Hello, I'm here to ask a question for my dad. We are based in Europe, Lithuania and we are researching a used gen 3 Prius as his next car option. Something in 2010 - 2011, 150 000 - 200 000 km territory. The main concern is that his driving needs are low. Around 10 km a day to work + additional 10 km every third day in winter and every second day in summer. Could that driving pattern somehow affect the main battery and/or hybrid system? Thank you.
With such low daily mileage, I'd suggest the least expensive, reliable car you can find. The Prius is great for mileage, but the first couple of km of each drive most of the benefit is wasted warming up the ICE.
Thank you for your suggestion. What would be the lowest daily mileage to benefit from the hybrid drive?
Disagree. My wife lives 2 miles from work and even though the engine has to run more through the warm-up cycle, it still gets 40+ mpg no matter what. No way you're getting 40mpg in any non-hybrid car on a drive that short. Period. I have a Honda Civic Si and I make the same drive and I get 22 at best.
i used to drive 7 miles each way to work, that returned about 55 mpg in summer and 45 in winter. pretty flat around here. the thing is, with a vehicle only traveling 10km/day, is the gas saving worth the extra cost and trouble?
Thanks for your view. The extra cost here in the used market is not that big in comparison to other reliable cars. It's still regarded as new technology here, people don't know what to expect from it in terms of maintenance and aging.
the thing to keep in mind is availability of service. we have many people from around the world coming here for advice, because there is no servicing dealer or local expertise, or the wait is so long for an appointment. many of the hybrid components are complex, and require special diagnostic tools.
Short drives will not affect battery. As for the engine, it will spend more time being not completely warmed up. That means you will need a little more frequent oil changes, and maybe special attention to spark plugs and EGR pipes/valve. Otherwise Prius will work just fine, better than any other car. Alex
@luckymascot When I search I see two Toyota dealerships nearby for you, and according to Toyota website there are Auris, Yaris, and RAV4 hybrid available as well as Prius? Interesting. How many hybrids do you see locally; which are popular?
You paid a premium for the Prius and your wife will probably never see the payback for mileage. I recommended the OP go for the most economical option which will realize benefits in his situation.
