Prius durability, decisions

+1.

Prius bottom is very low and easily scratched/dented/damaged going through the rough road and speed bump as the OP described.

 

front pads and rotors at 100K?!

 

"plus" means "in addition to". Usually the car dealer will quote a price. Then, the sales contract will show state sales tax, document fee, license fee, etc. added to the price.

Pay attention to the document fee, if that is unusually high then question it.

 

My 2006 has gone through NY road abuse for 105k miles. This includes miles put on with the 17" rims but most of the miles were with the stock wheels.

When I upgraded it to Tanabe coilovers, the stock shock absorbers and struts were still in working condition -- no leak. I felt the ride got more bumpy and I figured if I am going to change them I might as well go all the way.

I now have 118k miles and still on the original brake pads and shoes. They still have plenty of life left.

 

Any car, heck any vehicle, will fall apart in your conditions. Prius III: forget about the plastic aero shields underneath, because they will be destroyed. Suggest the cheapest used Ford Ranger or other small pickup of your choosing. Reasonable cost and fuel economy, especially if you are willing to work a 5MT for what its worth.

For once in a while careful passage, a car is fine. But you are throwing your money away for daily higher speed driving on rough roads. This from a huge Prius fan.

Just one opinion... Good luck.

 

If you are a member go to www.aaa.com to build a car & get get quotes from dealers.

 

agreed. get a beater. when you buy a prius, you'll want to baby it, wash it, vacuum it, polish it and tuck it in to bed each night.

 

I was mainly surprised by the need of rotors (not pads) at 100K. Anyone else needed rotors that early?

 

East Coast and Midwest owners who drive on salted winter roads tend to require new rotors more frequently, due to rust buildup.

 

I love my Prius, but if you are worried about cash, the Prius can be very expensive to fix if it does need service. If I was in your situation I would get a Corolla or a Honda Fit. Both get excellent gas mileage for non hybrids, are much less expensive to purchase and have low total operating costs, while having a modest carbon footprint.