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#71
Off-Topic / Re: Little things that make yo...
Last post by GreatBigAbyss - Aug 20, 2026, 10:42 AMI got permission to charge the Prius at work. This is significant, not because I care about saving the $17/month, but because the outdoor plugs at my house don't currently have capacity to charge two PHEV's at 12amps each simultaneously.
I'll just use the Prius as a Daily, and charge its smaller battery while I'm at work, which will cover me for my daily commute, and any small errands during the work day.
The incoming Rav4 can charge its 3x larger battery at home, and remain topped off for any duties that it will see (it will be the primary vehicle for going anywhere once we get it, aside from my daily commute).
I'll just use the Prius as a Daily, and charge its smaller battery while I'm at work, which will cover me for my daily commute, and any small errands during the work day.
The incoming Rav4 can charge its 3x larger battery at home, and remain topped off for any duties that it will see (it will be the primary vehicle for going anywhere once we get it, aside from my daily commute).
#72
Show and Shine / Re: Blueprint's early build 20...
Last post by Blueprint - Aug 19, 2026, 09:35 PMThe last MHEV I drove was fine, but early ones needed a reprogramming.
#73
Off-Topic / Re: Things that make you sad, ...
Last post by RRocket - Aug 19, 2026, 08:14 PMQuote from: Johnnymac on Aug 19, 2026, 02:10 PMLooks like the typical, "everything bad comes in 3's" struck our household. First it was our mini split not working right (replacement scheduled), then this past weekend I must have caught a rock with the lawn mower and broke one of the panes of glass in the bathroom window, and yesterday our dehumidifier kicked the bucket.https://youtu.be/PqPI2OhgD8U?si=41V2XMNoVwpr2qpm
Going to be a costly August. Being a grownup sometimes really is BS.
#74
Off-Topic / Re: Things that make you sad, ...
Last post by Blizzard - Aug 19, 2026, 04:45 PMWill your new mini-split have a dehumidifier mode? To eliminate the need for a seperate piece of equipment?
#75
Off-Topic / Re: Things that make you sad, ...
Last post by Johnnymac - Aug 19, 2026, 03:53 PMQuote from: Firm on Aug 19, 2026, 03:16 PMThat sucks, but yeah, it's a lot like that sometimes...Some weeks I feel like I a full-time handyman on top of everything else.Ain't that the truth. Luckily the honeydoo list is rarely that long and most times there isn't this many things happening at once.
#76
Off-Topic / Re: Things that make you sad, ...
Last post by Firm - Aug 19, 2026, 03:16 PMThat sucks, but yeah, it's a lot like that sometimes...Some weeks I feel like I a full-time handyman on top of everything else.
#77
Off-Topic / Re: Things that make you sad, ...
Last post by Johnnymac - Aug 19, 2026, 02:10 PMLooks like the typical, "everything bad comes in 3's" struck our household. First it was our mini split not working right (replacement scheduled), then this past weekend I must have caught a rock with the lawn mower and broke one of the panes of glass in the bathroom window, and yesterday our dehumidifier kicked the bucket.
Going to be a costly August. Being a grownup sometimes really is BS.
Going to be a costly August. Being a grownup sometimes really is BS.
#78
Member Test Drives and Product Reviews / Re: 2026 Honda Ridgeline Trail...
Last post by Blizzard - Aug 19, 2026, 01:39 PMI drove my uncle's 2023 Black Edition for the first time this weekend. It was also my first time ever driving a pickup truck. I'm not a truck person at all but I enjoyed it! Handling was different than what I'm used to, but it was comfortable to ride and drive and the V6 was very smooth and sounded nice. I imagine it drives very similar to a Pilot (which I've also never driven).
This is his first pickup truck, and before buying it I know he did a ton of research into what he wanted. This replaced his Maserati Ghibli
Basically his needs were to have something practical for the 1-2 times a year they need to transport large items, a truck bed to transport garden supplies in the spring, and something good to drive in the winter for trips to their cottage in Vermont.
I think it's a great all-rounder for someone who wants a truck for occasional light duties but that still drives more like a car.
This is his first pickup truck, and before buying it I know he did a ton of research into what he wanted. This replaced his Maserati Ghibli
Basically his needs were to have something practical for the 1-2 times a year they need to transport large items, a truck bed to transport garden supplies in the spring, and something good to drive in the winter for trips to their cottage in Vermont. I think it's a great all-rounder for someone who wants a truck for occasional light duties but that still drives more like a car.
#79
Member Test Drives and Product Reviews / Re: 2026 Honda Ridgeline Trail...
Last post by Fobroader - Aug 19, 2026, 01:18 PMI had mine on KO2s and it was pretty good offroad for what it was. Too bad about the electrical problems and leaks, I actually enjoyed my SUV with a birth defect.
#80
Show and Shine / Re: Blueprint's early build 20...
Last post by RRocket - Aug 19, 2026, 06:09 AMQuote from: Blueprint on Aug 18, 2026, 03:18 PMQuote from: GreatBigAbyss on Aug 18, 2026, 10:53 AMWe looked at a CX-70 version of this the same day we test drove the Rav4.
The interior was amazing - Even on the lower trim GS-L, it was so much nicer than the top trim Rav4. In fact, dollar for dollar, we could have probably optioned out a GT trim of the CX-70, and it would have come out a mere $2k more expensive than the Rav4 XSE PHEV. I'm sure I could have easily negotiated the difference out, as they had a whole bunch of these sitting on the lot.
However, the powertrain just threw me for a loop. Routing the EV through the 8-speed transmission just made the car feel clumsy. You completely lose out on the 'instant EV torque' that the Rav4 PHEV has.
I have no doubt that the CX-70/90 is a far superior driver on the twisties, unfortunately, these are just not roads that exist where I live. 90% of our driving is in the city, and the other 10% is on the long, flat, straight prairie highways where the better driving dynamics of a CX-70 just wouldn't show up. This is borne out by your quote in your post:QuoteCumbersome in town, but a dancer in the high speed twisties.
I really, really wanted to love the big Mazda, unfortunately, the better interior of the CX-70 wasn't enough to sway me over the ease of use in the city of the Rav4.
I also had doubts about short term and long-term reliability. This still a newer platform/drivetrain, where as the Toyota Hybrid System is about as proven as it comes.
Exactly, it's really clumsy at low speeds, with a lot of whining from the transmission gears, the tranny being right there between the seats with this rwd architecture. I'm starting to find the noise and behavior annoying. Our daily driving is also 90% city, and 10% urban highways, everything flat. The Saguenay has the kind of roads we dream about when reading car mags - everything rises, dips and turnsIn rural use, with higher speeds, the EV operation seemed more natural, and the ICE actually makes nice sounds at WOT, some of them doctored of course.
But the RAV4 GR Sport I drove the week prior is eons ahead in EV refinement, and A LOT lighter on its feet. Plus, at less than 20 kWh/100 km, it was twice as efficient as our CX-90. For daily use, a RAV4 PHEV is like an EV, only more efficent and with full ICE support for road trips. So far it's my #1 next family car option for when we're ready to downsize. It might be less enjoyable than the big Mazda out on the open road, but we seldom see that.
Funny you guys mention this.
My bro has one as a rental (he got rear ended in his Lincoln).
When I asked how it was he said "the transmission seems confused or something".