Paid off my car 3 years early and now I'm thinking about my next move... any suggestions?

I don’t have many people to share this excitement with, so here I am. I paid off my 2014 Ford Fusion Energi 3 years early. It had 59k miles when I got it, and now it’s at 119k. It’s been a very reliable car, with only a couple of major repairs (an oil seal and a leaking axle after I hit a curb). I’m planning to keep it, but I’m saving up for an electric or plug-in hybrid next. Any suggestions for cars? I’m interested in used EVs or PHEVs.
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Just keep riding this one. It’s great being car payment free. I paid mine off early too and told myself I’d keep it until it’s not worth it anymore. Congrats .

Gilbert said:
Just keep riding this one. It’s great being car payment free. I paid mine off early too and told myself I’d keep it until it’s not worth it anymore. Congrats!

Thanks! I guess I didn’t make it clear in my excitement of posting this, but I’m planning to keep the Fusion. It will still be the main car for the house, and I want to get an EV or PHEV once I save up. Any suggestions for that?

@Blaine
I’d recommend getting any Tesla you can afford. I love mine, and you can’t beat the charging network. If you get a preowned one from Tesla, you get an 8-year warranty on the powertrain. The Fusion is still one of the best sedans Ford ever made.

@EnclaveLoveLinda
8-year warranty? Is that unlimited miles? Because with how much I drive, I’ll hit that pretty fast. I do love the Fusion though, just wish it had more trunk space. That’s my only complaint.

@Blaine
It’s 8 years or 150k miles, but it starts from when the car was first used, not when you buy it. So, if you buy one that’s 4 years old, you still have 4 years left on the battery and motor warranty, up to 150k miles. They even add another year and 10k miles to the basic 5-year warranty for everything else. Check Tesla’s website under used vehicles. The Fusion’s trunk space was allocated to the Edge, which was more of a wagon.

If your battery is still going strong, I’d just keep the car. Nothing beats being car payment free. You can save that money or put it towards other things.

Grayson said:
If your battery is still going strong, I’d just keep the car. Nothing beats being car payment free. You can save that money or put it towards other things.

Thanks, but I think you missed where I said I’m keeping it. I want another car for my partner, and the Fusion will still be the main car. Got any EV or PHEV suggestions?

@Blaine
Just commenting to see the PHEV suggestions. I love my 2018 Energi and would love to get a PHEV for my wife as well.

Shay said:
@Blaine
Just commenting to see the PHEV suggestions. I love my 2018 Energi and would love to get a PHEV for my wife as well.

Someone else suggested the Leaf, but I don’t think it’s a PHEV.

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more common. They’re more flexible than pure EVs and cost less to fuel than any gas-powered car. But if you really want a full electric, the Nissan Leaf is good for the price. It also doesn’t attract as much attention as a Tesla does.

@Wyatt
Thanks for the suggestion! The Leaf is a good car, but I’m looking for something with more range. Still, I appreciate it.

Blaine said:
@Wyatt
Thanks for the suggestion! The Leaf is a good car, but I’m looking for something with more range. Still, I appreciate it.

The Leaf does have a 60+ kWh version, if you’re interested.

You could use the extra money from not having a car payment to save up for repairs and an upgrade. Just keep this car until it’s no longer worth it.

Layne said:
You could use the extra money from not having a car payment to save up for repairs and an upgrade. Just keep this car until it’s no longer worth it.

They said they’re keeping the car, though.

Congrats on paying off the car .

FordFusion said:
Congrats on paying off the car!

Thank you .

Congrats! I don’t have suggestions for your next car, but just wanted to say that I’m wary of EVs right now. I’ve seen reports where a software update fails and the car becomes undriveable. Hopefully that gets fixed soon.

@Spencer
That’s a good point. Thanks for sharing that .

Quick question—has anyone had issues with leaving a plug-in hybrid plugged in at a public space? I know Teslas have a security feature to prevent anyone from messing with the car, but I’m curious about how safe it is for other cars.