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Questions about 4th gen Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by pythonidler, Jun 29, 2020.

  1. pythonidler

    pythonidler New Member

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    Bellevue, WA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi all,

    I'm in the market for a new car, and I was wondering how you guys like your 4th gen Prius. Specifically, I'd like to know:
    1. What's the mileage on your Prius?
    2. What's your average mpg, and do you do more city driving, highway driving, or a mix of both?
    3. Have you run into any major issues yet (e.g., engine, electric motor, transmission, battery)?
    4. Have you had to replace your battery yet, and if so what mileage did you replace it at and how much did it cost to replace?
    5. What other non-preventive maintenance have you had to do?
    6. Overall, how satisfied are you with your Prius?
    7. Other thoughts?
    This will really help me with my research. Thanks!
     
  2. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
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    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    1. 57000 kilometres
    2. 4.15 litres per 100km overall. about 60% motorway
    3. A couple of minor recalls, and a brake-light switch, replaced under warranty
    4. Which battery - there are 2. My 12 volt is 4yrs old yesterday, still going fine. The Hybrid battery has up to a 10 year Unlimited Kilometre warranty - so it's TOYOTA's worry till then. I haven't heard of any Gen 4 Hybrid batteries being replaced - and very few 12 volt.
    5. Just LogBook services.
    6. Great car, roomy boot and back-seat, good visibility, easy to drive. I think the driver's seat is only "ordinary" - better than some, not as good as others. Foot park-brake is awful, but I rarely use it - the car puts itself into PARK when POWER is turned off - and unless I'm on a hill, that's all I do.
    7. PRIUS has has top-marks from various agencies for reliability as well as owner satisfaction - for many years now.
     
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  3. Mambo Dave

    Mambo Dave Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    33312
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    L Eco
    1. 10,500 miles
    2. I'm averaging 49.5 to 50.5 MPG when using Fuelly app to track fuel used.
    3. It didn't come with a spare tire. I sourced a full sized spare wheel, then bought a made-in-Indonesia new tire for it. This is, really, a major issue as many cities are having pandemic AND protests right now. There is no sense in relying on Toyota roadside service - or any roadside service - right now.
    4. I've driven a very old 318,000 mile Prius that was reportedly still on its original battery. Battery change-outs are over-rated scare tactics.
    5. Spare tire, sound deadening
    6. As a commuting drivetrain, very satisfied. As an entire package, less so, but not enough to skip the Japanese-manufactured drivetrain advantages to buy a better sorted out car (interior-wise).
    7. source a spare wheel and tire.
     
    #3 Mambo Dave, Jun 30, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
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  4. sclevine

    sclevine Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
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    Location:
    Northeast Florida, USA
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    Hi - love my 2017 Prius 4. Purchased Dec 2016.
    1. What's the mileage on your Prius? - 129,000
    2. What's your average mpg, and do you do more city driving, highway driving, or a mix of both? - lifetime average is 55.9 according to Fuelly. First 3 years had car in New York City. Cold winter really hurt the mileage. Lots of city driving those years. But also many long 1000+ mile road trips, which also hurts the mileage the faster you go. Also I feel like my mileage has dropped a little since replacing the tires at 70,000. I went with Ecopia
    3. Have you run into any major issues yet (e.g., engine, electric motor, transmission, battery)? No major issues. I have 2 door locks that sometimes stop responding to automatic lock/unlock so probably will have to replace those some day.
    4. Have you had to replace your battery yet, and if so what mileage did you replace it at and how much did it cost to replace? No
    5. What other non-preventive maintenance have you had to do? None. Regular maintenance way less expensive than my prior cars VW Jetta TDI (the diesel one), Hyundai Sonata (terrible car)
    6. Overall, how satisfied are you with your Prius? Very very very satisfied, especially when looking at the mileage when city/traffic driving!
    7. Other thoughts? Didn't think I would like it going in, but fell in love during test drive. Surprised at how much power it has for when you feel like using it.
     
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  5. Pulse07

    Pulse07 Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2020
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    Location:
    East Bay, California
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e

    1. 2,300 (I got it before SIP)
    2. 54. City for weekend errands and highway for M-F for work commute
    3. No issues.
    4. Not yet. I have seen 1st gen Prius go over 120K before needing it to replaced. (search here on the forums)
    5. Wash every week? lol.
    6. 8/10. Wish the tires are wider, has a tendency to wonder due to skinny tires.
    7. Styling. Although I can live with it, "a face only a mother could Love" to some.
     
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  6. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Jul 7, 2009
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    Location:
    NEPA
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Limited
    1. 39,200
    2. Mix, averaging ~60 daily, 54 over three years.
    3. No
    4. No
    5. None
    6. Very. Had a 2010 up to 115,000 with very minor issues.
    7. I'm trying to think but nothing happens!
     
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  7. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

    Joined:
    May 15, 2008
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    Location:
    Whittier, CA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    47,000 miles
    64.5 MPG displayed - 61.3 MPG calculated. Mostlycity driving with a 5,000 mile road trip.
    No major issues, just some minor problems
    12 volt battery was replaced under warranty @ 36 months
    windshield replacement.
    very pleased with the car.
    My car is heavily customized with suspension upgrades and other additions
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
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    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Fuelly is good for seeing the mpg. Compare the different gen's too, 4th gen took a real jump.
     
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  9. pythonidler

    pythonidler New Member

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    Bellevue, WA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
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    Thanks everyone for your responses, they're very helpful!
     
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  10. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Oct 28, 2016
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    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Not precisely Gen 4 but Gen 4 derived anyway.

    1. 44,400 (bought in March 2019 with 23k miles on it)
    2. In hybrid mode around town, about 60-70 mpg. On the interstate in hybrid mode, around 55 mpg. Since purchase including EV miles and HV miles, 126 mpg. Typical tank if not on a trip, around 250-300 mpg. Average cost per mile for gas & electric from purchase in March, 2019 to last gas purchase in March, 2020, 3.26 cents/mile.
    3. None at all.
    4. Still on the originals.
    5. No non-preventive.
    6. Best. Car. EVER!
    7. Gen 4 is a great car. People I know who have them love them. I test drove one and liked it a lot. Then I immediately test drove the Prime. That was an easy decision! If you can get a Prime and qualify for the tax breaks, it's probably cheaper and it's like a Prius on steroids.
      Gen 4 & Prime have some quirks like blinding reflections from the dash and dumb messages on the displays, but I can live with those considering the good stuff.
     
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  11. Mambo Dave

    Mambo Dave Active Member

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    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    L Eco
    I want to edit this, but can't find the edit button on my prior post.

    for #5, where I added sound deadening - this week I've been taking different highways, and have experienced much MUCH quieter pavements, then immediately, on the same road, much louder (roaring) pavements. The road noise issue is one common to all modern inexpensive commuter-vehicles down here (like the RAV4, CR-V, etc.), so - in the right areas or states - the Prius may be acceptably quiet. It's a far cry from being as quiet as my RAM 1500 pickup on the same roads, but those are two different animals.
     
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  12. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The EDIT button disappears after a while - less than 24 hours I seem to recall.
     
  13. Elt31987

    Elt31987 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2016
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    Location:
    Derry, NH
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    1. 90K
    2. 57 MPG. Mostly highway
    3. None
    4. Original 12v still
    5. Oil Changes\Filter. Air Filter. Cabin Air Filter. Transmission fluid drain and refill every 60K for 100 bucks.
    6. Extremely
     
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  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    1. 60,000km (40,000 miles)
    2. 4.3L/100km (55mpg) city only
    3. Not yet
    4. Not yet (our 2005 Prius lasted 150,000 miles and was 11.5 years old when the NiMH battery went. Our 2016 has the Li-Ion battery)
    5. Whatever the owner's maintenance guide says.
    6. Very. It's our 3rd Prius (and the 2018 Prius Prime is our 4th)
    7. They are fairly reliable but test out the models with the smaller and larger screen to see which you prefer. Also, ScoutGPS on lower trim levels is useless so either go for the built-in navigation on the upper trim levels or use Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. AWD-e is available but it's "awd-light" so don't expect Outback-levels of off-road capability. Also consider the Prius Prime if you have a short commute as the tax credit may offset the purchase price and make it the same or less than a regular Prius.
     
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  15. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2015
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    Location:
    Cow-lee-fornia
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    1. 2017 Two Eco with 38k miles
    2. Because of my work schedule, I usually got 65mpg going to work. Coming home, if I try real hard, I can get just about 90. Mix of stop and go and country road.
    3. No major issues. Recalls performed by dealership.
    4. Have not yet replaced the 12v aux battery. Its not expensive if you get it from non-dealership sources. Less than $200
    5. Filters, tire pressure. Still on oem tires that I may replace later this year.
    6. Pretty satisfied. Saved a ton of money on gas, especially since I live in California.
    7. YMMV.
     
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  16. OldmanR

    OldmanR New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2020
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    Location:
    Saskatoon, SK., Can
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hi all, I'm a newbie and my car is 2018 reg Prius. I've not had it long so I don't have much to say re the questions above, except to say it has about 46000Km (about 31000mi) on it and that I was surprised how well it did on fuel when the weather was decent and the car was warmed up- like maybe averaging 4.5 L/100 k (50-55 mpg in USA or 60+mpg in Imp gal?)
    I have questions re winter driving expectations when its cold- below -10C/+5Fand the motor isn't warm. Where on the forums can I get into that? Thanks
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
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    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Start a thread in maintenance forum, and/or search old threads.

    Canadian Toyota dealerships can install an official block heater, I believe for around $300~350 (CDN) now.

    Or you can buy the part from them for around $89~90 and DIY install. It's a bit of a struggle, mainly due to the sand-pounding tangle of conduits and brackets, right where the block heater element needs to be just before insertion.

    If you're considering DIY blockheater install I can give a few tips and post the Toyota install PDF. And of course: they don't provide a print of the PDF when you buy the part.

    I believe it's not readily available through Toyota and the States. Fargo, North Dakota and such places can go pound snow lol.

    Edit: just realized you're in a 4th Gen; anyway maybe some of the above is still relevant.
     
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  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    The bonus is that some of the tricks and tips were adding by Toyota for the 2016 model year - I'm talking about the active grille shutter (owners used to block the grille like some truckers or those with diesel pickup trucks, to keep the heat in the engine bay to reduce fuel consumption).

    I would just ensure that your tyres are properly inflated (as they lose pressure when the temperature drops. I'm sure you know the rough guide of 1PSI per 9°F/5°C drop in temp).

    On my Gen 3 with grille blocking and use of an engine block heater, I can keep my fuel consumption below 6L/100km unless it's -35°C or -40°C. My commute is short - 10km.

    I suspect the Gen 4 will be slightly better but it'll really depend on your driving style, distance, outside temperature and road conditions.
     
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  19. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ugggh - My freezer is HOT in comparison with that.:eek:
     
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  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    Extreme Cold Weather Performance | PriusChat

    aka the day I maxed out (min out?) the thermometer in the car. The actual air temperature was lower than what the car was reading)
     
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