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Noob Prius questions

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Cybergooch, Apr 30, 2017.

  1. Cybergooch

    Cybergooch Junior Member

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    Hey all,

    I'm in the market for a used car. I thought I was going to go with a Honda Fit, but saw that a dealer in my town has a 2012 Prius C Three with 54k miles in my price range.

    I've been reading comparisons, and although the Fit sounds like it may have a little more zip and cargo space, I'm liking the idea of a hybrid with that kind of MPG. I'm not too worried about the zippiness factor. For the last 20 years I've been driving a '93 Ford Econoline van, which is similar to pushing an ox. Oh, and I get about 11 mpg.

    Questions about the Prius C since I know nothing about them:
    This electric motor is charged by the engine, correct? So you don't plug it in?
    Can the battery "die" and if so, can it be replaced?

    Most of the threads I've been reading here sound like people like their cars and they're very reliable, I like that.
    Reliability and good mileage are more important to me than "sportiness" or how it looks.

    The only negatives I've seen are the blind spots.
    Speaking of which, that car I'm looking at has the screen on the console, but does that mean it also has a backup camera? I know they can be added aftermarket, but has anybody here replaced the existing screen with aftermarket to get a backup camera? (My wife's Toyota RAV4 has a backup camera, and I absolutely love them.)

    It sounds like it should be ok in the snow if I get snow tires.

    Thanks for any feedback.
     
    #1 Cybergooch, Apr 30, 2017
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  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Yes the battery is recharged by decelerating and by the engine. Coming down out of the Cascades or Blues, you may 'fill' the battery, and engine braking will replace regenerative braking. If this happens a lot for you, consider B going downhill.
    B under the D in the Drive gears? | PriusChat

    You live in a CARB state, if the car was originally sold in a CARB state and you register it in a CARB state, the battery has a 10 year/150,000 mile warranty. I have not noticed anyone with a c who had battery trouble, but the oldest are only 5 years old.
    It is very self contained, so long as you are paranoid about not being electrocuted, you and a friend could pull one from a totaled c and install it in yours in a few hours.
    The 2014 list of CARB States in the US | PriusChat
     
    #2 JimboPalmer, Apr 30, 2017
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!

    take it for a spin and let us know what you think. all the best!(y)
     
    #3 bisco, Apr 30, 2017
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  4. Moving Right Along

    Moving Right Along Senior Member

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    If you're looking at a 2012 Prius C, I'd also look at the regular 2010-2015 Prius, as that has a more powerful engine, less severe blind spots, and has a backup camera as standard equipment.

    Regarding the battery, you are correct that it is charged by the engine and by braking, so you don't need to plug it in. And if the battery dies, you can replace it, but it's quite expensive to do so (around $3000 or more for a new dealer-installed Toyota battery). But you probably won't have to do that as most Prius batteries last the operational lifespan of the car.
     
    #4 Moving Right Along, Apr 30, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2017
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  5. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    #5 jerrymildred, Apr 30, 2017
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That got me looking for the page summarizing all available older brochures, found here:

    Reliable Used Cars, Minivans, Trucks, SUVs, Crossovers & Hybrids

    Hmm, except: I select a year (2010 Prius, go figure), then not sure what to do. Nothing happening. (n)

    Struck out in FireFox. In Internet Explore it worked, after I temporarily enabled pop-ups, and tried a second time. Microsoft Edge it worked relatively seamless, still requested that I allow pop-ups, then right after brought up a second tab with the requested pdf brochure.

    A somewhat clunky site.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Apr 30, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2017
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  7. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Same thing in Safari. I had to uncheck the "block popups" in my settings and then refresh the page. Then I got the brochure. Thanks for the link, Mendel.
     
    #7 jerrymildred, May 1, 2017
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  8. Cybergooch

    Cybergooch Junior Member

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    Thanks for the replies!

    One thing I forgot to ask about is towing the vehicle. If I were to tow a Prius behind a U-Haul truck, can it be on the ground, or would it have to be on a trailer?
     
    #8 Cybergooch, May 1, 2017
  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Trailer or else front wheels on a dolly so you keep them off the ground. It's not possible for a Prius to be left in neutral while powered off. We have friends who dolly their Nissan Altima behind their motor home every years as they migrate between PA & FL. I'd suggest the same for a Prius. But be careful with that low front end with the dolly. Even their Altima scrapes going onto & off the dolly.
     
    #9 jerrymildred, May 1, 2017
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  10. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Toyota specifies Flatbed towing.
     
    #10 JimboPalmer, May 1, 2017
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  11. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    That would be preferable since that way there's no wear on the rear tires or bearings. But I believe the main objective is to get the front wheels up and not spinning, isn't it?

    Also, the truck is more secure and there's no need to install a harness for signals and brake/tail lights.
     
    #11 jerrymildred, May 1, 2017
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  12. skayaks

    skayaks Active Member

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    Welcome aboard! (If you find the Prius that's right for you.)
    Still love my C (after 3.5 years), but it's a big leap from an Econoline. If you haven't owned a wee car you'll want to drive it twice, or thrice.
    I like the seats but that isn't a universal opinion. (I added a cheap mesh lumbar support.)
    Rear blind spots aren't a problem with properly adjusted mirrors. I gather you're referring to the A pillars which do require a good deal of bobble-heading. (Oh, I also pulled the rear headrests out.)
    Can't help with a back-up camera but there are several threads in the C forums.
    I have no trouble in snow with Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires, but keep the low ground clearance in mind.
    Good luck.
     
    #12 skayaks, May 1, 2017
  13. Cybergooch

    Cybergooch Junior Member

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    Woohoo! Thanks to all the replies here, it helped quite a bit.

    I am now the proud owner of a 2012 Prius C Three. Have been driving it around and I love it.
    I'm sure I'll have more questions, and will be going through other threads here.

    Now I have to figure out what all those buttons do. 8)

    2012 C Three.jpg
     
    #13 Cybergooch, May 6, 2017
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  14. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Buttons are old hat now. I've been using zips for years! :ROFLMAO:
     
    #14 RCO, May 6, 2017
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  15. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    #15 Prodigyplace, May 6, 2017
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