1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Is anyone else planning to keep their Prius much longer than usual?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by bullet875, May 1, 2013.

  1. -1-

    -1- Don

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2013
    1,247
    434
    8
    Location:
    Chester, Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    :)Who knows? Ironic, we sold our 1997 Toyota Tacoma pickup today to family (107,000 miles). Purchased used in March 1999. Sixteen years is the longest we ever had a vehicle. I leased my 2011 Lexus IS with the idea that as I got older, I wanted more new cars, so a three year lease was my best option. Times goes by so quick, so I figure about three years on my Prius (purchase, no lease). Still want a variety of vehicles between now and my demise.
     
    PLSPUSH and JMD like this.
  2. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I like my Prius. I only had it 9 months. I take it one day at a time.
     
  3. SalixIncendium

    SalixIncendium Tree Hugging Environmentalist Wacko

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2013
    155
    68
    0
    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    As much as I'd like to keep my Prius, I average about 40k miles or so a year, so it's really not lucrative for me to keep a car for more than 2 years.

    I only had my Corolla a year and a half before I traded it in on the Prius.

    That said, I don't see any reason I wouldn't end up with a 2015 Prius.
     
    JMD likes this.
  4. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    4,319
    1,527
    0
    Location:
    Tampa Bay
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
    You can use it only for as long as it lasts. The more appropriate question is what can you do to maximize the likelihood it will make it that long. Good question for a knowledgable taxi driver.
     
  5. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    I know I'll be keeping it at least 4 1/2 more years, since I'm paying 0% on the loan. What's the hurry. :D
     
    FriarNurgle likes this.
  6. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2012
    1,391
    543
    0
    Location:
    Santa Monica, Ca. 90405
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Trying to baby a Prius long past it's expected useful life (180K)-that's Toyota's figure, hold no allure for me, as a young man I had to deal with high mileage old cars, now I don't have to, so my 11 Prius will be gone soon to be replaced by a 4 or 5 13 Prius or a Camry XLE hybrid.
     
  7. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    How you figure, resale value better ? Not a challenge just curious.
     
  8. bullet875

    bullet875 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2009
    58
    7
    0
    Location:
    NJ Shore
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    That's the only thing I worry abut....residual value. I put 20-25K miles on my car per year and I don't want to get hosed when I trade her in. I figure, if I keep it forever, then I don't have to worry about the value and I can save for another when I'm done paying this one off.
     
    JMD likes this.
  9. Feri

    Feri Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2011
    761
    144
    0
    Location:
    Maldon Victoria Australia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Possibly the last car I will buy unless we get unexpectedly rich.
     
  10. Feri

    Feri Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2011
    761
    144
    0
    Location:
    Maldon Victoria Australia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Yeah! Alternative ones too.
     
  11. car compulsive

    car compulsive Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2011
    741
    274
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I usually get the itch to replace a car after about 18 months. So far, after 20 months and 29K miles with my '12 Prius, no itch. It's proven to be very reliable and practical for my needs. Last night I picked up a nice $10 bike at a garage sale for my fiancee. No problem getting it in the Prius.
     
  12. SalixIncendium

    SalixIncendium Tree Hugging Environmentalist Wacko

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2013
    155
    68
    0
    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Yes. In my experience, while used car price guides contend that there's only roughly $1500 difference between model years with an additional 40k added, dealers will lowball on a trade-in offer with a car in excess of 120k miles. I find that once you get into the six figure mileage, trade-in offers fall off significantly. Once I get up to around 75k, I start looking for a new car.
     
  13. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2010
    3,961
    2,609
    0
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    You are a good man.
     
  14. DumbMike

    DumbMike Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2010
    560
    119
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I hope to have my 2010 Prius for 10 years. That was my goal when I first purchased it because of the so called "hybrid premium" and that it would take 8-10 years to make up for that extra price in gas savings. I have a feeling that a number of things will happen within those 10 years, most of which has already been addressed in this thread, mainly new technology. But I also think that in those 10 years, the price to fix the Prius will also go down (inflation notwithstanding) because I think the battery will be much cheaper and there will be many millions of the Prius on the road (needing repairs). The problem will be if I start to get nickel and dimed with repairs here and there, to the point where a new or newer car is more reasonable.

    Mike
     
  15. llgeisz

    llgeisz Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2005
    13
    7
    0
    Location:
    Sun City AZ
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    We kept our last 2004 until last month when we bought a Black Cherry Pearl Persona edition... Our 04 only had around 69 k on it so this one should last at least that long...
     
    wjtracy likes this.
  16. ewxlt66

    ewxlt66 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2008
    535
    186
    0
    Location:
    Dana Point, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    We'll keep our GenII and GenIII until the cost of keeping them on the road is cost prohibitive.

    I'm hoping for 250k plus.
     
  17. goliath1812

    goliath1812 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2013
    90
    32
    0
    Location:
    Florida, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
    I just bought my 2010 with 86,000 miles on it. I plan to keep until at least 200,000....hopefully longer!
     
  18. cosgrove

    cosgrove Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2012
    44
    10
    0
    Location:
    Los Alamos, NM
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    We generally keep our cars until the wheels fall off, i.e., the repair costs are greater than new car payments. Our current recordholder is a 1993 Mercury Cougar, 297,000 miles before it blew a head gasket (it also needed shocks, springs, tires, transmission, differential, just too much to justify). We are tickled pink with our 2010 Gen III Prius 5, and plan on keeping it until something supercostly breaks down. We're currently putting on about 25K miles/year, so hopefully we'll have it for about 10 years.
     
  19. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Cosgrove, it is not in the maintenance manual, but you might consider doing a drain and fill of the ATF WS at 30,000 miles, then every 60,000 miles.
     
  20. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,309
    3,586
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    ...this is a strong endorsement. You have been a member since 2005 and have only averaged about 1/2-post per year! This is an apparent testament to Prius reliability. Good luck with the new Prius!

    We will normally keep a car like this 2006 for 10-yrs or more. We're at 120k miles already, but looks like are settling into a lower miles per year life style. Shorter trips not as good for MPG, but 200k miles on the odometer looks like at least 5-yrs away.