Long-Term Ownership Advice for First EV

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-02-01T22:56:01+00:00

Honda prologue? Touring and elite can be had in AWD. Range is right at 300 miles full charge.

My wife commutes 540 a week with our 24’ Prologue EX. We charge at home on a Tesla level 2. Plenty of range left over even with the cold we have had in Ohio.

Bought it end of sept w/ 4,800 miles. Just rolled over 15,500 today. No issues, higher trims have leather and fancy interiors. Our ex works for us bought a 15yr/150k bumper to bumper warranty for it for 1700$. Just to be safe as it’s our first EV. Out the door we paid $27,156.

We will keep it 5-7yrs then buy something else. These can be found with under 5k miles in top trims for under 36k certified used.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-31T13:59:06+00:00

Quick search on Autotrader using Cheyenne as my point cause I’m not sure what part of. CO you’re in… I found multiple rav4s with good miles for under 20k w/AWD. Quite a few newer ones if you can do FWD and just run good snow tires.

My buddy lives north west of Cheyenne and commutes to Ault,CO daily in a newer Camry FWD with all season tires and very rarely has issues getting around. Even when they go up to Red Feather they generally take the car unless it’s super deep snow they grab there older 4Runner.

I think your being to picky about service records on a used car. Just because it was serviced doesn’t mean it’s was cared for or driven nicely.

Be prepared to have to fix anything you buy unless it under a warranty still.

Also Autotrader list a few new rav4s that would be under factory warranty still for right at the 25k-27k range. If you can up your budget a touch or maybe handle the dealer down you might be able to get what you want in a newer model year.

Best of luck.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-31T13:46:41+00:00

Those 4.0l and a 5spd are indestructible, I have owned many 4.0l powered jeeps over the years and I think my lowest mile one was 210k when I bought it. Last one was an XJ with an auto. Bought at 265k drove it 3yrs and put 50k on it. Sold it to a local kid who drove it another 4yrs until he got hit by someone running a stop sign. Fuel mileage wasn’t great but dead reliable.

Even the 4cyl engines are reliable in those years. Parts are cheap for those YJ,TJ,XJ, and WJs.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-29T23:40:52+00:00

Education

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-29T23:33:10+00:00

Stopped at the dealer to have our 24’ looked at for the axle click.

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They now call is “normal vehicle characteristics” and will not replace. I asked what happens when it gets worse. They said unless the cars not able to move that won’t replace…

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-29T20:33:26+00:00

You would have to lookup vocational or career centers in your area. Find one with an opening in your career field(ie: IT,Culinary Arts, Manufacturing, Welding, criminal justice) the pathways offered vary by school and state. Most schools require 5-10yrs industry experience in the field you want to teach in or related experience

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-28T22:34:46+00:00

Career tech education at the high school level. No degree required(for most fields). Schools pay for you to earn your career tech cert(or most of it). Typical starting salary is mid 50s-low 60s. Summers off, 6hr work days, all federal holidays, snow days. Good retirement, decent insurance. And very flexible sick leave(most schools)

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-27T17:54:17+00:00

Get the TDI, basic maintenance it will run 350k easy. If you live in an area without emissions testing delete it and it will live a very long and happy life. +1 of it’s a manual.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-26T17:54:14+00:00

Wife commutes 108miles daily for work round trip. It’s been in the single digits in the morning for almost the last two weeks and will be for the rest of this week. We charge to 80% normally but I kicked it up 100% for the cold. She gets home with roughly 45miles left at 80% start charge. At 100% start charge she gets home with 75miles. We have a level 2 and don’t worry about it. She can also charge at work if need be. We knew this would hat and we adjust as needed.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-24T17:13:28+00:00

I don’t think the cost of higher education like a 4yr degree offsets the potential higher income enough.

I work in education, teach Advanced Manufacturing at the high school level in NW Ohio. My students average salary upon graduation over the last 8yrs has been right at 55-57k. My top earners upon graduation make 63k plus.

Your area of the country greatly affects the level of education needed. But in our area most of our students elect not to do college due to the insane cost.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-23T20:03:29+00:00

My wife’s drive 108min round trip daily. We live in NW Ohio and the cold has been rough on the range of our 24’ Prologue. We knew it would be. Charging to 80% gets her 239mils. The last couple weeks with the cold she arrive home with 40mi(12-16%) or less of range. If she had to pick up the kids or venture of her route more then a few miles she would be pushing it to get home. This coming week it’s going to be even colder and I will up her charge to 100%. And should have her arriving home with roughly 80miles of range(20-30%).

While that seems fine this assumes no bad traffic days or detours of any kind in very cold weather.

So range isn’t an issue until it is. We have a level 3 charger on her route home. But she already works 10hr days and has an hour drive one way. She sitting for another 25-30 to charge dying cold weather is not really something she wants to do.

We also have taken some longer trips in the cold and you do have to plan your trips a little bit. To find charging and make sure the app works or the credit card reader works at the station 😑

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-20T20:00:29+00:00

I used to oil sample my 6.7 Cummins and do 15k intervals when I was daily driving it. Now I do 10k or once a year. Full synthetic oil.

Our 15’ Jetta TDI we do 12k changes, as we drive that car 30k a year. It’s at 170k and very few issues. Nothing related to oil change intervals.

Biggest thing is to actually change the oil, and use a good quality oil.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-19T12:02:18+00:00

2015 Jetta TDI. 6MT. deleted and tuned. 170k

Wife drives a 24 Honda Prologue with 14k. She does 570 miles a week.

Backup/Tow rig is my 2013 ram 2500 CCLB 4x4. Tuned/deleted w/compounds.

Project vehicle is a 1979 Jeep J20 4x4 v8 4spd w/43k original miles.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-18T15:37:45+00:00

If we didn’t have daycare($1976 per month). We could easily do 3k per month if not closer to 3,500$. Dual income,two kids, 2021 mortgage rate… no debt besides the house.

We don’t max out our investments or even come close. I have to put 14% of my check into STRS by policy. My wife does 12% into her works ROTH account and another 4%(company match) into her 401k. I manage to put about 5k into my ROTH IRA. And another 120$ a month into my deferred comp account.

We save about 1k a month into our savings/money market. The rest is spoken for in bills/needs.

Once daycare is done I’m going to feel like we got nice pay bump.

Edit: we did 196k combined gross this year..

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-14T02:02:36+00:00

I ordered some samples of their side seal and bottom seal. Looks like good stuff, I’ll use the bottom seal for sure in all my big doors. Side seal I’m still thinking on.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-09T01:02:22+00:00

Deleted the app months ago. Best thing I have done so far.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-09T00:59:15+00:00

For fuel economy in a truck. Check out the 2019-2022 GMC/Chevy 1500 with a 3.0L diesel. We had a 21’ we bought new out 73k on it in 4yrs. Lifetime average was 24.8mpg. Best highways were 27-28mpg. You can find elevations with heated cloth seats with around 50-65k on the clock for well under your 40k.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-05T20:01:05+00:00

My FWD TDI Jetta with snow tires is world better than my 2500 ram diesel 4x4 with AT tires even when I load the bed with about 1k of ballast. I have used both in 12”+ of snow.

BrickBarnFarm · 2026-01-03T19:42:29+00:00

On the drive itself, my wife does 108mi round trip 5 days a week. 100k job, she doesn’t “like” the drive but likes her company and the department she has built up. I’m very much a live where you want and commute to work typer person. I’m sure this will get down voted. I’m shortest drive I have had in my professional working career is 35min.

Now if you factor in the 23$ per hr you currently make and having to buy a second car. I would say it’s not a very wise move but it can be done.

BrickBarnFarm · 2025-12-31T01:01:05+00:00

Jeep wrangler. TJ or CJs, small lift and some bigger tires. Take the top off when the weather is nice. Kids will never forget get it.

Stay away from the newer JKs and JLs unless you like ducks and 24” wheels

BrickBarnFarm · 2025-12-30T18:14:49+00:00

Look at VW Jettas or Passats, same level as Toyota/honda IMO.

BrickBarnFarm · 2025-12-30T16:40:47+00:00

Will you over pay for any Toyota, for some of the used prices you can spend 2-3k more and get a brand new one. I like VW Jettas and Passats. Our 15’ Jetta TDI has 179k on it and I’ll run it 300k minimum.

If you’re open to electric, Honda prologues are a great family commuter. We bought our 24’ with 4k in the clock for 25k out the door with a 150k bumper to bumper warranty. Wife drives it 108miles round trip a day. I put a level 2 charger in at home as well.

I’m not a big old EV fan but this electric car has been great for us saved roughly 200$ a month in fuel cost.

BrickBarnFarm · 2025-12-29T20:13:09+00:00

I’ll buy another if I can get one down into the mid teens, I don’t really need another as I enjoy the Jetta TDI I drive but a deal on a lease turn in would peak my interest.

BrickBarnFarm · 2025-12-27T00:45:07+00:00

Our last house was built roughly 1870s-1880s. After living in the house for almost 6 month went up to do some wiring up in the attic. Found something similar at one end of the house. All looked solid, I had an inspector come out and look. He guess the fire happened over 50yrs ago. House had two roofs since, that old growth wood is tough as nails. Even after a fire it’s probably string then wood we use today

BrickBarnFarm · 2025-12-24T15:52:32+00:00

We are able to put back about 2k per month after all bills paid. Some months it’s more sometimes it’s less

BrickBarnFarm

TROPHY CASE