We are looking to replace our 2003 Toyota Corolla. An ecofriendly car is paramount, so we are considering a 2017 Prius. Also, our garage is small, so the replacement can’t be any wider or longer than the Corolla. Safety is important, as we sometimes have young grandchildren as passengers. I want safety features such as backup assist and the lane-departure warning system; also GPS. My husband sometimes has to drive to other places in Ontario for work, so we can’t go with an all-electric vehicle. – Marsha and Larry
Leeder: Toyota has blazed an ecofriendly trail with the Prius, but why not consider the Chevrolet Volt? It’s just two inches longer and three [inches] wider than your Corolla and, depending on how you drive, could be greener. Its plug-in hybrid status means you can drive up to 85 kilometres on a single battery charge without tapping into your gas tank. For longer trips, the car simply switches to gas power.
Richardson: The Volt is remarkable, but if Marsha and Larry are already looking at the Prius, they’re not going to go too far wrong with it. The 2017 is more comfortable than past generations because it has better seats and ergonomics. It also has the technology they want, though they’ll pay for it.
Leeder: Sounds like Marsha and Larry are willing to pay a premium to go green(er), which is the reality of today’s market. All the more reason to go for the Volt. In Ontario, there’s a minimum $11,500 rebate when you buy the 2017 model. And the Volt will be more rewarding, environmentally speaking, to drive. While the new Prius Plug-in has 35 kilometres of all-electric range, the Volt more than doubles that (plus, it has an edge on Toyota’s austere interior finishes). Bottom line: You’ll buy less gas with the Volt and be more comfortable.
Richardson: Maybe so, but if garage size is a problem, there might not be the room for a fast-charger to be installed inside, especially since the Volt is already slightly larger. Those chargers take up space, you know. If they plug into the regular 110-volt socket, it’ll take longer than just overnight to fully charge the battery. Marsha and Larry, if you normally don’t drive more than 50 kilometres in a day, having a plug-in hybrid will mean you’ll probably never have to use gasoline again, except for those occasional long trips. You’ll be cleaner, but you won’t save much money. There’s a cost for the electricity, and servicing your car is probably more expensive and more restricted, too. The regular hybrid Prius will use more gas, but only pennies more on a typical day.
Leeder: I still think plug-in is the way to go. The charger won’t take up that much room – a few square feet of wall space – and they come in all shapes and sizes, with cables of up to 25 feet. There is lots of flexibility in where it gets mounted in Marsha and Larry’s tiny garage. It could even be mounted outside if space is that tight. In Ontario, you’ll get up to $500 back on both the cost of the charger and the installation. Starting in January, you’ll also get free electricity overnight. So if you aren’t using much gas and you charge at night, those once-a-year service trips may not seem so bad – plus, using less gas means you can expect less service for the combustion engine elements of the car.
Richardson: Ontario has the most generous program in North America for helping with the cost of electric cars, but those grants and subsidies aren’t going to last forever. Marsha and Larry should take the plunge now if they want to drive electric. If they live elsewhere in Canada, though, it’s an expensive proposition and they’re still much better off, financially, with a conventional hybrid.