first post - I actually drive a Scion but I'm thinking of going with a Prius at some point in the next year. One of my co-workers loves her Prius and, while I like my Scion, it's got me curious. I decided to check out these forums to see if I could get a better feel for Prius models before I hit the lots. Nice to meet you!
Welcome! I see you listed 2008 Prius in your profile. Are you considering new or used? 2008 would be a Generation 2 Prius. The current 2016 & 2016 are Generation 4. There are also a smaller Prius c for city driving, a Prius v station wagon type. For new. there is the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. For used there are also some plugin Prius to be considered. Sorry for the complex summary. Additional information can help us help you.
All Prius are very reliable cars for their age, with few major issues. However, if it does have a problem, few trained mechanics can actually repair one, so they tend to swap entire components instead. This makes repairs expensive; if you want a frugal, reliable car and can afford $5000 if you get the rare problem, a used Prius can make sense. Unless you wish to experiments and do repairs on your own, I would not suggest a Gen 1 Prius, (2001 to 2003) they are starting to show their age. The Gen 2 Prius (2004 to 2009) is still a very reliable car, I have no worries about them. Gen 3 Prius are so mainstream you might not even know it is a hybrid. We get lots of folks 'riceing' them who are apparently unaware that left stock they get good gas mileage. (2010 to 2015) The new Gen 4 Prius, 2016+ are nimble cars that do not require you to know they are hybrids at all. In 2012, Toyota introduced the Prius v station wagon to the US, the drive train is the same as the Gen3. MPG is near 10 less that the Gen 3. Also in 2012 They introduced a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle version with Gen 3 drive train but a larger battery. There is a new version based on the Gen 4 called the Prime. In late 2012, a really busy year, Toyota introduced the c city car. It is a smaller subcompact that, at the time, got very similar gas mileage to the Gen 3. The Gen 4 does better. If I had to guess, there will be a new v of some sort next year, and a new c of some sort in 2019, but that is speculation.
Yeah, I put 2008 Prius because that's what my co-worker drives LOL I guess for me, the main quality I want in a car is reliability. I'm pretty good about keeping up on maintenance. I didn't realize that the repairs were so expensive but I can handle the odd $500 repair if they're spaced out.
Welcome aboard. I am new too. I wanted fuel economy, and something quieter than a GT 500. I have found a car that is intelligent and fights for every drop of fuel. My advice is to glean all you can here, and to ask questions. Nothing ventured; nothing gained.
Thanks! Fuel economy is pretty important to me too. In its prime, my Scion did about 36 miles/gallon which was great for me so something comparable would be nice.
If you are type of person who knows how to manage and be ready to pay out of you pocket some day once warranty is gone...This type of car will definitely help you make your expenses lower than what you have before.....
That's excellent news. Yeah, I'm actually just coming out of a divorce so finances got a bit rocky but, other than that, I've always been pretty good about balancing finances, have a steady job, etc.
Repair costs seem to be ramping up like global warming; there's a number of component failures that can near-total the car. The brake booster I think is around $3000. Similar costs for the AC system. The inverter (major hybrid system component), the hybrid battery, the transaxle: they're all very expensive to replace. A lost key fob: $300~400. Both key fobs lost: more than just double, more complexity to resolve. The instruments on the dash, Multi-Function-Display, all very pricey.
This is all great info - definitely good to know what I'm getting into. I like to keep my savings secure in case I lose a job or end up in the hospital, etc. I guess that will probably come in handy with a Prius.
If I remember, consumer reports has the Prius as one of the very lowest *total* costs of ownership. That's reflected by few if any threads here about repairs. (Welll....old-bies, correct me if I'm wrong). A bonus is the threads on cool reasons to own a prius, like easy to camp in one, etc. If you test or buy one, try power mode. Much better acceleration, and it doesn't cost more gas.
I will disagree with you once you have old car and this thing's do really need to be replaced...there will be a lot of used parts for fraction of new to keep you happy and going..... Or you can buy salvaged car on auction and tear apart and keep all parts on stock and sell some to recover investment.... 2 old cars i have i have all parts from salvaged cars i bought on auction Question is are you a person that love to stay with car for 10-20 year's or you are person that want to be whenever possibly in new
Not Not to derail the thread here...but power mode lets the car drive with similar acceleration to a regular gas car, but I've read enough threads to know that one person will find better gas mileage that easy, the next, slightly worse. I think it had to do with spending less time at 0-15 mph, where gas mileage stinks. But then someone else will drive 80 mph mp, or have lots of hills and get worse gas mileage. I don't think power mode has much effect. In any case, fwiw, differences of 5-10 mpg only cost like $140/year max (or $0), so it's like a dime per mile max. Or $0 (imo). I stayed a big thread on that $140 isuue, fwiw !
Power mode just alters the accelerator curve to make it easier to push the engine past its most efficient range. Also makes the engine spend a bit less time shut off. In Normal mode you get the exact same power when you stomp on the pedal though, so I don't see much reason to bother with Power mode. Just makes the engine harder to control in the mid range, IMO. More acceleration only uses more fuel if you push the car into the high part of the power band. I've gotten pretty good at nailing it to just below the max end of the Eco zone and leaving it there until I hit my target speed. Isn't a problem as far as feeling slow, and my fuel consumption is excellent. I'd say the issue with the repairs is kind of like this. If a typical car costs $1000 a year to repair, the Prius is more likely to be a single $3000 repair every four years. Their total cost is low because they're built well (there's a reason so many taxi fleets are buying them these days), but any given repair is likely to cost more.
