Hacker News Reader

Comment by juujian | Hacker News Reader

I haven't owned a car for multiple years, but I might need one again very soon (moving...) and at this time... I don't even want to buy one. It seems like such a hassle. Researching what car company has not plastered microchips all over their car, which will inevitably break. Figuring out which maker has actually tested their car. Figuring out what model is the least technizised. By this time, even second hand cars are mostly from a period where car makers but aweful stuff into their cars...

View on HN

Just bought a 2023 Toyota Corolla. Disable the telemetry (easy to do, prompted during setup) and you've got a 50 MPG sedan with a basic gauge cluster and standard infotainment screen, but nothing else for less than $25k (excl. taxes)

50mpg is for the non-hybrid version? Or is that the hybrid?

I've been expecting my next car will be a Corolla when my Prius gives up the ghost, but I didn't know they'd reached quite that high with the ICE version.

2023 corolla ice is 43 mpg, hybrid is 46, both highway. Ice mpg hasn't changed much in 20yrs, as the cars have gotten heavier.

A 2023 Carolla is 3000lbs, and a 2015 is 2500lbs, which takes 17% more energy to get to speed

While it's true that the hybrid is rated for <50 MPG, I've driven mine over 5,000 miles and it has never averaged below 50 MPG a tank, mostly highway driving.

That's the hybrid, but still <$25k. I averaged 51 MPG on my last road trip (~700 miles round trip). Fully loaded car with 5 adults and cargo. Cruising speed of 73 MPH.

My understanding is software disabling of telemetry doesn't actually stop it. You have to physically disable the hardware: https://old.reddit.com/r/COROLLA/comments/12149sd/video_tuto...

I recently, after being sans-auto for many years needed a car. 2012 Toyota - no touch-screen, no-saas. Should go another 10 years.

Which ones have known issues with phantom emergency braking, which ones leak/share/phone home your personal data and so on.

You may not get the chance. Or at least here in Canada as shown on the national news a woman went to a Toyota dealership and said she'd like the RAV4 Prime (a hybrid). She said they laughed at her, as if someone could just walk in and ask to buy a vehicle I guess. They said it would be an eight year wait (the video interview said but not the print version). I find hard to believe it would take nearly a decade to get a car.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/car-market-analysis-1.68737...

That is on specific model of vehicle that is difficult to get. Regular cars like the corolla/civic/jetta/rio are all readily available on the dealer lot.

This is a Toyota EV / plug in hybrid problem; Toyota's production numbers for plug in hybrids and EVs are very low (The RAV4 Prime is a plug in hybrid). Toyota still seems reluctant to commit to EVs/PHEVs, so that appears to play a role (they are still trying to push hydrogen fuel cell cars, for example).

For the RAV4 Prime it's semi believable. The RAV4 Prime is made in Japan and seems to be limited in production numbers. Toyota in general seems to be still having lingering supply chain issues though.

As someone shopping for a PHEV in Ontario right now: yeah it's dire. The Prime I've consistently heard is a 2-3 year wait, with the dealers saying Ontario is getting somewhere around 12 for the province because they're all going to BC and Quebec (higher provincial incentives there) and even there it's years out. Kia is the fastest right now but even that's a 10+ month wait for their most comparable PHEV.

The only one that seems easy to get is the Outlander, but that car is also way too big for my needs among other issues.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com