How Many Miles Should I Expect On My "05" Prius?

After 10 years I'm sick of the car and looking for a new car. You only live once enjoy getting a new car. Why drive an old beater 15 years unless your a Cheap skate. If you can afford it purchase a new car. No fun squeezing the last dime out of your old beater car. It is an embarrassment

 

No luck is required. People of modest means buy them. If they manage to get another 50K miles out of them, then it's worth the $1500 to $2000 to them to have bought them.

I've got news for you, Ed. Many cars continue to be reliable up to 300K miles and beyond. That's the point I was making with the cars.com search.

 

JAd you bought a old Prius with many miles right?

 

One more time for clarity. I'm not saying someone needs to own the same car for 15 years. Nor am I saying that I prefer old cars over new ones. What I am saying is that today's cars are more reliable and last longer than you and edthefox5 believe. A car with 200K miles is not necessarily at the end of its useful life and a money pit Someone can continue to drive it trouble free, whether the original purchaser does so because he just loves the car or the fifth or tenth owner down the road drives the wheels off. Someone will, even if you don't choose to do so.

Cheapskate is one word.

 

It was five years old when I bought it. That's not old. It had 134K miles. That's not a lot of miles these days.

 

I bought 2006 BMW in 2005 and it was a total headache. More problems than it was worth. Traded it in for new Prius in 2012. Cheapskate in my spell checker is 2 words

 

What repairs have you done?

 

What did you pay?

 

HID headlight leveling sensor - ebay used part I installed - $50.00
Inverter water pump - dealer recall- $0.00
Engine water pump - new parts I installed - $70.

Regular maintenance otherwise - I did the work.

That's it so far in 67K miles, 33 months.

 

So you have 201,000 miles and just routine maintenance on a 8 year old car?

What repairs were done by the previous owner is unknown, but assuming nothing major.

Now you can wake up tomorrow and face a number of known and well documented issues just breeze through the technical issues forum for a list, but so far luck is on your side. Congrats.

What I learned is everyone has a different tolerance for risk. I for one have no tolerance for car issues. Others can deal with it, enjoy the older car experience, and find joy in the repair and upkeep an old car.

 

Yes, I've been lucky. However, I've not had serious problems with any Japanese car I've owned so far so it's not just luck.

The previous owner, who purchased the car new, had regular maintenance performed exclusively at Toyota dealerships. Other than a couple of HID headlight bulbs, she did not have any major repairs done. She probably traded the car in for a new one when the HID leveling sensor warning light started coming on randomly.

I experienced the leveling sensor warning light four months after I bought it. That's the only reason the dreaded red triangle of death has appeared on the combination meter. It is SO annoying to look at that triangle that most people (me included) will do anything to turn it off. So I eventually replaced the sensor a year ago and haven't had a problem with it since.

 

Except buying a brand new car is generally regarded as a terrible financial decision. There is a difference between being financially responsible/savvy and being a cheapskate. Most people that squeeze more life out of beaters buy them used, so they're really not stuck with the same car for 10-15 years.

I bought my Prius with 85k miles on it and didn't even think twice. Same for my Escape Hybrid that had 136k when we bought it about a year ago. It currently has 144k and has required under $1000 worth in repairs (all common problems that should be good for at least 5 years). I bought my '97 Civic DX (manual) from my parents with 212k miles. I sold it to my aunt and uncle, who have beat the crap out of it and its still going strong. My parents have a '93 Civic LX (manual) that had about 260k miles when they bought it a few years ago. It currently has about 275k and has only needed the AC clutch fixed (I think it turned out to be a wire that had come loose).

Basically, if you can work on cars and buy reliable ones, you can save a ton of money in overall ownership costs by buying reliable 100k+ cars. In my opinion, if a car having 100k miles is a turn off to buying it, its probably a crap car (exceptions made for sporty cars).

 

I have had 2 Honda Civics over 10 years old and 250,000 Miles. They had issues but tolerable and affordable. One I gave to my daughter when it was 4 years old and she drove it through HS, College and her first job post graduation another 6years.

I'm a little older now, frankly I have no interest in driving a car to the ground. I have the $ so I tend to replace my cars sooner.

Sure buy a old car and drive it to the ground may be an option but not for everyone.

I'm sure people in Cuba driving American cars from the 50's think we are light weights.

 

I had always hoped to keep my Gen II for many years but the suspension really sucks. This is not a nice riding car.
Its more of a go kart. A really cool go kart.
Very loud rolling road noise. It's uncomfortable. Crappy struts. Poor suspension. It is what it is a grocery getter that gets awesome mileage, zero emissions and does that mission just perfectly. Engineering marvel really.
I'm not putting any money into improving the ride or handling as there is no return.

I can't imagine how loud and crappy a 200K+ mile Gen II on original struts and worn out suspension rides.
Pretty sure if I rode in your car Jadziasman I'd start laughing. But for someone who is bragging there on the same 12 volt battery for 8 years I see where your coming from. Your a cheapskate.

Life's to short.

 

The Prius is an economy car. If you want a soft ride, get a Cadillac. Every car will need work done to it, so why not choose a reliable one that also gets 50MPG? A few hundred in suspension work is a lot cheaper than a new car. I don't know about you, but I bought both my hybrids to save money, and according to my experience and the experience of others, they will (compared to their respective competitors).

 

It's you're, not your, Ed. Is life really to short? Either you merely type too quickly or you just don't give a damn about proper writing. I hope for your sake it's the former, otherwise some folks might get the impression your (sic) a little slow.

Too bad you hate your Prius. What happened? Did someone else take it for a test drive for you while you were passed out drunk in the back seat? Buyers remorse, eh? Then sell it already. Life's too short to drive a car you can't stand sitting in.

The OEM 12V battery 8 years and counting is there for another reason. You see, there are many folks who think that the aux battery lasts only three to four years. And because they believe that, they replace their batteries "preemptively". I've teased many of them and have enjoyed it immensely. I promised to stop but I have relapsed on occasion. I intend to replace the aux battery - but only when I need to.

 

Different strokes for different folks. Buying a new car from the dealer and driving it a decade is a good move. Buying a used car with faded paint and sun bleached seats and dash and driving it 5 or 6 years on a harsh ride with the risk of a inverter fail, traction battery fail, transaxle fail, master brake fail among other issues is not my cup of tea.

 

To each his own. As Rodney King once said, "can we all get along?"

 

Fox has a point. Those old Priuses have lost the soft ride experience.

 

Perhaps we all view from our own perspective.