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100,000 mile 2006 modified plug in Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by TheForce, Feb 4, 2019.

  1. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    I just put 100,000 miles on my 2006 Prius today 2019-02-04.

    Its been a while since I've posted here. I've been busy with other things over the years plus several new Prius have been released. Anyway I thought I would give a quick update on my Prius.

    I have spent about $3,600 on gas for this car since I first got it back in 2006. I did not keep track of electric usage but I estimate about $70 per year for electric use.

    I have not had any major issues but I have had a few minor ones. I'll try to remember them all and list them.

    Stock Prius issues...
    1. Had to replace the coolant pump last year.
    2. The MFD went out and I have not had the time or the money too replace it. I can still control the basics of the AC from the steering wheel.


    Plug in Hymotion issues...
    1. The battery does not charge fast anymore. I have not had the time to take it apart and see what I need to replace. I'm guessing just the charger but I don't think I will ever get around to it.


    Other...
    1. My in dash computer went out several years ago. Was planning on installing a new one but other things kept coming up that had higher priority for money.
    2. Wet Okole seat covers are in bad shape from ware and tear.
    3. The really nice all weather official Prius mats are falling apart. The mats they had before the recall.
    4. General dings and scrapes.

    Normal maintenance...
    1. Replaced the 12v battery twice.
    2. Replaced the tires once.
    3. Replaced the HID lights once.
    4. Changed oil every 10,000 miles.

    Other than that its just been a normal 2006 plug in Prius. The stock battery is still just fine. The Hymotion battery still gets about 20 miles on a charge.

    After spending 100,000 miles with this car I can say that I love having it. But I really would like to have the new plug in Prius. I'm working on getting out of debt and as soon as I do I plan on getting 1 of 3 cars. A Tesla of some kind, a Nissan Leaf, or a new plug in Prius. I wont be buying a normal gas car of any kind. This 2006 Prius was the first car I bought and I hate to see it go but its getting old and its time for a change. Hopefully I can find someone to buy it when I'm ready to sell. Hopefully to someone that take it for what it is.

    If you have any questions feel free to ask. I'm sure I forgot about some stuff since I'm quickly writing this up but I will post any updates if I forgot anything.
     
    kens97uber171 and Raytheeagle like this.
  2. kens97uber171

    kens97uber171 Active Member

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    Interesting vehicle, and the mods you've done to it are certainly not common as far as the plug in option.
    You also don't drive very much so when you decide on a replacement car that leaves you pretty open. But you also want to keep in mind that you might not always be in the circumstance where you don't drive very much.
    The older Nissan leafs have about a hundred mile range, would certainly fit your daily needs now.. but maybe not in the future.

    As for the plug-in hybrid side there are lots of choices, obviously the Prius is one. I believe the plug-in version gets 26 EV range.
    Kia Niro offers a plug-in version with about the same amount of range, I believe the Hyundai ioniq with shares the same driveline is available as a plug-in also.

    There are also lots of other pure electrics coming this year from the Koreans, Kia Soul Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai ioniq,
    The first three I believe have a 230 - 250 mile range.

    A Tesla is obviously a premium choice however at a premium price. You kind of have to decide what's your goal here is saving money, saving the world, driving enjoyment, fun to drive, or some balance of that. Etc.

    I've run the numbers using my Prius as a baseline for costs to operate, compared to a Tesla Model 3, I use 40 MPG as a baseline and factory in all other maintenance costs, which I take care of myself since they are easy.
    Take a new Prius $30k which gets even better mileage, to a brand new Tesla Model 3 long range $51k
    If I charged it home everyday and drove the 50,000 miles that I do , charging at home, it would take me 7 years to break even on the difference in price between the two cars.
    That's not really a good break even point. Odds are you would end up selling one car or the other before you even get to that point. And that's factoring 50,000 miles per year. If you drive less than that, which you obviously do your break-even point is going to be far longer than that.

    the other option is to just keep your Prius, obviously there are going to be things that go wrong but I can guarantee you that those maintenance cost will be far lower than what you spend on a new car.

    I currently drive a 2008 Prius with 270,000 on it. I drove 55000 miles THIS year, I bought the car used with about 200k on it.
    Car still gives me 45 to 47 MPG average, cost me $.07/mile to operate it. All maintenance and fuel and tired included.

    I'm a little curious on your plug in Prius how fast it can go in electric mode, my understanding is that the Prius really can't go much faster than 35 miles per hour. And the factory Prius certainly can only do that under extreme circumstances with very very light throttle input.

    Hope some of the info I gave helps...

    Ken


    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  3. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    I dont like the whole break even thing. I get the car I like. Dont care if its cheaper than car X in the long run.

    A used Leaf would be perfect for me 99% of the time and I'm still thinking about getting one since used ones are usually cheap. Range is not an issue for me. If I keep the Prius thats fine but if I get rid of it I still have a 2001 Insight.

    Forced EV only mode on the 2006 Prius is limited to 34mph and about 100 amps. If your in full hybrid mode you can do electric only up to 41mph but your limited on amps.
     
  4. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    Used older leafs have more like a 40-65 mile range in the real world as the batteries degrade rapidly.
    2013+ are a little better, 30kwhr models are worse.

    I would keep it in mind that at 13 years a Leaf May only have 25-35% of its original range depending on climate

    If this is a non issue get an imiev, they are more efficient and have fewer battery issues

    Good Luck
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats man, miss you around here!(y)
     
  6. kens97uber171

    kens97uber171 Active Member

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    Unless you have an unlimited budget, the break-even thing is kind of important to consider. At least for most people unless you're going to pay cash for it...
    I only pointed it out because there are some other vehicles besides the Tesla which would certainly meet your needs and cost half as much to purchase.
    I figure you were being budget-minded since you're still driving around in a 2006 Prius with basically NO miles on it. Lolz
    I mean you put a 100k miles in 12 years and I put 55k miles on mine and one year.. lolz.
    as I mentioned you might wait and see with the Koreans bring to the market this year. They're all going to be long range and relatively affordable.
    as other people mentioned on the Nissan leaf you really want to go with a newer one if possible, some of the older ones have serious battery degradation issues..
    Good luck finding the car that you like and that works for you, that can be a lot of fun researching the various makes and models.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.