You sound like a Camry, RAV4, or Highlander customer. You can test drive them all at your local Toyota dealership. If you are interested in an EV, Charles Murray likes his Tesla Model Y, particularly the full self-driving feature.
Here's a big question: Toyota vs Lexus? In my old age, I like comfort and reliability. How much of the Lexus premium is for the cool brand name, which I don't care about, and how much is for reliability and comfort?
For example, if I were a real estate agent and was driving clients around, I'd choose Lexus over Toyota. But I'm not driving clients around, so, objectively, which is definitively better for an old fart like me: Lexus or Toyota?
If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said a front-wheel drive RX 350 because you could still buy it with the 3.5 liter V6. That is the same engine that Toyota Sienna taxi cabs used for years and has very good reliability. That engine is no longer available in the RX, so I don't think there is going to be much of a benefit going with a Lexus.
You don't seem like a pickup truck kind of guy, Steve, but try a test drive with one. You might like it. I own two, a 2006 Toyota Tundra and 1995 Chevrolet S-10. The gas mileage isn't the greatest, but I enjoy mine. But I also understand they're perhaps not the best vehicles for Los Angeles traffic and gas prices.
Without hesitation I will recommend any Tesla that can upgrade to FSD, it's phenomenal and a real game changer. Check for computing hardware. I have version 3 and it's still incredible, but AI4 hardware is supposed to be even better. I will never buy another car that doesn't allow me to at least turn something like a FSD option on.
I've followed the topic a bit and my impression is this is Tesla's "moat" and that it will be years for the other manufacturers to either catch up in independent development or license the tech from Tesla, Google (Waymo), or one of the other companies. Austin will soon have 5 competiting robotaxi companies operating. Seeing tons of them operating flawlessly downtown and everybody treating it like normal felt like visiting the future. And even then you'll still have to pay the premium for buying a new car from the other makes (I got a used Tesla much cheaper, because I'm too cheap to buy new.) Not having to pay California gas prices is a plus.
Probably at least five years away. Tesla has been collecting billions of data points from all of its owners, each of which is factored into each upgrade of the FSD system. Maybe advances in AI will shorten the process, evidenced by Tesla’s recent venture with NVIDIA. Mrs. FPD and I are in our mid 70s and bought a Tesla Model Y Premium in February. We couldn’t be happier. The supervised self driving feature is a game changer. Tesla should adopt the old Greyhound motto: “Leave the driving to us.”
It’s well worth the $99 per month charge.
I’m paying under 10 cents per kWh for electricity for charging at my house. I’m averaging a shade below four miles per kWh. So that’s an energy cost of about 2.5 cents per mile. Superchargers seem to be averaging 36 cents a kWh in Texas, so that boosts the cost to 11 or 12 cents a mile on road trips; that’s still cheaper than gas, although that will change somewhat once the fighting with Iran comes to an end, although damage to Gulf state oil and gas infrastructure will probably crimp world energy supplies for at least a year. Charging takes about 15 minutes, just enough time to walk from the outskirts of a Buc-ee’s parking lot, use a clean toilet, and walk back to the car.
I recently read that the payback period for the increased cost of a hybrid vs. gasoline only in California is about six to eight years. In Texas it’s 14 years.
Hey, if it’s good enough for Charles Murray, it’s worthy of consideration.
I wanted a secondhand car to replace my small 15 year old GM Holden Barina (in Australia) and everyone said to go Toyota for reliability but i now have a 2020 Holden (Chevvie) Trax with low milage and impaccable serice record which was much cheaper than Toyotas of comparable vintage and mileage.
The Trax was originally marketed as "small and high", and I find the extra inches of elevaion makes it esier to get in and out and the vision is much better.
Why an SUV??? You loved your Sonata. They are still inexpensive, comfortable, excellent cars that get 30-40mpg. An SUV is more expensive and gets 10mpg less. A Sonata is still fine. Camrys are even more bulletproof, and I think they are all hybrids now and get 10 mpg more. The base model has everything you need, gets the best mileage, and is remarkably cheap for what you get.
It is an arms race. To have decent visibility, you need to be higher up like everyone else is now. If you have driven an SUV or crossover regularly and then switch over to a sedan, you'll notice the difference.
The Camry non-hybrid is a non-turbo 2.5 liter 4 that gets good gas mileage, 40+ highway. Not as good as the hybrid, but excellent for a normally aspirated engine in a midsize.
The plug-in hybrid RAV 4 can run on electric for 40 to 60 miles, then the regular gas engine and regen braking hybrid setup kicks in so no range anxiety. It would save a lot on in-town fuel, although electricity costs are a factor.
We hired a hybrid automatic 2022 Rav 4 (non-4wd) and I was pretty impressed with it. Especially the cameras which picked up even temporary speed limit signs 90% of the time (100% for permanent ones).
Interesting that the Hyundais don't seem to have the longevity of a Honda or Toyota, from the experiences of family.
Steve, look long and hard at the the Mazda CX70 (2 rows) or CX90 (3 rows). They have a very reliable inline 6 cylinder engine and have a hybrid option. It is a premium vehicle without the premium price tag. Additionally, you can get a very gently used 2024/25 at a decent price.
You sound like a Camry, RAV4, or Highlander customer. You can test drive them all at your local Toyota dealership. If you are interested in an EV, Charles Murray likes his Tesla Model Y, particularly the full self-driving feature.
https://x.com/charlesmurray/status/2008159028065579497?s=20
Yup, that's pretty much my thinking at present.
Here's a big question: Toyota vs Lexus? In my old age, I like comfort and reliability. How much of the Lexus premium is for the cool brand name, which I don't care about, and how much is for reliability and comfort?
For example, if I were a real estate agent and was driving clients around, I'd choose Lexus over Toyota. But I'm not driving clients around, so, objectively, which is definitively better for an old fart like me: Lexus or Toyota?
If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said a front-wheel drive RX 350 because you could still buy it with the 3.5 liter V6. That is the same engine that Toyota Sienna taxi cabs used for years and has very good reliability. That engine is no longer available in the RX, so I don't think there is going to be much of a benefit going with a Lexus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_GR_engine#2GR-FKS
You don't seem like a pickup truck kind of guy, Steve, but try a test drive with one. You might like it. I own two, a 2006 Toyota Tundra and 1995 Chevrolet S-10. The gas mileage isn't the greatest, but I enjoy mine. But I also understand they're perhaps not the best vehicles for Los Angeles traffic and gas prices.
Without hesitation I will recommend any Tesla that can upgrade to FSD, it's phenomenal and a real game changer. Check for computing hardware. I have version 3 and it's still incredible, but AI4 hardware is supposed to be even better. I will never buy another car that doesn't allow me to at least turn something like a FSD option on.
How fast will FSD come to non-pure electric cars like Toyotas or Lexuses?
I've followed the topic a bit and my impression is this is Tesla's "moat" and that it will be years for the other manufacturers to either catch up in independent development or license the tech from Tesla, Google (Waymo), or one of the other companies. Austin will soon have 5 competiting robotaxi companies operating. Seeing tons of them operating flawlessly downtown and everybody treating it like normal felt like visiting the future. And even then you'll still have to pay the premium for buying a new car from the other makes (I got a used Tesla much cheaper, because I'm too cheap to buy new.) Not having to pay California gas prices is a plus.
Probably at least five years away. Tesla has been collecting billions of data points from all of its owners, each of which is factored into each upgrade of the FSD system. Maybe advances in AI will shorten the process, evidenced by Tesla’s recent venture with NVIDIA. Mrs. FPD and I are in our mid 70s and bought a Tesla Model Y Premium in February. We couldn’t be happier. The supervised self driving feature is a game changer. Tesla should adopt the old Greyhound motto: “Leave the driving to us.”
It’s well worth the $99 per month charge.
I’m paying under 10 cents per kWh for electricity for charging at my house. I’m averaging a shade below four miles per kWh. So that’s an energy cost of about 2.5 cents per mile. Superchargers seem to be averaging 36 cents a kWh in Texas, so that boosts the cost to 11 or 12 cents a mile on road trips; that’s still cheaper than gas, although that will change somewhat once the fighting with Iran comes to an end, although damage to Gulf state oil and gas infrastructure will probably crimp world energy supplies for at least a year. Charging takes about 15 minutes, just enough time to walk from the outskirts of a Buc-ee’s parking lot, use a clean toilet, and walk back to the car.
I recently read that the payback period for the increased cost of a hybrid vs. gasoline only in California is about six to eight years. In Texas it’s 14 years.
Hey, if it’s good enough for Charles Murray, it’s worthy of consideration.
I wanted a secondhand car to replace my small 15 year old GM Holden Barina (in Australia) and everyone said to go Toyota for reliability but i now have a 2020 Holden (Chevvie) Trax with low milage and impaccable serice record which was much cheaper than Toyotas of comparable vintage and mileage.
The Trax was originally marketed as "small and high", and I find the extra inches of elevaion makes it esier to get in and out and the vision is much better.
There's a lot to be said for a taller car.
Why an SUV??? You loved your Sonata. They are still inexpensive, comfortable, excellent cars that get 30-40mpg. An SUV is more expensive and gets 10mpg less. A Sonata is still fine. Camrys are even more bulletproof, and I think they are all hybrids now and get 10 mpg more. The base model has everything you need, gets the best mileage, and is remarkably cheap for what you get.
Sure, but the rest of the world has moved to SUVs. Are they wrong?
It is an arms race. To have decent visibility, you need to be higher up like everyone else is now. If you have driven an SUV or crossover regularly and then switch over to a sedan, you'll notice the difference.
The Camry non-hybrid is a non-turbo 2.5 liter 4 that gets good gas mileage, 40+ highway. Not as good as the hybrid, but excellent for a normally aspirated engine in a midsize.
Can you buy a new Toyota Camry that is not a hybrid?
https://www.autoblog.com/features/2025-toyota-camry-preview
Lexus is a Toyota underneath. Absolutely no difference in reliability. They are just more nicely trimmed.
I could definitely imagine buying a high trim Toyota.
Ask Grok
The plug-in hybrid RAV 4 can run on electric for 40 to 60 miles, then the regular gas engine and regen braking hybrid setup kicks in so no range anxiety. It would save a lot on in-town fuel, although electricity costs are a factor.
FWIW I have a '25 Hyundai suv hybrid (Sante Fe) and it's great.
We hired a hybrid automatic 2022 Rav 4 (non-4wd) and I was pretty impressed with it. Especially the cameras which picked up even temporary speed limit signs 90% of the time (100% for permanent ones).
Interesting that the Hyundais don't seem to have the longevity of a Honda or Toyota, from the experiences of family.
If you're planning on a car for old age, cameras everywhere are a must. 80+ drivers have a great love for gatepost and multi-storey scrapes.
Honda CR-V
https://search.brave.com/search?q=honda+crv
Be cheap. Kia soul all the way.
Steve, look long and hard at the the Mazda CX70 (2 rows) or CX90 (3 rows). They have a very reliable inline 6 cylinder engine and have a hybrid option. It is a premium vehicle without the premium price tag. Additionally, you can get a very gently used 2024/25 at a decent price.
Toyota Camry is going to be your final automobile.