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High Mileage Canadian Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by CharlieQ, Dec 24, 2016.

  1. CharlieQ

    CharlieQ Junior Member

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    Hi there ,
    I'm new posting to the forum so I hope I'm doing this correctly.
    I live up here in Canada about 3 hours east of Toronto. I'm wondering how high odometer readings people are getting in Canada on their Prius as the climate here is more severe that other parts on North America. I have a 2012 Prius technology package and have just crossed over the 300K (km) mark. I have have had zero problems with this car and am currently driving 90K (km) per year the last two years. I drive cancer patients to there appointments anywhere they have to go in Ontario. This is my 5th Prius and I have never had a problem with any of them. I would like to get a Prius Prime when they become available this spring in Canada because of there new safety features but I keep asking myself why spend the money if this car is running so well.
    So my question is how many KM's are Canadians getting on the Prius before major service like Traction battery , struts e.g. are required. I had originally planned to try and put 1,000.000 km on the car to see if it would make it there.
    All recommended service has been done as per maintenance schedule .
    Thanks
    Charlie
     
  2. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Welcome.
    If you are driving long trips a Gen 4 (2016 or 2017) Prius Liftback would likely be a better option. I expect the same safety features are available without needing to plug in. I would recommend the higher level seats though. The lower trim seats in the US are bad for long trip comfort.
     
  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    @Tideland Prius & @Mendel Leisk are two of our most active Canadian users.
    I have tagged them so they are aware of this thread and can give their insight.
     
  4. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Congrats on the first post and the noble work you do(y).

    I am not a resident of the great white north, but have 145 k miles on the clock and going strong. For curiousity sake:

    1. Have you / when did you do the transmission fluid?
    2. Do you consume any oil? If so how much? What oil grade do you use?
    3. Have you changed the PCV valve?
    4. Have you used fuel injector cleaners? If so, what ones?
    As far as the traction or HV battery, heat and hills are there largest enemy, both of which you should not have much of. Most other items (like shocks or brake pads) will wear out over time, but would on any car depending on the road conditions in your area.

    I test drove a Prime Advanced earlier this week and thoroughly enjoyed it. But not enough to take on a car payment;).

    Keep logging the miles and hope you have a nice holiday season (y)!
     
  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I am originally from Toronto, and my mom was from Trenton, near you. In my comments, I will try to translate units to the US people can better relate.
    300K km is about 186K miles. There are some on this forum that have gone over 300K miles (482K km). You drove about 55K miles per year.

    Many people think high mileage, well cared for Prius last better than those that are lightly used.

    You had originally planned to our about 620K miles on the car. I am not sure if anybody here has gone that far in a Gen 3 Prius. Perhaps some Gen 2 or Gen 1 cars have gone that far.
     
  6. CharlieQ

    CharlieQ Junior Member

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    Raytheeagle,

    Thanks for the reply,
    I changed the transmission fluid @ 66K miles and 162K miles .
    Fuel injectors were cleaned at 66K miles and 162 K miles .
    I have never changed the PCV value or has it been suggested by the dealership.
    The car uses no oil and I use 0-5 synthetic at a 10K miles interval.
    I have changed both coolant and brake fluid at the scheduled intervals.
    I mainly do highway driving with most trips in the 200 to 300 mile range.
    If any one is interested I have tracked every tank of fuel and calculated each tank of MPG. I have all maintenance records and cost .
    Basically anything about this car and it's operation I track.

    For fun I also drive a 1999 Corvette and for the bad Canadian winters I have a 4 wheel drive 1999 Suburban .
    I basically have all modes of transportation covered.
     
  7. CharlieQ

    CharlieQ Junior Member

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    Thanks
    Charlie
     
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well you've surpassed us!! Our 2005 lasted 245,000km before the battery went. Our 2010 is at 128,000km right now. We bought a 2016 to replace the 2005.

    Are you able to recharge at your destinations? It's a lot of driving and you would want to be able to charge to take advantage of the larger battery. The Prime does have a CHG mode where you can use the engine to charge the battery (up to 80%) but it's not as efficient.

    I guess there's also the ON rebate that you'll probably want to take advantage.
     
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  9. Debdavid

    Debdavid New Member

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    Was looking for somewhere to plant my first post and I may have found my spot, among the Canucks.
    Let's talk snow!

    Hoping I can find some sage advice on this forum.
    I've been seriously considering a Prius v (need the cargo room for multiple pets & equipment on trips between cities) and happened upon a 2012 v at a local, Ontario dealer, that has very low mileage on it (28,000 km - 17,000 miles) and is about half the price of a new one.

    Was wondering whether anyone might have an opinion on getting a 5-yr old, Canadian Prius v, rather than a 2017.
    If I understand correctly, 2012 was the release year for the v. Were there any issues or problems specific to that first model? I've looked up the recalls and found 3, including a problem with the hybrid system, but I'm assuming (and plan to confirm) that because the car is being sold by a dealer, all recalls issues will have been corrected.

    One of my concerns about the v is ground clearance. We live in the great white north and have had some bad experiences not being able to get our Honda Civic out of our driveway (or street) in big snowstorms. The clearance on the Civic is not dissimilar to that of the v.

    I'm also concerned about a topic that seems to be laced throughout this forum - and that's road noise. I'm on the highway a lot. Should I be worried about this? I know there's a mixed bag of opinion on Prius noise in gneeral Is the "v" any better or worse on that front? And is the noise issue any worse in snowy conditions? Would a new model possibly be better sound-insulated?


    Any other issues to consider, regarding a used vs new Prius v, or specifically about a 2012? Sounds like it may have been driven by a little old lady in Pembroke (Ontario) :)

    Many thanks from a newbie poster.
     
  10. CharlieQ

    CharlieQ Junior Member

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    Thanks for the reply
    Charging is a problem for me both at home and on the road. I'm usually driving to Toronto: Ottawa , Kingston or Peterborough and there isn't any L2 charging stations where I park with my Cancer patients. I live in an apartment and the building management will not install a charging station. I have designed my own charging system that will work with the Prius Prime and would charge the Prime in about the same 2 1/2 hours that an L2 charger would. It would use 48V batteries from either a street cleaner or the smaller batteries used in golf carts through an 48Volt to 115 volt inverter system. I used one I designed in a similar system for out boat and it worked just fine. I would charge the batteries at night when the power rates are lower and also use solar power. I would then have to move the 140 lbs of equipment down to the car to transfer the power to the Prime. I'm willing to do this and the building has given me permission to do it.
    Most of the new charging stations being installed in my area under the new government program are L3 systems dc to dc which can not be used on the North American Prius Prime like the Japan and some European cars. They are mainly supporting Tesla and BMW cars.
    I was also hoping for the solar roof panel to help charge but I see they are not available in North America as they do not meet our tougher safety requirements. I like everything about the Prime and was thinking I would use the Chg. Mode while driving although it is not as efficient.
    Toyota has not established the price for Canadian Prime as the Canadian Government has not set the rebate amount for the Prime and Toyota is waiting for that first. Based on the Ontario Canada Government web site the rebate on an 8.8KW powered car will probably be between $4500 and $8000 Canadian but we will have to wait and see. I think the Canadian price after rebate will probably be between $40k and $42K if you take the US price of a fully loaded Prime and convert to Canadian $.
    So I'm back to do I drive the current car into the ground or spring for the new Prime when available?
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Hi @Debdavid , you can also post in the Prius v Care Maintenance and Troubleshooting forum if you want to get more responses from actual owners.

    Ground clearance for the Prius v is 5.7", higher than the Prius c and 3rd Gen Prius (5.5) and definitely higher than the Gen 4 Prius (4.9").

    If you're concerned about ground clearance, you may consider the RAV4 Hybrid (launched for 2016MY. The 2017s are in dealers). It uses about 1-1.5L/100km more than the Prius v but does have standard AWD-i and negligible cargo room loss (80 litres/2.8 cu. ft)

    Prii tend to be a bit noisier because of weight savings (so less sound insulation, saves on weight). The new Gen 4 Prius is definitely quieter so the weight savings in the new chassis allowed Toyota to add a few more things. It really depends on where you come from. If you come from a Lexus, it will be noticeably noisier. If you come from a 10-15 year old compact car, it might sound the same.

    A lot of the noise is from the tires and their low-rolling resistance compound. If you buy a quieter tire, it might help mitigate that.
     
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    That's dedication right there! Yeah if you're able to charge the car one way or another, at least you can take advantage of the larger battery (even in HV mode). It's too early but I'm curious about someone like you using a Prime and using the CHG on the highway and then EV mode within city limits and whether that will work out in terms of energy efficiency, cost of time and actual dollars.

    I wasn't aware that the federal government was drafting up a clean vehicle rebate program. I was under the impression Toyota was waiting for the QC government's decision on ZEV credits (Which they just released earlier this year). This would determine pricing and of course vehicle allocation.

    I suspect the cost, especially with the ON rebate, will be less than $40k.


    I guess the question will come down to cost :) How much will it cost you to get the new Prime? If it's attractive, then the upgrade will be worth it (especially with the new advancements in safety, technology and features).

    There are taxis that do 100,000km/year and they've run anywhere between 500,000-750,000 before needing a new battery so based on your driving style, it's got plenty of life left.
     
  13. Debdavid

    Debdavid New Member

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    Thanks so much for the reply, Tideland Prius.

    I had looked at a Rav4 Hybrid but I'm not a big fan of SUVs and actually really prefer the station wagon-like feel of the Prius v. I'd heard some rumours that the new design of the v (which I'd been awaiting anxiously) might have been delayed pending sales numbers on the Rav4 Hybrid - and that the former might even be eliminated if the Rav4 is successful. Was hoping that wasn't the case.
    But you make a fair point about the extra height, which of course is the most sure-fire way to clear mounds of snow.

    Tires do have an impact on noise, of course. I'll keep that in mind, though with winter tires on for pretty well half the year, it's tricky to try to select them for their sound quality in addition to traction.

    I really appreciate your input.
     
  14. CharlieQ

    CharlieQ Junior Member

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    Hi Debdavid,
    I thought I would put in my 2 cents in on your post. I drive a 2012 Prius and have only had a ground clearance problem once, has month when I hit a frozen piece of slush on the 416 south of Ottawa. I broke the bolt off that holds the heat shield on the cat converter. The dealership replaced it for $6 while I was having an oil change. I personally don't think road clearance is a real issue as long as you watch where you are going. Most cars are pretty low these days for better aerodynamics to help with gas mileage. My Corvette has only 3 inches of clearance so I really have to watch where I go with it.
    As far as road noise my clients that I take for Cancer treatment all think the Prius is new because it is so quiet and smooth on the road and not a car with 301K km on it. They can't believe it. From a dependability point of view you can't beat a Prius no matter what model. I have had 5, none have ever had a problem. My Prius is my everyday work horse and has never let me down.
    As far as tire noise I hear a marked increase in noise when I put may winter Toyo GS 05 on (I think I have that correct) but I really like them for both traction and wear . My current set have nearly 120K on and may make it through the winter. These are the ones that use the crushed walnut shells in the rubber and have fantastic traction. Not sure if your driving in mainly city or highway but I really only hear a hum on the highway.
    Those are my thoughts
    Merry Christmas
    Charlie
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    You're welcome.

    Yes I do hope they make another generation of the v but the Mazda5 has gone wayside. One could argue that the new Kia Niro is a spiritual successor to the Rondo (I think it's replacing it but I'm not 100% sure).

    With the new Li-Ion battery in the Gen 4 Prius, hopefully they can find a way to slot that into the v for all markets (not just Europe and Japan) and perhaps have a 7-seater MPV that people here seem to desperately want.

    The Prius v would have approximately 0.5" greater ground clearance than the average compact car.

    True. The difference in sound level between the stock Bridgestone Ecopia EP20 A/S and the Nokian R is slightly noticeable. (The Gen 3 isn't exactly a quiet car). The more noticeable aspect was the ride quality. The Ecopias were much more comfortable than the Nokian R.
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Worn EP20 are pretty noisy.
     
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  17. CharlieQ

    CharlieQ Junior Member

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    Not sure if this is the way to do this adding to my ordinal post put here goings
    I have now crossed the 400km mark and the car is still running like new . The only mechanical failure I have had is a wheel bearing on the back drivers side and the front passenger side both within the last two weeks . Are the bearings designed to fail at 400 K.
    I have only done required maintenance and car uses no oil between changes and gets the same 4.5 to 4.9 L/100k as when new .
    wondering what other Canadian owners are finding is failing on higher mileage cars . My plan is to still aim for 1 million km for the car.

    Thanks
    Charlie
     
  18. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    I think you will find the battery lasts -longer- in Canada than in the warmer parts of the US. It's heat that's the enemy for the battery. If you get a gen IV with the lithium battery, according to the owners manual, it may "not be available" at temps. below -30C. From posts on this forum, it appears some Ontario dealers are putting in battery warmers. Don't get those here in Alberta.

    I was going to say the batteries in the US fail sooner because of the "anti-US" module in the car, but I think the guys down there are on to me. ;)

    I drove a Gen II all year round and never really had a problem with ground clearance. My only problem is "upgrade jealousy" when the next generation comes out.
     
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Nicely done. Keep us posted! (There's a high mileage Prius thread too I think... 299,999 miles thread)