Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait.
And who is eating the negative equity? Find out how much it’s worth and compare the payoff.
Why are you steering her away from her preference - besides a perceived savings thru tax credit? PS most vehicles that are eligible have an inflated MSRP, and I have seen Toyota/Lexus folks twist themselves into a pretzel to recover a couple hundred of that after markups and fees — it’s theoretically possible to get it all, most people leave a lot of it on that table AFTER they overpaid.
Back to your question: what outcome do you actually want here? For her to wait? Budget back in line? The one you want? Lease-to-buy-for-tax-credit?
What about buying/financing a 350h, wrap it in an extended warranty, drive it until the wheels fall off?
