Should My Mom Get a Prius?

YES, She definitely should get one. I am 73 and am on my third Prius. I had a 2006 then a 2010 and now a 2014, I drive to MI at christmas time when I can always count on significant snow. I swear by Michelin X Ice tires. They have gotten me through snow where all the cars around me couldn't make it. I call my Prius, with those tires, my little snow machine. I order them from Tire Rack online and have them shipped to my local Tire Barn for installation.

 

We have 2 in the family and both have been trouble free, one 120k miles and one 24k or so.

But what happens when your mom has to get a service? Is there someplace near her work she can drop it off? Or close to home where someone can pick her up? How big a consideration should this be in her case? She'll put 15k going to and from work and that is 3 services even assuming nothing abnormal. I actually sold a recent car because, if it needed service, the only dealer for the brand was 50 miles away.

There are great bargains to be had right now as buyers wait for the major change to the next generation Prius. My dealer has a new one on the lot with a $7k off sticker on it.

 

how about something simpler like a civic/accord, or suburu?

 

Scheduled maintenance is oil changes every 10000 miles. The first two are on Toyota and you may be able to get another one or two off the dealer. Since anyone can do an oil change I don't see it as a deal breaker.

 

I see no problem with Prius especially is that comute is 30 mile each way.
The thing to know is new Prius version Gen4 may be avail by year end.

 

Not much need to go to dealer that I can think of unless a recall or something

 

They get tire rotations every 5k miles or 6 months whichever comes first.
Best to take it to Toyota dealers. Their mfr. made the car.
Dealer can raise car and inspect from underneath.
Later on, beware of independent 'repair shops ', many of whom may put knock-off (cheap, made in China) replacement parts.

 

Do put good winter tires on it. Older generation Prii (before 2010) were notorious for a poor Traction Control (TC) that didn't work well with poor or worn tires, and most of the OEM tires were (and still are) inadequate for serious winter.

But many owners who put real winter tires on it were quite happy with the car. And then the 2010 improved the TC well enough to satisfy most of us. But not all drivers are satisfied, a small portion of Gen3 owners still dislike the TC, though that is a much smaller portion than those who complained about the various Gen1 and Gen2 iterations of TC.

(I actually haven't put real winter tires on mine yet, because I hadn't yet acquired a second set of wheels for a seasonal tire set, and had an alternate rig with much better tires. But a second Prius wheel set was acquired last month, and already has new AS tires mounted. The original wheels will get true winter tires after the OEMs are retired in a few months.)

 

Persona series can ride hard, so if you have bad roads the 4 maybe better suited for an older person.

 

keep in mind, at $3./gallon for gas, your mom is not going to save any money over a reliable, safe $20,000. car.

 

As someone who works in Duluth, MN. I can tell you the severe cold will dramatically reduce mpg during cold months. This past winter was my first driving experience with a gen 2 I had purchased at the end of April 2014. My first experience of driving in snow/icy road conditions was a white knuckle drive. The slightest inkling of slippery road would cause the rear of the car to fishtail (drift). Some refer to this as wig wag. It was incredibly discomforting and thought I was going to lose control on many different occasions over the coarse of the winter. This past April I had the rear axle alignment checked and corrected with a toe shim on the RR wheel hub. I won't know if this corrects my winter driving experience until next season. Hopefully it does. This may be unique to my car and not necessarily a typical Prius design flaw. I can't speak for what a new Prius would handle like in winter conditions. Perhaps handling characteristics have improved substantially since the gen 2 platform. Btw, Tires are Goodyear assurance fuel max.

 

You may want to also consider "internet/phone/truecar.com buying a Prius plug-in out of State" if considering a Prius Four. I would go for 15" wheels/Michelin X ice tires for winter driving as stated by Harper42.

 

I recommend Prius to everyone. I got it just for the MPG's but came to really love the car and it's versatility. Can easy handle a family of 4 for a weekend trip or drop the back seat and load all kinds of things in it.

 

Totally agree. We actually drove to Florida in February, 5,200 km. round trip with 4 of us, and it was great. $166.00 for gas. Lots of strange looks from folks, due to all the salt on it, until we ran it through the car wash.

 

Same here. Michelin X Ice tires work great in the snow. I have them on steel rims to save money on switching them over twice per year. If I put them on by November 30th and leave them on until April 15th, I also get another 5% discount on car insurance here in Ontario.