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To keep or not to keep??!!

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Robert L, Jan 11, 2009.

  1. Robert L

    Robert L New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2009
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    Location:
    Auburn, Maine
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Saddly last month my father in law passed away and left behind a very clean 2006 Prius with 65,000 miles on it. It has Option package #7 so it is very well equipped. He took very good care of it.

    Now all this being said I have the option to take this car to replace one of mine. I drive an Audi A4 2.8 Quattro in the winter and a BMW M3 Convert in the summer. I love my 2 German cars. I am very much into drivers cars. But they are not cheap to run. I was thinking of parking the Audi for now and driving the wheels off the Prius (taking very good care of it).I would just use the BMW on nice days. I have a long commute and getting dubble the millage would be nice. The care feels like a video game to drive (well after a BMW anyway) but I think it might fit into my life. I even like it a bit (DON'T Tell the BMW forum guys).

    What I want to know is:

    -What is it going to be like to keep on the road? I know toyotas are like wood buring stoves (they never brake) but man there is alot going on under that dash. I am worried that it could be a nightmare to fix when the time comes.

    Today driving it home from NH (I live in Maine about 165 miles away) pulling out of a toll I was pushing it hard but not flat out for sure and it set off a service light that will not go out. I have had the car for about 6 hours and I need to go see the dealer. This is not a good start.

    But a car for almost nothing is also too good to pass up. I have it for 2 weeks to see if I like it. Then I will need to deside.

    Any input on this would be of great help.

    Will it say running for the next 5 to 8 Years????
     
  2. butchbs1985

    butchbs1985 Taking things apart is fun!

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2007
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    Location:
    ChicagoLand
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Welcome to PC first of all. Now to the issue:

    1. What service light came on? I am by no means a conservative driver and I have not been able to trigger a maintenance light just by flooring it.
    - I have triggered the master warning light once due to low oil (Cap came loose). Master warning is the Triangle with ! inside.

    2. I (as you are) was skeptical about the complexity of the hybrid system and it's reliability when I purchased my '05. I paid the extra $$ for the 100K warranty and I am 92.5% sure that it was a waste of my extra money. I am at 92500 Miles with no issues at all. Change Tires, Change Oil, Change ATF, Change Coolant, Alignment. That's all I've done in that time.

    3. Don't know how much driving you do but I intend mine to run to 200 K and beyond as it is my work car and I do about 3000 Miles each month.

    As for it not being a 'drivers car', I thought the same until I started playing with modifications and tweaks. I grew up driving whatever muscle car I could get my hands on and this was a change. I love it for a work / getting around car and it sounds like you can hang on to the German muscle for your power fix every so often. (I'm not so lucky so consider yourself blessed).
     
  3. Celtic Blue

    Celtic Blue New Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Welcome, sorry about your father-in-law.

    What service light came on? (I'm assuming it wasn't the tire pressure warning system.) If you haven't checked out the basics on the car, you really should (tire pressures, tread condition, oil level, air filter, etc.) and read through the manual to get acquainted with this unusual vehicle.

    Whether or not you should keep it boils down to whether you are satisfied with the compromises. If you intend to drive it aggressively you probably won't see great gas mileage. As you move north of 70 mph this becomes more noticeable. By 75 mph cruise ours is down to the EPA highway mileage rating.

    Winter is also hard on mileage because it forces the engine to run more to keep you and the engine coolant and cat warm. There are some tricks to improving this once you are familiar with the car: engine block heaters.

    Some will understandably dislike the Prius' handling, particularly if accustomed to aggressive performance. But this depends on what you like to drive and whether or not that exceeds other aspects such as fuel economy.

    I think you are taking the right approach in giving it a little time behind the wheel to evalutate it. If it isn't for you that's fine, there is nothing wrong with that.

    The warranty for the hybrid drive system and traction battery is very long (should be 100,000 miles/8 years on yours), so you should have little to fear in the way of major out of pocket costs for the near future even in the unlikely event of one of the major systems failing.
     
  4. Ct. Ken V

    Ct. Ken V Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2007
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    Location:
    Bolton,CT
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Actually, Shawn,
    Since the car was purchased in & still resides in New England, Robert L's factory warranty on the hybrid components & traction battery is 10 years/150,000 miles (whichever comes first). [That also applies in NY, NJ, & of course Calif (where the extra length of the factory warranty started)].

    And, Robert,

    You should check in paperwork for the car (either in the glove box with the owner's manual, etc. or wherever your father-in-law kept his purchase papers/important documents) to see if there is anything in there to indicate whether or not he also bought an extended warranty (hopefully the official Toyota Financial Services one) that could possibly be transfered to you by the estate attorney or executor. If both he & his wife made the purchase together & her name (or that of his daughter, if she was a part of it) is listed on the purchase paperwork, whoever is the 2nd name, if still surviving, should be able to sign over the remainder of any existing extended warranty to you.

    Also do some reading here (& at PriusOnLine too), Robert, to learn more about the car from us than what some dealers know. If you seem to be having some sort of problem, tell us about it here & give us a chance to help you before running down to the dealer for something you don't understand (& the dealer may overcharge you for).

    That last comment was thrown in here mainly to bring to your attention the fact that when you take the Prius in for each 5,000 mile service, NOT to ask for a "xx,000 mile service" bcause they will charge you for things that don't need to be done or CAN'T even be done on a Prius. Just look at the "Passport" scheduled maintenance guide booklet ahead of time & take it with you to the dealership & ask them to do ONLY what is specified for that mileage that you're at & nothing more (don't ask or let them do anything listed under the "towing" conditions because you're NOT supposed to tow with a Prius. Normal maintenance for a Prius shouldn't be any more expensive than any other vehicle, in fact in most cases less [front brake pads normally last a VERY long time---like over 100,000 (maybe even 150,000) miles, coolant:100,000 miles, & spark plugs:120,000 miles, for example].

    The only bad thing about the 2006 (& later) Prius is the early failure & high cost of replacing the HID headlights [if your father-in law's car has them---it has them if you see little fog lights within the lower grill (& I'm sure a Pkg #7 has them)]. But don't be too frightened by that issue. Do a search here using something like "2006 HID headlight problem" or "failed headlights" to read all about it first. You'll see that many times if the owner contacts Toyota directly & explains the specifics & asks for a case number, that Toyota will cover some or all of the expense.

    I hope this helps you to make your decision. P.S. Since you say the car is at 65,000 miles, could the "service" light you're talking about be the one on the dash that actually says "maintenance required"? It usually blinks momentarily at start-up 4,500 miles from the last service (oil/oil filter chg & tire rotation) & will come on & stay on steady after 5,000 miles from that previous service. Maybe that's all you're seeing---just time to go in for those 2 things (& anything else listed in the "Passport" booklet). Most of the time my dealer only charges less than $50, but as I said earlier, those who go in & foolishly ask for some interval of the "5,000 mile service" (instead of showing the service writer/advisor the specific items you want done from the "Passport" page for your mileage) have been charged as much as $300 for what I pay only $50 or less for. Also, reject any suggestion that you do a fuel injection treatment (a waste of money & may even cause you some problems) or a spark plug or coolant chg any earlier than I already mentioned above.

    Ken (in Bolton,Ct)
     
  5. Robert L

    Robert L New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Auburn, Maine
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Thanks very much guys. That is what I needed to hear.

    The Light that came on is in fact not a problem at all. A point the service guy at the dealer made with a smile. The car just wants an oil change. It just happend to come on when I was pulling out of the Toll. I know you all are laughing at me and that is ok because I am too. I guess I am just looking too hard to find a problem so I can talk myself out of this car.

    I think you both hit it on the head. This will work very well for my daily drive to and from work (about 35 miles round trip). It has lots of toys to play with and buttons to push so it is also not a bad place to spend an hour a day.

    I live in Maine and as it is cold here I see what you mean about the engine running to keep the car warm. I am less worried about gas milage then I am will it last. I spent most of the night last night looking for people saying they had real problems with they'er cars and did not find much.

    As butchbs1985 said I can allways get my driving fix from the Germans when I need it. I find myself liking it more and more. I am starting to feel bad about picking on my father in law SOOO much for buying it. I know he would find this damn funny. I guess John gets the last laugh on me.

    Now I need to find a way to sell my wife on the idea of letting me keep the Audi and the BMW. That is going to be a harder sell.

    Thanks again guys. Great forums. I will let you know how this turns out. Still have 1 1/2 weeks to go on my test drive.
     
  6. Robert L

    Robert L New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Auburn, Maine
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius

    Great post, Thank you very much sir.

    I am looking into the warranty right now. I am waiting to get all the paperwork on the car. It is still taking us time to put the full picture of his estate together. He was unmarried when he died and lived alone in NH.

    I have been doing alot of reading online about this car even before he died because we would have great debats (all in good fun) about it. The family thinks it is funny as heck the idea of me ending up in this car. I have been doing alot of reading in the manual the last 2 or 3 days trying to learn to use all the systems. I plan on doing alot of reading here as well. I am a big believer in forums.

    Thank you very much for the heads up on dealing with the dealer. It will be going in sometime next week to get its oil change and get that light reset.

    I am having a bit of a problem with the HID lights now but I don't think it is the one you are talking about. They seem to be pointing much too high. The high beams are only good for finding snipers in the trees. Last year the car had a small fender bender and I know they changed some parts on the front. I am just hoping they were not installed right and need to be aimed. However this is the kind of thing he would have had fixed ASAP so maybe this is just how the lights are on this car. John loved this car and took unreal care of it.

    Thanks again for all the great info everyone.
     
  7. donee

    donee New Member

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    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Hi Rob...,

    You will find the Prius one of the longer lasting cars lower mainetnance cars. The brakes are electric down to 7mph, so it does not need brake jobs till well up above 100K miles. The starter is a secondary funciton of MG1 (motor / generator 1), which is like an electric torque converter. The 30 HP battery hybrid drive battery is used to power this MG1 when starting the car, so there is lots of starting power for the sub-zero weather. There is also no alternator to replace, as the hybrid battery has a 12 Volt switching power supply attached which provides that electricity. And how does the electricty get to the battery? By that same MG1 being run as a generator. Not bad eh? 3 functions, one electric machine, allowing it to be built robust enough to do the job for the life of the car.

    Being in Maine, you will want to get Nokian RSi Tires on that for winter, quick, or at least that is what many in heavy snow areas swear by for the Prius winter tire. The Prius has too much torque for the smaller tires on slippery roads. And rather than let the tires spin, it shuts em down to protect the single planetary gear set in the transmission. Go easy on the peddle when you feel the traction control light comes on. In the summer keep your eyes out for manhole covers. The Prius will spin those if you do not hit them on-center during the slower speeds of an accelleration, and then the traction control kicks in again.
     
  8. Bacchus017

    Bacchus017 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2009
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    Location:
    Tacoma. Wa
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    We also just picked up our '09 and while I drive a S4 Avant- driving the Prius is pretty cool in it's own right. Not having to check your "6" all the time makes for a relaxing drive. I did a lot of research before I bought it - and with the exceptions with the HID's I found very little that suggested that it wasn't a wise purchase. Also our first tank was @42mpg- not quite as good as my motorcycle. I'm keeping my hot rod and the BMW as well.
     
  9. jaw444

    jaw444 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2008
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    Location:
    San Fernando Valley CA Sherman Oaks area
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    I got my Prius a week and a half ago. Before that, i drove normal cars. :)
    I too have thought the headlights were aiming high, higher than what i was used to. I figured maybe it's just something to do with the kind of light it is and hadn't thought of it much until you mentioned it, there really does seem to be something different about the aim of the lights to me. But i can see well, that isn't a problem. I just happened to think to my self that the light was covering a tall area. and come to think of it, i don't think the brights make as big of difference as on my other car experiences. Maybe.

    If you keep the Prius and change the tires, watch out for the tire pressure monitor sensors, the tire changes have to be done correctly, apparently not in the normal way i just found out after the fact this week and am still not sure my sensors are OK.

    Good luck with the decision. One thing to consider, if you keep the Prius, you'll have laughs about it that will last as long as the car.

    What color do you have?
     
  10. Robert L

    Robert L New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2009
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    Location:
    Auburn, Maine
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    It is Driftwood Pearl outside (aka light brown) and Beige inside. When I get some good picture I can post them if you guys would like to see it.

    As of now after driving it for 4 days and getting picked on non stop by my BMW friends I am going to get the car as long as everything works out.

    Thanks very much for all the great info guys. You all have been a big help.