Considering Prius purchase

One of the best things about the Prius, and any Toyota in fact, is that they don't require repairs much at all. My son purchased my 2001 Echo from me and it has never needed repairs in 60,000 miles. My wife's 2003 Corolla LE has been totally trouble free in 18,000 miles. My 2004 Prius has almost 8000 on it and never had a problem. Odds are in your favor with any Toyota. You will find the Prius to be a very well-built, reliable, efficient car.

 

The prius is a very reliabe and capable car. We took a 2,400 mile trip in my wifes 2001 Classic last year and it handeled with aplomb. The mileage for the whole trip was 54.9 miles per gallon (imperial) and this was thru some of the most rual parts of western Canada and I never once felt like we were "treading on the edge". This trip also involved 4 mountain passes and it was kind of "funny" as there were more than a few people who recognize the car and were passing faster (and I was speeding) and I then passed them near the summit of the pass as you have to realize the electric drive motor doesn't care about altitude. These are very much a capable car as is a Corolla or a VW beetle etc. Most dealers have trained personell as it's part of Toyotas dealer training program to have at least one or two tech's that can deal with the Prius in almost every area that sells Toyotas. Buy it you won't regret it in the least.

 

One nice thing about the Prius, if I understand this right, is that the transmission requires less maintenance than a typical transmission, at least compared to a conventional automatic transmission. You do not need to check the level of the transmission fluid. The Prius' transmission is sealed.

 

I'm getting my first ever Toyota tomorrow (my Prius cometh!) I can say, however, that everyone I know (several coworkers, my mom) who drives a Toyota has told me that it is a very reliable car, and they all go to the dealerships to do their service (practically unheard of - I have a Volvo right now and I avoid that dealership service dept. like the plague). They'll know what they're doing, and they're very reliable - I'm referring to both the vehicle AND the service personnel here.

 

Diana,
I had similar concerns before I bought my Prius. Almost at 3000 miles now and get such pleasure out of driving it (more than any car I have ever owned.) Anyway, I was told by several dealers that I contacted before getting the Prius that every Toyota dealer has at least one technician that has been trained to work on the Prius. Also to echo what has already been stated - the warranty is very good. Since more hybrids are on the way for a variety of models like the Highlander and Camry and other manufacturers like Nissan, Ford will be using the HSD technology, I think that more techs within the next couple years will become more knowledgeable about the car. Good luck with your decision.