New Buyer: Comparing Audi to other plug in hybrids

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rogerconnertn

New member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
3
I have a Jetta TDI so I have to buy a new car soon. I want to go plug in hybrid. My past have owned Honda Odyssey/VW Jetta TDI. Am looking at Prius, Ford, Chevy plug in hyrids, the AUDI is a significant price jump. I like what I read about AUDI. What are the most important differences between Audi and the next lower rung on the ladder? (I need this for myself and for discussion with spouse, who drives a Prius and is content)
 
It depends on what you are looking for, and your vehicle needs and situation. The Audi drives like a good German car, which may or may not be important to you. If you are looking for a single all-purpose efficient car, the Audi is a good option. It works well as a hybrid when needed, but for shorter urban trips works like a pure EV. (A Chevy Volt will do this too, but in looks and drive, we weren't happy with it.)

Another consideration is the other vehicles that you may own. If it would be a third car for commuting, I'd probably buy a pure electric like an e-Golf. But for my wife and me, we wanted a car that would do it all, that could be our primary car, year-round, both urban and for road trips. The Audi is by far the best on the market (IMO) for this use.

Granted, we have only had our car for just over a week as I write this, but we are totally happy with it so far. We drove it home from the dealer (125 mile trip) in hybrid mode and got 53 MPG. Once home and into our normal short trips, the gas motor (often noted here as ICE, Internal Combustion Engine) has not run at all. Around town we are 100% electric.
 
Thanks--your post is very helpful. This will be our primary car; I'm a retired lawyer/woodworker, my wife is a professor. Most of my driving on a daily basis is less than 20 miles. She drives an 8 yr-old Prius from home to the University, about 3 miles each way. For longer trips, which we do on occasion, the car I purchase will be the primary vehicle. I have enjoyed the weight and sure-footedness of the Jetta. My previous cars were a Camry and a Honda Odyssey (no longer need that much space)

So far I'm considering the e-tron, Ford Escape, Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime. The Audi is 10K more. My assumption is that the mileage will be similar on all of them. Seems like the primary advantage is the ride and handling on the road. Do I have it right?
 
Ride and handling a most of it. I've not driven a Prius that would compare well at all. Volt isn't a bad driving car, but still not the same. I've no experience with the Ford.

The Audi is a bit up-market than the others. If you enjoyed your Jetta, you'll like theme-tron.
 
I'll jump in here. I have a Jetta Sportwagen TDI (which I love, but apparently not as much as VW loves it since they're giving me a nice chunk of change for it). The A3 has always been on my radar since it's similar to the Sportwagen.

This go around, I was looking at a variety of cars. Drove the Volt and was impressed with it, but in the end, it was just a little too small. Only seats 4 (unless the 5th is a car seat), and the trunk space is very limited. Also, the one I looked at was only a $1-2k less than a Premium Plus e-tron. Audi was willing to deal, and Chevy wasn't.

The e-tron has basically the same interior volume as the Sportwagen, so I'm not losing anything there. Cargo space is less, but still seems usable.

As Arne said, the Audi is a nice step up compared to my Sportwagen (wife has the Jetta sedan) and to the Volt. Quieter, more solid, sporty drive when you want it. My daily commute is ~5 miles each way. Add in lunch out each day and I'm still driving on battery alone pretty much every day. I get ~15-20 miles pure electric (probably closer to 20). Even on the weekends, I'm usually driving less than 20 miles per day. Where my miles get added is on the road a few times a year (~1200 mile trips to family). On those trips, the difference between a Volt and my e-tron is minimal as both are going to be mainly hybrid. I picked up this car in San Antonio so I had a couple of trips back/forth already. Even with those trips adding 750 highway miles, my first two tanks were 60 mpg and 47.5 mpg. Best I ever got in my Sportwagen was 38mpg. I suspect now that I'm on my normal driving routine, I'll get 70-80 mpg tanks easily, if not better. The main enemy to my gas mileage is me. I occasionally can't resist the urge to drive in a "spirited manner". ;)

Naturally, I think my new car is better than my old car, but my teenage daughter, and my wife both offered unsolicited opinions that the Audi is much nicer than my VW. The TDIs are nice but we all know where that ended up. This e-tron seems like a nice replacement.
 
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