Driving to Michigan in June from Aptos, CA. Should I drive my Prius? I did this same drive in 2011 without incident but really don’t want to get stuck with a big repair along the drive. I drove it to San Antonio in 2012, same deal. I drove to Portland last month without checking an electrical glitchy issue first and ended up replacing the original spark plugs on the trip. I get regular oil changes and recently had the front struts replaced. Except for windshields, on my third or fourth, this car hums. It does burn oil now but I check it often. Thoughts? Dire warnings? Suggestions? Appreciate any assistance!
It has 196,000 miles and I don’t recall ever changing out the transmission fluid but I can check with my guys at Big O who do the maintenance.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Avis is $30/day. Even if my car was in good shape, I don't think I'd want to thrash on it like that.
Well the thing with an older prius, they go out of balance if you don't drive them. So you can come back to a dead car after your 6000 mile trip
Highway driving for a long time is what a car loves to do best. All the fluids are nice and toasty, everything is got a good charge on it, computers are alive and managing everything. We did a lot of driving in the Prius, usually about 2k miles in just over a day. Worked great. Every car is different and every car can decide to die, usually at the worst times. If you don't need to be somewhere, or if breaking down for a day or two or seven would kill the trip, then just fly.
Depends on how much time you have. I've done it many times same year and mileage. Change your oil each way and check your coolant before you leave. If there is any sludge in the radiator I wouldn't do it. Or if there's a lot of engine detonation at high speed. Otherwise you should be fine.
i wouldn't, but that's just me. i get nervous about breaking down in a car with 40,000 miles. not how i want to spend my time.
My 2009 had 229,000 Miles on it when I decided to drive it long distance 1000 Mile journeys. It now has 240,000 Miles. its still on its original hybrid traction battery. After I bought it it got new tires, oil change, 12V battery and transmission fluid change. So far: 1 more oil change. If I would trust it for a 1000 mile journey, I would trust it for a 6,000 mile journey. make sure you have AAA and $$ reserve in case you need to rent another car or fix it on the road. But that's just me. The Prius has been the lowest cost maintenance car I have ever owned. The only reason I would choose a different car to travel with is: I am pulling a large enclosed trailer and my 3 adult passengers pack very heavy. When I go solo to Quebec later this year--a 900 Mile journey each way--I am taking my Prius.
I would do it as well. But I’ve always driven older cars, but I am big on preventative maintenance. I actually plan to drive the family to Florida in early July in our 2006 with 190,000 miles. It’s “only” a 2400 mile trip but still plenty far. Just make sure your oil is fresh, and all your fluids are full. Oh and hopefully your coolant has been flushed less than 100k ago? If the first flush was done at 100k, you would be just about due for another servicing.
Windwardside - It seems these cars really deteriorate from lack of use, not high mileage. If you're taking reasonable care of the car, don't hesitate to go. We drove our 2008 from here in southern California to North Carolina and back last summer and it was great. This summer we're heading to Seattle and then Colorado. Next year we're heading to North Carolina to Farmington Hills, MI and back. It sounds like you are concerned about the batteries. My suggestion would be to condition the HV battery before you go. If you don't already have the equipment, maybe someone here will loan you their Prolong system or you can have it conditioned at a good hybrid shop. It takes a downtime of 4-7 days to do it properly. I would also double check the 12v battery. I wouldn't try the long trip with a 12v older than 5 or 6 years because that battery really wreaks havoc when it gets weak or fails, too.
Thank you all for your valuable advice! I plan to do all the things you recommend and drive our 2015 Transit Connect instead. For me, any trip on this side of the Rockies works with the Prius but my spouse really wants us to and he is the mechanic in our family. The mileage will suck but the view will be fabulous, once he removes all his surfboards. Now, if you can give me tips for keeping the back hatch assembly in place (using awesome glue but must open hatch gently with two hands) I’ll be golden. Trying to avoid expensive replacement but other posters just bit the dust and bought a new one. Sigh.
Best suggestion I have is to train yourself (and others) not to use the hatch button and assembly as a handle. We always use the button to release it, then lift the hatch from the bottom. If the hatch struts are in good shape the hatch will lift enough on release to lift from the bottom. Another option cheaper than new is to replace the garnish and release with a used one from a "pick a part" yard.
Make sure you have AAA and check the oil everyday before starting the car. Keep it at the full line always. Tough little car but personally I would be crippled after that drive. G2 seats are the worst.
I agree the seats are much less lovely than my 88 Camry wagon that I drove before it finally gave up in 2008. Loved that car! 32 mpg! I wish I had known about the hatch latch NOT being the handle. I do now and use awesome glue from Ace Hardware to keep it happy. I have a tube of it in the car because my guys forget and so I just glue it back in place.
We carry two different types of seat cushions on our cross country trips so we can change up the seats and increase comfort. I can't imagine making the trips without them. We have considered having a local shop reupholster the front seats with memory foam but I never got around to pricing it. We had memory foam seats in a Nissan and it was really comfortable on those long trips.
If its runnng find as a daily, I say go for it. Check all fluids, coolants, inverter valve. Do an oil change a week before. Check all tire pressure and tire condition. Check the spare. That's it. Go for it. Carry extra oil and funnel.
The mileage with the Transit Connect will be less than the Prius but the bottom line isn't all THAT bad. The trip will result in about a 60 gallon difference, probably adding $200-300 in fuel costs for the round trip. In exchange you should be riding a little more comfortably in a much newer vehicle without the "worry stress". I do understand why your husband would rather take the Transit. Budget the extra $300, relax and enjoy your trip.
