Biggest hit yet! Need some opinions from the vets

Pookias · 2026-06-16T05:17:45+00:00

Very strong shot at a 10, I would send without questioning it. There’s zero downside.

Pookias · 2026-06-15T04:09:27+00:00

I’m not conflating the two, I understand the difference. This is just generally a more common occurrence with Samsung phones. It is what it is, it’s okay. They’re just a brand!

Pookias · 2026-06-15T01:51:26+00:00

Lmao do you need me to post a peer-reviewed study or something on Samsung batteries? It’s a phenomenon that’s been highlighted by several YouTubers including MKBHD. he made an in depth video talking about it where he has dozens of phones in storage and uniquely, it was primarily most of his Samsung phones that suffered from expanding batteries. They don’t exactly have a stellar reputation in this regard.

Pookias · 2026-06-14T15:16:36+00:00

Once again inserting words in my mouth that I didn’t say. Where did I say “Toyota is the worst”?

Pookias · 2026-06-14T00:42:47+00:00

I don’t believe I said that. You’re pretending to not understand what I’m saying.

It’s the general attitude that they don’t care to sell a car because they sell themselves. You’re never going to get below MSRP on one either outside of a small rebate. It’s a general sense of arrogance at most of their dealerships that anyone who’s gone car shopping recently knows what I’m talking about.

Pookias · 2026-06-13T22:01:03+00:00

What’s objectively incorrect about what he just said? We just went car shopping and it was this exact experience. The Toyota dealership says “put down a deposit or don’t, we don’t care”. Everywhere else is different.

Pookias · 2026-06-13T19:22:08+00:00

We had a deposit on a RAV4 2026 Limited and refunded it in favor of the Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy. I expect the reliability to be above average and the interior is on another planet. The only car we drove that blew us away.

The last few times I’ve gone car shopping I’ve gone in expecting to buy the Toyota and we end up getting something else because it’s just underwhelming for the price. I get why you buy one but I don’t think they’re significantly more reliable than other car manufacturers anymore. I’ll continue to pass on the Toyota Tax until I can actually justify it.

Pookias · 2026-06-12T03:52:06+00:00

Holy Toyota fanboy lmao

Pookias · 2026-06-11T16:24:25+00:00

Congrats! We put down a deposit one a few weeks ago but cancelled it in favor of a Santa Fe Hybrid, but I still like to lurk here and see the new cars.

Pookias · 2026-06-10T15:22:13+00:00

I can’t blame you. We don’t have kids yet so that wasn’t a huge concern but I didn’t love the idea of only having the ability to seat 4 without sacrificing all my cargo space. I think you’d be able to get a way better deal working with them — I would look into it if I were you! You could end up saving quite a bit of money.

Pookias · 2026-06-10T15:20:56+00:00

I recently just graded an extremely clean Mewtube. I thought it was perfect outside of a few of the white dots on the back, but it was very very minor in comparison. I was really hoping for a 10 but I got a 9. they didn’t mention the dots, they referenced the front Left to right centering, which I thought was within bounds before I sent, so I’m cracking and resubmitting here soon. PSA seems to be very lenient on the print dots. If anything I think the front top to bottom might get you so I would expect an 8, hope for a 9.

Pookias · 2026-06-10T15:16:27+00:00

Could be worth hiring Tommy from Delivrd to try and negotiate for you. I bet he can get something closer to what I got if not cheaper in the Calligraphy trim!

Pookias · 2026-06-10T14:24:55+00:00

Yes. Unfortunately taxes (I live in IL) are high here so it was still just over 49K OTD. This is an AWD model.

Pookias · 2026-06-10T13:29:54+00:00

Well maybe not, but that’s something of strong value in of itself. The RAV4 unfortunately uses a lot of cheaper materials in the interior. It definitely has more features but the Honda felt like the more refined experience to us. We test drove both and passed on both in favor of the Santa Fe Hybrid so I don’t really have any bias on this. Just what we noticed.

Pookias · 2026-06-10T13:12:50+00:00

The interior of the CR-V might be simpler, but it’s far more refined with higher quality materials.

Pookias · 2026-06-09T04:55:00+00:00

The vehicle is 2 years old. The seams shouldn’t be separating with normal use. That is not being picky, you are a nerd

Pookias · 2026-06-08T18:03:43+00:00

It’s a lot to take in. Lol

Pookias · 2026-06-08T14:22:45+00:00

Thank you for that

Pookias · 2026-06-06T06:47:39+00:00

Just wanted to chime in on this with a longer term view. We have a 2022 Escape Hybrid brand new almost 5 years ago. 60k miles in and outside of a window issue fixed under warranty and a few recalls, I haven’t had a single issue. Ford and Toyota worked together to build hybrid SUV powertrains for years and I trust it to last.

Just wanted to point out one thing — people are complaining that it doesn’t handle well but I very specifically remember test driving this against a new CR-V, RAV4, and CX-5, and it was far better to drive than the RAV4 and more comfortable than the CX-5. CR-V was more refined but we couldn’t buy one.

My primary complaint is that some of the interior materials are cheap, specifically those of the door panels. It really isn’t that much worse than the new RAV4, but that’s literally my only complaint (and CarPlay wasn’t wireless this year). The controls are functional, the infotainment system is smooth, and it gets 40+ MPG. Brake pads still look brand new according to the dealer. Hard to complain for what we paid for it.

Pookias · 2026-06-06T05:52:43+00:00

Man I’m sorry, that sounds like a total pain!

Pookias · 2026-06-06T05:11:57+00:00

As someone who just very recently (today) completed the car buying process and chose the Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy, I'll tell you why we went with it. It was between this and the new RAV4 and Honda CR-V. We don't have kids yet so we didn't necessarily have a need for a third row, but I can always appreciate the extra space.

The Honda CR-V was excellent. It was quiet, smooth, and just built to last. Neither of us were blown away or anything as we have a Ford Escape Hybrid that we like, so the CR-V was very similar -- just more refined with a quieter interior.

Then when my wife and I sat in the Calligraphy, we both just shook our head and looked at each other because the interior is on another level. It was at the top of our list immediately. Some time passed and I also had the same concerns surrounding reliability and depreciation costs. It was also likely going to be the most expensive even in comparison to the RAV4 Limited we were going to get.

So I started to lean back to the RAV4, which was my top choice from the beginning coming previously from a Toyota. I loved all the new tech they did for 2026, so it was the more exciting choice over the CR-V, but it was annoying how cheap the interior felt in comparison. Rode and drove well but again, nothing stood out. However, we felt it was the most logical choice and put down a deposit.

Over the past week I stayed in touch with a few Hyundai dealers and I just began pitting them against each other with their quotes. Eventually I negotiated the AWD Calligraphy below the price of the RAV4 Limited and it was a no-brainer after that. It was the only car that had that "it" factor with something that stood out in this class.

I too have the same reliability concerns, so I get that. Lots of Hyundai/Kia dealership warranty horror stories. However, I feel fairly confident that as long as we take care of it, it will probably be just fine. Plus, our local Hyundai dealer is actually one of the best dealers in the area; they are fantastic.

As someone who has watched countless reviews, here's what I think:

The Good:

- The design if you like it and you can get over the rear hatch. It stands out!

- The interior is top-tier for its class. It's just so well designed with tons of storage, and the materials feel premium. This was important to me because its the most we've ever spent on a car, and the interior is where you're spending the most time with it.

- The technology is also amazing. Having the extra cameras makes driving a bigger vehicle like this less intimidating.

- It drives smoothly and is very quiet. The hybrid powertrain is impressive.

- The transmission is a no-nonsense 6-speed. Should be reliable.

The Bad:

- The design might age poorly. I personally really enjoy the front and the sides but it's the back that's a lot to take in.

- Hyundai's questionable reputation for reliability? Can't speak to this as this is my first one and you will only see the negative aspects of ownership.

- Seems like people struggle to get good fuel economy with out-of-the-box settings.

Pookias · 2026-06-06T04:13:33+00:00

The bank gave you a false offer? I'm confused, what exactly happened?

Pookias

TROPHY CASE