What to look for when buying a used Prius

[RedDevil]

You CAN get stunning FE from a diesel...

Marco is a hypermiler who wrestled 4.0 l/100 km from one of his Civic hybrids.
Long commutes and a light foot made him the most efficient driver on hondahybridclub.nl.
Then he got a Fit manual non-hybrid to 4.6 l/100 km lifetime FE.
Then he got a Civic diesel. Heavier, 1.6 turbo engine.... guess what?
https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/672350.html
3.35 l/100 km !

So, diesel it is, then? Can it even be better?
Depends on the definition of better...
In theory, VW's 1.2 liter turbodiesel can get better economy than that.
In practice it can only get that by overlong gearing and virtually no acceleration when not in turbo range. So you are downshifting a lot, cursing the day you got it.

I test drove a Seat Ibiza ST with that engine. Was cured instantly.
Test drive situation:
On the highway, in 5th gear, doing 50 mph, held up by heavy traffic a bit.
The traffic cleared.
Told my wife I'd show her how hard the Ibiza can accelerate in top gear.
Time passes.
She asks me when I'm going to show it, as nothing is happening.
I told her I was going flat out already for over 10 seconds.
"Let's get back to the dealership".
Beam me up Scotty, there's no life here

[Ecky]

4L/100km (58mpg) is not really all that hard in a Civic Hybrid.

Driving at constant speed, on level ground, in good weather, with a grille block, air dam, tires @ 50psi, otherwise stock.

[samwichse]

Originally Posted by Ecky

4L/100km (58mpg) is not really all that hard in a Civic Hybrid.

Driving at constant speed, on level ground, in good weather, with a grille block, air dam, tires @ 50psi, otherwise stock.

Agreed, I have the exact same car and I've got 72mpg (US) over similar distances.

[samwichse]

https://plus.google.com/117440165111...ts/UQZtx6fr3wK

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by mwebb

as a flagrant heretic to the religion of
prius
i question why bother ?

the VW TDi with PD with standard transmission is much better overall at everything than a prius

I don't blame you for being a Prius heretic, but I do blame you for liking anything VW.

What's the attraction with a vehicle way more reliable and easy to work on than any VW? What's the attraction of a vehicle that costs way less to purchase and to maintain?

VW is among the least reliable, most expensive to maintain brands. Just replacing spark plugs in my friend's VW is a nightmare involving removal of the intake manifold and specialized tools.

[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by Ecky

4L/100km (58mpg) is not really all that hard in a Civic Hybrid.

Driving at constant speed, on level ground, in good weather, with a grille block, air dam, tires @ 50psi, otherwise stock.

Yeah.
Well I can do 3.1 l/100 km on a trip if conditions are right in my Insight.
2.5 over prolonged stretches at 38 mph.

But there's cold starts, winters, bad weather, traffic jams, unfavourable trips.
So my lifetime FE is worse than Marco's lifetime FE of 4.0 l/100 km...!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

VW is among the least reliable, most expensive to maintain brands. Just replacing spark plugs in my friend's VW is a nightmare involving removal of the intake manifold and specialized tools.

VW used to be reliable and easy to mantain, but it's not the same anymore.

[S Keith]

Having replaced about 150 batteries and taking a lot of calls about other issues, here's what I tell friends and family (BTW, I own three):

If you're not okay with dropping another $2000 on a used Prius within the first 30 days of ownership, you don't want a Prius.

Short list of big ticket ($1000-2000) items:
Battery
ABS actuator
Transaxle
A/C compressor
Inverter

Lesser issues (300-1000):
Combo meter
Inverter Coolant Pump
3 way valve

While the Prius is VERY reliable, you can't expect high mileage cars to last forever, and hybrid cars have more failure points. Most of my battery customers have owned their cars for less than six months.

Regardless, do not consider purchasing any Prius unless it has immaculate maintenance records with receipts for any claimed replacement parts. If it wasn't a NEW battery, it doesn't count unless you can trace it to a reputable source who will honor any warranty that isn't some paltry 90 days or something.

Sorry to be a killjoy, but I have a pretty big sample size, and I have seen too many people who have found themselves in a tight spot because they thought they were getting a good deal.

Good luck,

Steve

[MetroMPG]

S Keith, thanks for the info -- I copied it over from the other current Prius thread to here.

Are you talking used or new prices for replacement parts?

Also, I'm not sure the "sample size" argument works. After all, your sample consists of people who had problems and self-selected you to help them, not the millions of owners who didn't have problems.

Regardless, that doesn't change the logic of your argument that some of those components are pricey if/when they eventually fail.

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by S Keith

If you're not okay with dropping another $2000 on a used Prius within the first 30 days of ownership, you don't want a Prius.

What age and mileage of Prius are you referring to?