How does the Prius hold up?

I am not seeing this in this newsgroup. Those that are reporting numbers are reporting longer term numbers than 'per trip'. Tomes

no, they performed well in the IIHS crash tests.

and unbelievably roomy for a smaller car. and mine is holding up just fine - but at 33000 miles so far. in a nutshell: i like this car better than any i've ever owned - including a variety of VWs and nissans.

bob

that bladder is grossly off frequently, isn't it. at least that's what i found so far.

bob

First are the mechanical basics:

1) tires as close to maximum sidewall as the roads and your comfort permits 2) oil about 1/2 to 3/4 between fill mark and full mark 3) tire alignment, the rear wheels can have reduced toe and camber by using shims

Next we need to look at your commuting route. The general rule is:

1) first 1.5-2 miles warm-up at ~25 maximum speed 2) middle "n" miles either 38 mph and slower or 45 mph up to 65 mph 3) last 1.5-2 miles cool-down at ~30 mph to maximize EV into parking lot

If you can post some addresses that Google MAP will show the route, we can perhaps offer some suggestions.

GOOD LUCK! Bob Wilson

I gotcha on that one. My ride of that era was a 1963 Fiat 600D (and that was my SECOND Fiat, Ghod help me!)

Just to clarify, you kept both on the road, so you could ensure that on most occasions at least one was operational, not being overhauled at Tony's....

Ah, the Fiat. I loved my 1981 Fiat Strata. It was the greatest beater vehicle, and was the most awesome car to drive in the snow. My old roommate couldnt believe how it worked, as good as his mid '80s era Toyota pickup. Rust took it over in the end though.

That's strange that it is deleted from Euro cars. The minivans in the USA dont have power folding mirrors like in the UK. (not that we really need them, but Europe has them.)

I am willing to help with that too as I am somewhat familiar with Doug's area. Tomes

Hmm...yeah...ya know what? I think I'll be satisfied with what I'm getting. No more complaints from me--life's too short to be dealing with that kind of detail. It's only a car.

Thanks for the information.

- Doug

Nearly. I couldn't find anyone to fix that first one (no Fiat dealer, I think). At one point, it was using (actually, leaking) a pint of oil a day.

The second one was actually in very good condition when I bought it. The one thing that happened that I had trouble with was when one of the two fan belts broke, meaning I had no water pump. I had to have it towed in. I used to have to climb a hill on the way to my house; it could maintain 40 mpg going up that grade. As soon as it started making me shife to third to do that grad, I would take it in for a tune-up.

You get to think of 1200 cc Volkswagens at large, powerful cars.

My third 600 was a 1971 Honda coupe. I could red line it, at 6500, in all 4 gears (it was doing about 74 in 4th), even when it blew an exhaust valve.

OK good luck with it all.

>

• That might account for the fact the the Prius has the highest owner satisfaction rating of any car on the road.

earle ('05 Prius -- about 63,000 miles -- 49.6 MPG long term.)

I bought my '04 in mid-October '03, the month it was released to the U.S. market. It had every possible feature, and once aftermarket leather was added I had about $28k in it. When CA's HOV stickers were released, I was first in line - that's a great luxury.

It's now almost five years later. There's a bit less than 55k miles on the car. Absolutely nothing has broken. It's garaged at home and at work, so the finish looks new. The interior also looks new. The engine compartment looks new. Lifetime mileage is probably 43.

Two months ago, an acquaintance (who drives far more than I do and really NEEDS those HOV stickers!) offered $23k. It wasn't for sale, and won't be until those HOV stickers expire in 2011. But that "crazy" offer sent me looking at traderonline and Craigslist for my local area, where I found that $22k is about right!

So I've driven the car for four years eight months and it's depreciated only 5/28, or less than 18%, of its original cost (ignoring tax).

The 55k miles burned almost 1300 gallons. At today's $4 per gallon, that's $5200. My wife's Subaru gets 22mpg, which would have cost more than $10k in fuel for the same period (at today's prices). In that sense, my fuel savings is paying for depreciation.

The car is statistically the most reliable on the road. But if a problem arises there is still 45k miles on the overall warranty, and 95k miles on the hybrid system warranty.

SO... satisfaction? Emphatically, yes!

Ike

Update: I guess the satisfaction rubs off on others - We just got a second one (black), which was the only model my son wanted and richly deserves for graduating as salutatorian (and getting a boatload of other awards) in high school. I originally wanted to get him a used one, but the prices were ridiculously high (never mind for those w/ carpool stickers) that it made more sense to get one brand new, even with the dealer markup due to increased demand.

I can still remember some people from the lumbering SUV crowd snickering "don't feel so smart now, huh?" when gas prices were going down after I bought mine in '06. I don't think they'll be doing any of that any time soon...

And if anybody tells you about the hybrid "premium" and how long it will take you to "break even", keep this in mind: it's not fair to look at it that way because other cars are not judged by this criterion. You don't see a Mercedes buyer thinking about how long he/ she would have to drive the car before getting the same ROI as if he/ she had gotten a Corolla. In the end, it's about what you like and what works for you, what you think is the best and most environmentally responsible choice in exchange for your hard earned money.

Very well put!

When people ask me about the mileage it gets, then start asking about what I paid, and I can see them trying to do the math, I point out to them that shouldn't be the only criteria for buying one. It's about less pollution, and less use of a dwindling resource.

Of course, that often results in a follow-up question along the lines of "So you think it's worth the sacrifice?" I try to explain that there's no 'sacrifice' involved, though it's obvious that concept is lost on many people.

When I was shopping for a Prius back in January, online prices were all around $23K for a brand new 2008 with package #2. My dad views car shopping as a hobby, while I view it as less enjoyable than root canal (I have done both). So I sent my dad over to his local Toyota dealer and I told him about the online prices I was seeing and I asked him to see if he could do better. Thanks to my dad, I ended up with a brand new Prius for $22K + tax and miscellaneous fees. I considered a used Pruis, but a 2006 with 25K miles on it was only $800 cheaper at the dealer near me, so I went with a brand new car.

My best friend is a big audio fan. He has $4,000 worth of high end audio gear in his car, but its starting to show its age so he's thinking of selling it. He's been a passenger in my Prius many times. Now, my buddy wants to buy a Prius. Why? Not for the environmental friendliness of the Prius. Not for the fuel economy. He loves the Prius because its so quiet. He says he can get better audio sound quality out of it due to its quiet ride. Go figure!

Excellent points, but what I tell people is that, for me back in 2004, it come down to a choice between a Prius and a Camry. Comparably equipped, the two were just about the same price.