2007 Prius is it worth it?

Me too. I have a 2012 Prius Plug in with around 240k zero problems. Actually wasn't getting much use so I rented it to a Uber driver so he can rack up miles. Hoping he can get to 300k within 6 months lol. I think it will go to 500k personally.

I currently have 4 priuses (2007 w/ 190k....2007 w/ 170k.......2008 w/ 190k......2012 w/ 240k)....None have a single issue. Well one 2007 will burn a quart between changes.

To be honest if you take a 30k mile "almost new car" and put it up against anyone of my priuses on a cross country trip....The brand new car will break down first lol.

 

That is a good point. So it is pretty good for a front wheel drive car. Nothing like a 4x4 though.

However, with snow tires it does perform like a 4x4. You can go very fast in blizzard-like conditions.

One winter we had a really bad snow day I recall trucks and cars being very cautious on the freeway...Meanwhile the traction was so strong I would have been very comfortable going 75-80mph ....maybe even 100 if I had the freeway all to myself with no other vehicles in the way.

To OP I hope you buy it. At the very least I hope you went and test drove it with you and your daughter. They are the best high mileage car money can buy. As someone else stated ignore the negative people and enjoy.

 

Being a "salt belt car" in what is described as good condition, that might be on the higher end of private party value (Check the NADA price guide and go off that).

They are no different than any other compact FWD car in the snow, decent and snow tires make them good. They are very safe, reliable and inexpensive to repair, especially given their complexity with the hybrid system and all. A new HV battery will be ~$2k installed, if it ever needs one. Get a CarFax report and NADA "clean trade" value before you make an offer and do not pay more than that value.

The carfax will likely indicate if the HV battery was replaced, at this age and time it likely has and it ONLY adds value if done at a dealer.

 

No your right my bad they never fail.

 

Must be nice to make things up and pass them off as true facts.

"Bad hybrid battery is #1 post on this site" LOL any proof or just made it up?

 

Yes.
The Hybrid Battery is within a range of chronological age, and usage that it "could" fail.
If you aren't willing to deal with the cost, time and trouble that potential failure would represent-pass.

Also, IMO the Prius is not a good Snow/Ice winter vehicle.

If that is a priority, I'd get something else.

 

Ed is being sarcastic.

Bad HV Battery is very common. Search “P0A80,” in Gen2 Care, Maintenance, Troubleshooting.
Click the postings to see when the persons HV Battery failed. You will see quite a few postings of people who do not get to 250K miles. Remember, the HV Battery is warranted for 8yr/100K miles or 10yr/150K miles by design. Toyota knows the longevity and wants to maximize the consumer warranty w/in reason, to get sales, while minimizing their liability: not too long of a warranty, increasing their liability exposure, but not too little of warranty, scarring custokers away. Many owners will not experience a warrantable failure, which would cost Toyota money.

I forget what the high voltage DTC is, but that too results in many failures after the warranty period yrs/mileage.

Bad HV Battery is a COMMON failure. Why do you think there is a cottage industry of module replacers and “rebuilders.” If the HV Battery lasted as long as you believe, there would NOT be so many moulde swappers/rebuilders.

There are exceptions to the rule, but the rule still stands.

Rule: Most people will experience a HV battery failure a sometime after warranty expires, and most people will not get high mileage on the original HV Battery.
Exception: Some people will, but many will not.

A broken clock is correct twice a day, but it is still broken.​

 

I believe someone looked at actual data from this forum and said it is around 1/20. Which is 5%...Which is very low and uncommon.

I'm sure there are thousands of threads on bad hybrid batteries. But, far more often than not you will not experience this failure during whatever your ownership is. Most of the 200k and 300k and up posters are like, "Yep, still on original battery".

And again, this isn't a scientific study but I frequent the forum very often and stand by my statement that it is rare to see a post about battery failure...Maybe it is 2x a week maybe it is 1x a week. It still is not often in the grand scheme of things.

Ed was being sarcastic when he said, "No your right my bad they never fail."

Ed was lying, being 100% serious, and making up facts when he said, "What are you on? Bad hybrid battery is #1 post on this site"

In my opinion it is so uncommon and so rare that it is basically a myth.

It is not true, in fact it is the complete opposite, that these cars are "such lemons....such ticking time bombs that are so poorly designed that the hybrid battery will always fail at any given second"...yet sadly, many people are misinformed and believe that is the case.

So unfortunately, due to people like Ed an entire population has been brainwashed into thinking that the gen 2 Prius is such a lemon, such a disastrous choice for a used car, such a poorly designed pile of crap prone to immediate battery failure no matter what the miles are. That there are people that will *never* buy one because they have been brainwashed into this type of thinking.

A common issue is oil burning.

An uncommon issue is bad hybrid battery.

 

Respectfully, I think you have that backwards. Be that or not, if you run a G2 long enough, you WILL GET BOTH.

 

The Prius works fine in snow as long as you have studded snow tires all around. I was skeptical because of the battery being over the non driving wheels, but turns out it drives fine. I drive 36 miles to the local ski area many times each year gaining 5,000' of elevation leaving out of Hood River, Or. My Prius is my ski car while my two 4X4's sit in my garage.

 

For a little.more you could just buy a nice newer used Prius. Your going from 40-50mpg and the most reliable car made to 20+mpg and a less reliable make. I love Subaru they are nice.. and if your going in snow.. that makes it different. But I'd get another Prius.
Mine is an 08 with 260k. I dirve it 1,000 miles a week.
But I'm not a young helpless teenager either.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

agreed.

my daughter will need to drive in all weather, that's the only reason for the suburu. she would love another prius, and the prices are similar
fortunately, impreza mileage is pretty good, but she will miss 50mpg.