GEN5 vs GEN3 ?

Yeah, intentionally driving it like a regular hybrid once a week is a good practice. Pick a day where it has the best chance of getting fully warmed up.

 

I know there's no free ride.

The fuel costs went down $150/mo and the electricity costs went up $50.

At least my electricity prices are stable for the year and doesn't jump $0.20/L between 7:00am and 12:00pm for no reason other than "they can". I'm sticking it to the man!

Toyota is sticking it to me with the 12V battery fiasco. I can't comment on the tire wear yet to see if the extra 300lbs makes that much of a difference.

 

That bit I tucked in based mainly on my daughter's Tesla Model 3, which seems to go through tire tread fast. Google AI concurred, citing increase weight and the near-instant torque of the electric motors. The 3 is all-electric, and significantly heavier, whereas the plug-in Prius versions are moderately heavier, and run in hybrid mode varying amounts, so it is somewhat apples/oranges.

I looked up the weight, our gen 3 Prius versus a 3, the latter's about 800 pounds more. Also, maybe telling: the lug nut torque value is 129 foot/pounds. Yup...

 

Fortunately, most of my regular trips are either within EV range or long enough to cook all the condensation out of my engine.

 

Yeah even with our 3rd gen hybrid I'm cognizant of this: as often as not we're only driving maybe once a week so I try to make them good drives. Our dentist is some distance away (and I've been having troubles of late, a fair bit of back-and-forth to her), and there's a couple of routes available. Ones a little shorter, but with one steep uphill climb. I go that way. We're also enlisted occasionally to pick up and drop off relations at the airport. We're at the northeast corner of greater Van, and YVR's kitty corner, near the mouth of the Fraser River. When all the necessary drives dry up, it's time for a picnic lunch at Belcarra waterfront, a lovely spot year 'round. With all of these drives, if practical we'll do some grocery shopping the same day, basically to avoid short runs.