2 questions about what to expect from a 2007 Prius

A 2007 is going to need an oil change/tire rotation every 5000 miles, $25/$15 each
Every 30,000 mile 2 air filters $35
Every 60,000 miles 4 tires and a Transaxle oil change $400/$100
Every 120,000 miles PVC and spark plugs. (My 2009 was hit by a semi before I made it to 120,000)

I do not ever remember cruising at 75 MPH, but 70 should allow 42 MPG. Your mileage will vary due to weather, elevation, and traffic management

Without clues about where on the planet you are it is hard to make any prediction.

 

It may well be that your gallon and mine are different.

 

Add brake pads every, oh, 200,000 miles or so. Maybe new rotors sooner if you rust them out...

 

how many years do you want to keep it? when you get over 1-150,000 miles the expenses (potentially) could really start adding up!

 

I cannot speak to the maintenance costs just yet, as I have an '08 with about 90,000 miles. I have only had to do the usual stuff. I do however drive between 20000-25000 miles a year which is almost all highway. My driving is about 70mph and I average about 45 mpg.


iPhone ? 2

 

Most of the stuff on maintenance has already been mentioned. It is a good idea to change both the ICE coolant and the Inverter Coolant at 100K and then every 50K after that. There really is not a lot of maintenance on the Prius until it hits 100K, but after that several things need to be taken care of, then it basically follows the first 100K maintenance schedule again.

FWIW, the Prius thrives in warm climate's and produces the best mileage when driven in summer months at speeds not much faster than 60 MPH. If it is driven at low speeds and hypermiling techniques are applied, then the best mileage can be achieved if conditions are favorable.

Driving at high speed (70+ MPH) the mileage drops considerably. Furthermore, during the winter time the Prius mileage tends to suffer also.

Also, you will definitely need a good set of snow tires if you have snow three months out of the year. The Prius prefers LRR (Low Rolling Resistance) type tires. There are not many snow tires that fall into that category.

With all of that said, I don't expect the OP to get great numbers in the conditions the OP is specifying. I would estimate high 30's to low or possibly mid 40's for overall MPG. That is based on US type gallons. Imperial Gallons are not the same.

If the OP would consider slowing down some, I believe he or she would find that the MPG would be much higher. There is a big difference in MPG between 60 MPH and 75 MPH. YMMV

Ron

 

If you DIY the coolant on both loops, you are only looking at time and the cost of coolant. I paid just under $20.00 US for the "Toyota Super Long Life Coolant". You definitely want that brand no matter what the other brands claim. Patrick Wong posted threads on how to DIY both systems. I don't know what the dealer would charge for the service, but I am sure they can give you that price.

In reference to "several things" I was referring to the standard oil changes, filter changes, tire rotations etc. that are part of the normal maintenance on the Prius plus the coolant changes, spark plugs, and other items... Most things get changed at 100K then after that it falls back to the normal stuff and repeats the cycle.

Speaking from personal experience I found that if you pay attention to the MFD, over time you will figure out what gives the best mileage. If MPG is a priority in your book, the MFD will definitely show you the numbers. It is not 100% fool proof but does give a good base line to work from.

I have no doubt that the Prius will give better mileage that your current transportation. How much better depends on your driving habits. YMMV

Finally, no one can say how long any car will last. The Prius is well made and should last a long time. However it still has to be maintained and repaired if something breaks.

Ron