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Current Gen 2 owner will be test driving a 2012 liftback Two - what should I be on the look out for?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by jadziasman, Jan 21, 2014.

  1. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    I'm going to test drive a 2012 liftback Two this Saturday. This the first time I've looked at a Gen 3. This particular car is priced aggressively, which concerns me a little. It has a little over 40K miles, which is a lot for a 2 year old car and might be why the stealership has priced it that way.

    I have driven my 05 Prius 24K miles a year for the past 3 years with no trouble other than needing to replace the ICE water pump (DIY repair) and the HV inverter water pump (extended warranty). The 05 has 214K miles on it.

    Our teenage daughter will be learning to drive this coming summer. I want (but don't need) a newer car. My plan is to alternate driving the Prii (05 M,W,F - 12 Sun, T, Th, Sat) until my daughter gets her driver's license. I also plan to drive the 12 exclusively for long distance trips (200+ miles one way). I haven't had any breakdowns with the 05 on numerous long distance jaunts so far but there's always a first time. The traction battery in the 05 is original.

    The 05 is still a very nice ride and I think it's a darn nice first car for a kid. My first car was a 1967 American Motors Ambassador station wagon that I had to share with my brother.

    Other than the obvious things (tire wear, alignment, unusual noises, interior condition, etc) what should I be paying particular attention to when test driving it and looking at it? How much different is the driving experience compared to the Gen 2?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think it's exactly the same. gauges are a bit different so you need to familiarize yourself before beginning a test drive. you have to reset either trip a or b so you can see your total average mpg for your drive. i can't really think of anything major. all the best!(y)
     
  3. HaroldW

    HaroldW Active Member

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    Keep it in eco mode. You will like the gen 3. I have a gen 2 ,2006 and a gen 3. 2014. I find the gen3 to be a very solid drive and I actually prefer it over the gen2. :)h