Thoughts between a Forester, Outback, RAV4 Prime, or Tesla Model Y
Hi all,
Wanted to pick your brains on what happens when my lease is up in about a year. I have a 2019 Forester Premium on lease. The 2020's have Lane Centering which seems like it would be very cool to have. My previous car was a Subaru Outback (2011, Limited) so I am familiar with the layout - my last 3 cars have been Subies.
I have a choice between a buyout on my 2019 Forester Premium, a purchase or lease of a 2020 Outback XT (probably Touring?), or can change brands and check out the Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE with Weather/Audio/Premium Package, or go full EV and shoot the moon for a Tesla Model Y (AWD or when they launch, maybe the SR+ to keep costs down)...
Obviously I'm all over the map here. In terms of space, the Forester is good but there have been times where I would have been happier with the longer cargo area of the Outback. I haven't ever really taken advantage of the "taller" cargo area of the Forester.
I have a parking lot at work and I never have to park on the street, so the extra 10-12 inches of an Outback isn't going to be the end of the world for me. I know the Fozzy drives more agile, but the Outback drives smoother, like a cruising type of car. My commute isn't terribly long, only 10-15 miles depending on which way I go, mixed through city/suburban and a little highway in the middle. I'll often take 150 mile round-trips (75 each way) to beach areas in the summer to visit family.
It looks like the RAV4 is essentially the same as the Fozzy, but electrified. I'll be able to cover my entire day's worth of driving on the electric battery (42 miles range). It will cost me around $2.00 at estimate to charge the battery from empty to full (it's about a 10 kW battery pack, I pay 17 cents per kWh not factoring in efficiency losses from AC to DC.) This will probably cost around the high 30's or low 40's after the federal tax credit and state credit and sales taxes are factored.
The buyout of the Fozzy is about 18-19 after fees and taxes.
The purchase of an Outback Touring XT is probably going to be upper 30's.
The purchase of a Tesla Y is probably going to be upper 30's for a RWD SR+ model, or high 40's (around 48) for the AWD LR model after state incentives. No federal for the Tesla anymore.
I'd like this car to last the next 10 years. I do miss some of the Limited-type trim options from my previous Outback compared to the Premium trim in my Fozzy. I'd also miss Lane Centering which could make a lousy commute a little easier in stop-and-go traffic.
At quick glance it appears the Model Y would be cheaper in the long run compared to the Outback XT once you factor in the routine maintenance costs and fuel cost differences... The RAV4 I can't really compare that to because it's also running off electricity. I have no idea how the maintenance schedule works for Toyota Hybrids, especially if 99% of my driving can be accomplished over the EV. Once a year oil changes then?
Thanks for your opinion!
Wanted to pick your brains on what happens when my lease is up in about a year. I have a 2019 Forester Premium on lease. The 2020's have Lane Centering which seems like it would be very cool to have. My previous car was a Subaru Outback (2011, Limited) so I am familiar with the layout - my last 3 cars have been Subies.
I have a choice between a buyout on my 2019 Forester Premium, a purchase or lease of a 2020 Outback XT (probably Touring?), or can change brands and check out the Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE with Weather/Audio/Premium Package, or go full EV and shoot the moon for a Tesla Model Y (AWD or when they launch, maybe the SR+ to keep costs down)...
Obviously I'm all over the map here. In terms of space, the Forester is good but there have been times where I would have been happier with the longer cargo area of the Outback. I haven't ever really taken advantage of the "taller" cargo area of the Forester.
I have a parking lot at work and I never have to park on the street, so the extra 10-12 inches of an Outback isn't going to be the end of the world for me. I know the Fozzy drives more agile, but the Outback drives smoother, like a cruising type of car. My commute isn't terribly long, only 10-15 miles depending on which way I go, mixed through city/suburban and a little highway in the middle. I'll often take 150 mile round-trips (75 each way) to beach areas in the summer to visit family.
It looks like the RAV4 is essentially the same as the Fozzy, but electrified. I'll be able to cover my entire day's worth of driving on the electric battery (42 miles range). It will cost me around $2.00 at estimate to charge the battery from empty to full (it's about a 10 kW battery pack, I pay 17 cents per kWh not factoring in efficiency losses from AC to DC.) This will probably cost around the high 30's or low 40's after the federal tax credit and state credit and sales taxes are factored.
The buyout of the Fozzy is about 18-19 after fees and taxes.
The purchase of an Outback Touring XT is probably going to be upper 30's.
The purchase of a Tesla Y is probably going to be upper 30's for a RWD SR+ model, or high 40's (around 48) for the AWD LR model after state incentives. No federal for the Tesla anymore.
I'd like this car to last the next 10 years. I do miss some of the Limited-type trim options from my previous Outback compared to the Premium trim in my Fozzy. I'd also miss Lane Centering which could make a lousy commute a little easier in stop-and-go traffic.
At quick glance it appears the Model Y would be cheaper in the long run compared to the Outback XT once you factor in the routine maintenance costs and fuel cost differences... The RAV4 I can't really compare that to because it's also running off electricity. I have no idea how the maintenance schedule works for Toyota Hybrids, especially if 99% of my driving can be accomplished over the EV. Once a year oil changes then?
Thanks for your opinion!
0