolt are very good but they’re already older technology, replaced by GM’s more efficient Ultium battery system. That’s one reason why the Bolt is sold at a lower price than most other EVs.

Gentile: Yes, it’s definitely cheaper, but I’d still skip it. Let’s move on to some other options. What about a Subaru?

Richardson: I just drove the new Crosstrek and Jim would probably enjoy that. It’s not such a stretch down as a sedan, and it will probably be reliable for at least a decade. It only has a conventional gasoline engine though. Subaru just announced a hybrid version of its larger Forester, but that won’t be available for another year or so.

Gentile: The Forester is capable, comfortable and loaded with driver safety technology, but I’m not a big fan of the engine – it’s a bit underpowered and slow off the line.

Richardson: I think it’s larger than Jim wants, anyway. The Crosstrek would be a better fit for him.

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Gentile: It’s the right size, good on gas, and I really like the Wilderness trim on it, too. It looks more rugged and tough than the other models.

Richardson: The Wilderness package looks great, but it’s the most expensive trim. It pushes the Crosstrek to more than $40,000 before taxes, while the basic car costs about $9,000 less. The Wilderness has a more powerful engine that Jim might appreciate, though it still has Subaru’s whining CVT instead of proper gears.

Gentile: I agree – that CVT is annoying. Jim didn’t give us a price range, but he is willing to pay more for a good quality vehicle. So what’s your final pick for Jim?

Richardson: His first choice should be the Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid – I don’t think he’ll go wrong with that. If he wants to drive a pure electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt is a sound and safe selection.

Gentile: Enough with the Bolt, Mark. Stick with the Toyota family and go for the Corolla Cross hybrid, Jim. It’s fuel efficient, spacious, and practical. It’ll meet all your needs.

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What car should you buy? Write to Mark and Petrina at globedrive@globeandmail.com and use ‘What car’ as part of your subject line. Emails with different subject lines may not be answered.

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