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New Member: Considering a Prius, have questions.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by CK9887, Jul 27, 2016.

  1. CK9887

    CK9887 Junior Member

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    I recently sold my Toyota Tundra as I really didn't have much use for a pickup and have been considering a Prius to replace it as my daily driver. My weekend toy is a Dodge Viper. I figured the Prius would be a good bet to save on fuel as my Tundra was only averaging 15-18 mpg. I plan to take a few long trips as well throughout the year and will probably average 20K miles a year on the Prius. I do need something with the hatch style configuration as I need the space to haul supplies for work.

    So I have been looking at the 2010 + higher mileage cars. My concern is the maintenance on the higher mileage vehicles. I had also considered a Ford Focus hatch because they seem to be a bit cheaper for the same year/miles but after browsing the Focus forums, their long term reliability and quality seemed questionable.

    The two particular Prius's I have my eye on are a 2010 and 2011 model, both at 90K miles (I'm trying to stay at a $10K budget). Both are 1 owner clean carfax vehicles. Is there any reason to be concerned with a Prius at this mileage? Is it realistic to get 150K miles on the original battery?

    In all reality, I will probably keep the car for two years or so to serve my needs and put roughly another 30-40K miles on it. I'm looking for something rather bullet proof with the exception of normal fluids/maintenance of course. I'm new to the hybrid world, so when I test drive these cars, is there any thing in particular to look for or any red flags I need to be aware of when inspecting the car?

    Any help is appreciated. Thanks
     
  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    There are states (not Texas) where every Prius battery is warrantied to go 150,000 miles or 10 years. If even 5% of them failed Toyota would go under.

    If you asked if 300,000 miles was realistic I would say yes but not guarantied.

    Now in Texas there are things you can do to help the battery in the heat.
    The A/C not only cools you, it cools the battery. Do not try to tough it out and not run the A/C.
    Coming down long downhills can heat up the battery, shifting to B (for engine Braking) puts less energy into the battery, keeping it cooler.
    Try to avoid full throttle freeway entrances in the first 5 minutes of driving.
    Window shades won't hurt.
     
  3. CK9887

    CK9887 Junior Member

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    Anyone else ?
     
  4. sttkailua

    sttkailua Active Member

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    ck,

    I just turned in my old daily ride, 2009 Camry Hybrid with
    180K. No battery issues.
    Other posters have gotten 200K, and higher.
    I would buy a used 2010 with 90K miles, without any hesitation.
    I think the battery would last the 2-3 years you plan to keep it, and more.
    How is the mpg on the Viper? Must be fun to drive!
    Good luck!

    stt
     
  5. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    Remember that HEAT is your enemy on the traction battery. And we both know how HOT it gets down here. With all that said, you might get lucky and get 150K before the battery craps out, or you might not. If you are going to purchase a Prius with 90K on the clock, make sure you have at least 3K set aside for any future repairs.

    Be aware of the repair cost's on a Prius. A Prius can save you a LOT of money when it comes to gas. However a Prius can also cost you a LOT of money IF you have to make any major repairs.

    Here in Texas the warranty on the battery runs out at 8 years and or 100,000 miles on the odometer whichever comes first.

    Best of luck to you and "Welcome to Prius Chat"!
     
  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I have a 2010 with over 136 k on the clock. Put about 25 k on it a year. Same 12v battery and same HV battery pack. As both posters above referenced, if there were continuous problems with the HV batteries requiring replacement, Toyota would have a large financial issue. Excessive Heat is the enemy of batteries, but there are plenty of owners in desert climates and the problem rate still remains low.

    When test driving the prospect, treat it like any other used car test drive in terms of what you would be critical of. Hopefully there are good records to aid in your decision. If you do end up with one, there are some good quick DIY jobs you should do, to ensure you get what you expect out.

    In addition to a hatch, what else would attract you to the Prius rather than a Matrix, which could be picked up for less or more options at the same price?

    Happy hunting:)!
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you'r planning on buying a 90k car, putting 60k on it in 3 years and selling? all we can tell you is that the odds are in your favor. the great unknown is how the car was treated for the first 90k.
    you likely won't have any problems, but have to be prepared for the possibility, no matter how improbable.

    as mentioned above, the battery is the great unknown, especially if it has been parked everyday in the hot sun for the last 5 or 6 years. contact hometown hybrids in houston for some local advice, good people. all the best!(y)
     
  8. PaulD

    PaulD Member

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    I just bought a 2010 Prius three months ago. It had 90K miles on it. One thing to keep in mind is that there are quite a few maintenance items due around the 100K mark: engine and inverter coolant, probably should change the transmission fluid if you have no maintenance records. The spark plugs are due at 120K.

    Do you have a professional auto inspector in your area? I have one in my area and he's a Prius expert. His $169 fee was well worth it.
     
    Robert Holt likes this.
  9. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    We do not have good data on battery life, we have had only a very few Gen3 batt fails to date. There are some good batt replacement businesses in TX and they are active here on PriusChat.

    In TX you have standard 8-yr 100k mile warranty, so it would nice to get one below that to have some lagniappe, to use a good Louisiana word.
     
    dorunron and Eastside like this.
  10. CK9887

    CK9887 Junior Member

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    Thanks for the info...

    The Viper gets around 14-15 around town... Although, I took a short road trip in it and managed 20mpg.
    At 70mph, the car is turning about 1,300 RPM's. So it's not too bad on the highway.
     
    sttkailua likes this.
  11. ZeroTX

    ZeroTX Junior Member

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    Houstonian here.... Just bought a used 2014 for the wife and in the interest of a cooler interior, I put the darkest legal window tint possible on the front driver/passenger windows and 5% "limo" tint on all of the back. The car is a virtual greenhouse without window tinting. Go dark!
     
  12. vegan

    vegan Junior Member

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    If you can bump your budget to $12,200, there is a 2014 Prius c with 37k at Hertz car sales in Houston.
    I bought my Prius through Hertz car sales in PA.
     
  13. ZeroTX

    ZeroTX Junior Member

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    That's a great deal. Good news for used Prius buyers is that the resale value on them right now is crap. Gas is like $1.85/gallon over here.
     
  14. CK9887

    CK9887 Junior Member

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    Well, I pulled the trigger. Found what I thought to be a great deal. It's a 2010 with 90K miles, had to drive a couple hours to get it. It was at a ford dealership. Clean 1 owner carfax.

    Was able to get the dealership down to $8,400. Everything else I found was around $10k- $11k for similar year and miles, and even those were hard to find.

    Maybe you guys can help identify which trim it is. It has leather, JBL and HID's. No nav tho. Is this a Prius II or III ?

    Drove great, although the lack of power is almost scary after being used to all the sports cars I've owned. It got 48mpg on the trip home.
     
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  15. PaulD

    PaulD Member

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    If it has leather it is at least a IV. Easy way to tell if it is a V is if it has the 17" wheels.

    Do you have the auto-dimming rear view mirror with Homelink built in? That also comes with the IV.

    Don't feel bad about not having the navigation. I have it and use my phone most the time anyways so I can get real time traffic info.

    See this for great info on each package:

    2010 Prius Models and Option Packages | PriusChat
     
  16. CK9887

    CK9887 Junior Member

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    Yea I wasn't too concerned with options as I was just looking for the best deal. But it it's nice to know I've got a higher level trim... It does have the base model wheels tho.
     
  17. CK9887

    CK9887 Junior Member

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    Has homelink and heated seats.
    No sunroof, was that a stand alone option ?
     
  18. PaulD

    PaulD Member

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    Yes, sunroof is standalone, as is the technology package and navigation. Sounds like you have package IV then.
     
  19. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    Sounds like a nice Model IV, best of luck to you neighbor!
     
  20. liskipper

    liskipper Member

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    Just be aware of the repair costs - parts are very expensive. I barely tapped the car in front of me, and wound up having to total my 2010 V. It had the tech package, so the radar and emblem were damaged, along with one of the LED headlights - plus the usual bumper and hood damage. I was told that the cost for just the radar module was $2500 and the headlight was $800. Under New York State law, if the the cost to repair exceeds 75% of the value of the car, it must be totalled.