1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Buying used and does this car match our needs

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by chapel, Sep 14, 2009.

  1. chapel

    chapel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2009
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    Salem MA, USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I've been asked this question and I don't have an answer.
    my concern is getting them repaired off the grid at independents.
    a hybrid would make a lot of sense for my wife who only drives 5-10 miles a day in the city and needs a 4 door for our baby. but I don't buy new (depreciation is a bad investment...) but the technology of a hybrid scares me
    We're looking at W20 models and not the W10 models

    While we'd like a W30 model, it's out of our price range (I don't want to spend much more than $10k)

    I'm an engineer and I've worked on my own cars for years, but they're just "regular cars"
    I currently have an Audi S6 that I do most of my own work on. I've done motor swaps in cars... I'm sort of the car guru to people who know me, but hybrids are black magic in my book.

    I tend to avoid cars with automatic transmissions (because I don't know how to rebuild them). I tend to avoid cars with tons of electronics (because I hate troubleshooting them)
    These cars are both... but at the same time, I don't plan on modifying it for 600hp or anything. It's going to be my wife's daily driver.

    So, I guess I should start by explaining why we want one for her and her driving patterns.
    First, we're in New England, so it snows and it's cold. How are they in cold start and icy conditions?
    Second, she tends to drive mostly in the city and mostly short distances. One of our concerns was that because of her short driving that engine wouldn't properly recharge the battery.

    Right now she had a Saab 9-5 Wagon that meets our needs for space and comfort, but it gets abysmal mileage and it's getting old.
     
    #1 chapel, Sep 14, 2009
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,938
    16,159
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Well the mechanics are what you're familiar with (same Corolla engine but no belts or chain) The only thing unfamiliar will be the inverter and all the orange cables (don't touch them). It's also a CVT the height of a pepsi can and about 3x as wide so it's a lot smaller than a standard automatic transmission.


    Cold starts aren't a problem. It's a push button start so it's electronic. No need to crank the engine because the POWER button simply turns on the car's electrical system. The MG1 (motor-generator) will fire up the engine when the time comes (the engine is spun to 1000rpm before ignition vs.. what.. 200rpm? 100rpm? for regular cars before the alternator fires up the ignition coils?).

    Doesn't matter if the battery doesn't properly recharge. You'll just be using more fuel (and well all cars use more fuel in stop & go traffic anyway). Don't worry and let the car take care of itself.
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Sep 14, 2009
  3. chapel

    chapel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2009
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    Salem MA, USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    is there anything to look out for when buying one?
    things to avoid?
    what's standard maintenance?

    I keep hearing the electrical system is 'no maintenance'... but they also sell cars with lifetime fluids and 15,000 mile synthetic oil... and to be honest, that's a load of crap. oil goes 3000-5000 tops... tranny fluid is a 60-70k mile change...
     
    #3 chapel, Sep 14, 2009
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,074
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Oil goes a lot farther than 3000-5000 miles if it's good oil. Look at the European standards. In Europe it is considered wasteful and not environmentally friendly to change oil at short intervals.

    Also, the Prius does not have an automatic transmission. It has a fixed ratio planetary gear set, no clutch, and no reverse gear. The gear train and engine are always engaged. Nothing shifts - ever. Effective gearing is created by varying the fields of the motor-generators.

    Since you are an engineer, spend some time reading about the internals of the Prius. You will be able to answer most of your own questions.

    Tom
     
    #4 qbee42, Sep 14, 2009
  5. chapel

    chapel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2009
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    Salem MA, USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    true, but an engineer doesn't just look at the plans and mechanics... sometimes you need end user feed back to see if all the theory and circumstance actually WORKS. (Plus, I'm a systems engineer, so it's all software and networking on my end)

    as for oil, in most cars after 5000 miles the oil WILL break down. it just DOES. Depends on the car though. The cars I build are normally high performance cars with either high compression and super hot cams or huge boosting AWD monsters... heat kills oil. If the thermal efficiency of the engine is low, the oil lasts longer.
    My wife is a good example of going long times and 'over' mileage on her oil change.
    At one point we both owned 9-5s. I had an Aero and she had the standard 2.3t
    I would pull my oil after 3 months or 3000-5000 miles... she would go 2000-3000 but go almost a full year without a change. I used the same super expensive, super high grade synthetic oils. Even though she went less mileage, her oil would come out thick and black while mine would flow nicely and be a milk chocolate colour. The simple act of aging and small trips wore the oil down considerably more than mine which was doing 40-50 miles a day.

    It all depends on your driving cycle too.
     
    #5 chapel, Sep 14, 2009
  6. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,866
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    The longer her commute time, the more time spent with a warm engine, getting good mileage. A Prius going 5 blocks a day is not a fuel efficient car. For a 2004-2009 you basically change the oil and rotate the tires for the first 100,000 miles. This thread is good. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...70-what-services-you-need-what-you-don-t.html Some owners are suggesting changing the transaxle fluid every 60,000 miles, even though Toyota does not.

    Rather than saying "automatic transmission" it would be better to think of it as a 'very bright, one speed transmission", nothing shifts, no clutch, no reverse. The computer chooses different speeds to rotate two electric motors and a gas engine, including 'backward' on both motors. This graphic helps me visualize it, but confuses some folks. A simulation of Prius's Planetary Gear

    The electronics will always do what is best for the battery, they are very protective. Next in priority, they minimize emissions, trying to warm up the car to get in it's best modes. This is why it excels at longer commutes. I think the great gas mileage is really just an emissions strategy, less hydrocarbons in, less hydrocarbons to treat going out. We owners like the mileage, but the Prius always chooses to do the right thing for emissions reasons.

    There ARE a lot of electronics on this car, but not a lot of maintenance is needed on them when working right, and they mostly give error codes when working badly.
     
    #6 JimboPalmer, Sep 15, 2009
  7. Airbalancer

    Airbalancer Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2009
    892
    73
    0
    Location:
    Cobourg, On, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    From my limited knowledge about a Prius, just over a month

    Reading this forum, it appears there are very little problems with the Prius

    What I mean you do not read that very second post is about a problem, like on a BMW forum

    But I think you would be happier with a beater that you can work on, have you look under the hood, not someplace I would want to get my hands dirty in, can you evern get your hand in there?

    Also would your wife be happy driving a car without a third pedal

    I also find get a car your wife is happy to drive :D
     
    #7 Airbalancer, Sep 15, 2009
  8. chapel

    chapel New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2009
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    Salem MA, USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    well, in defense of BMW, I had one from 130k to 222k miles and the only thing that ever failed in that time was a fuel line and the clutch hydraulic cylinders. Total cost to repair with parts was $250 over 5 years.
    thing was a tank and prior to my ownership was used as a track beater.
     
    #8 chapel, Sep 15, 2009
  9. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2004
    7,663
    1,038
    0
    Location:
    United States
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    They work fine in cold climates, but it does need snow tires.

    Short trips are MPG killers for all cars. You can expect 30 - 35 MPG in the winter, up to 45 MPG in summer.

    Absolutely pay a Prius technician (usually at a dealer) to check it out thoroughly before buying. You do not want to get a salvaged Prius.

    Prius are among the most reliable cars. It does use proprietary diagnostics, and parts can be expensive. If something hybrid related fails it will probably need a dealer.
     
    #9 richard schumacher, Sep 16, 2009
  10. Airbalancer

    Airbalancer Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2009
    892
    73
    0
    Location:
    Cobourg, On, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Our toy car is 323CIC, I hate sensor on a BMW:mad:
     
    #10 Airbalancer, Sep 16, 2009
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)