Would a Toyota Prius be a good car to buy?

I found a used 2006 Toyota Prius with 24,000 miles. Its an automatic with keyless ingition and very nice features. No problems with it. What do you know about the Toyota Prius?Would a Toyota Prius be a good car to buy?Hi,



I'll give you lots of the basics to clarify what you are looking at with a full hybrid like the Prius. It's a bit of info, so stay with me (updated 3/19).



The Prius has been independently reviewed by Consumer Reports as their top pick for consumer satisfaction for the fourth year in a row based on responses from actual owners combined with their own testing. 92% of all owners say they would buy another, or recommend the Prius for purchase.



IntelliChoice just named the 2009 Prius again as the vehicle with the lowest total cost to own. This total cost includes initial purchase price, insurance, cost to maintain, and depreciation value.



It is a myth that the Prius needs more maintenance than a standard vehicle. Less maintenance also means less components in the vehicle and less to throw away or rebuild.



The Prius is rated an AT-PZEV, or Advanced Technology-Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle. The Prius puts out no emissions during part of the time it is driving and operating. This is the highest level of emission value, just under a purely electric vehicle.



Speaking for the hybrid batteries, there have been confirmed cases of less than 3% of all owners who have paid to replace their nickel metal hydride (NiMH) hybrid batteries outside of warranty.



That is 3% of over 1.7 million owners of Toyota/Lexus hybrids. There have been NiMH replaced due to accidents or owner abuse/modification that were not covered by Toyota, but those are rare cases.



Hybrids also use a 12 volt lead acid battery that will eventually break down, just like any other vehicle. But the hybrid battery is a nickel metal hydride one and they do not break down like lead acid batteries.



Our federal government has tested NiMH batteries from the Prius and discovered they still maintain 90% of their capacity after 100,000 miles. Look up the testing at the DOE website.



On to the maintenance of a Prius (these prices came directly from a Toyota dealership last year)...



The cost of operation of a 2006-2009 Prius is a little less than .10 cents per mile for each 100,000 miles of operation:



- There is no steering belt or steering pump, the system is electronic and uses electric motors. There is no belt to wear and no pump to lose fluid out of. No additional parts to replace or maintain.



- There is no timing belt, only a timing chain that is self-adjusting. No part to replace.



- There is no accelerator cable or cable linkage, once again, it is electronic. So there is no loss of acceleration over time from cable stretch and wear like on a standard vehicle. No additional parts to replace or maintain.



- The brake pads should never need to be replaced, they are hardly used due to the regenerative braking system. No parts to replace or maintain.



- You never touch the NiMH battery or the hybrid system, it is self-regulating. No parts to replace or maintain.



- The gas engine is not tuned up for 100,000 miles. At even 15,000 miles per year, that's about seven years. And then...



- four spark plugs run $12.00 each, four is $48.00 (the wires aren't replaced and there are no distributors because each cylinder has a direct injection module and they are not replaced)



- coolant is $15.50 a gallon and you need two gallons, or $31.00 (if you live in an extremely hot or cold climate, you might need to change the coolant 2X in 100,000 miles so figure $62.00 there)



- air filters are $18.00 for the engine and $25.00 for the cabin and are replaced every 15,000 miles. So over 100,000 miles, we'll go high and say 7 sets of air filters at $301.00.



- at 100,000 miles, inspect the wiring, change the oil (might as well, since you're there) lube, inspect and flush the brake lines, flush the coolant if necessary. It runs about $225.00, which includes parts.



- the sealed, continuously variable transmission fluid is not changed until 90,000 miles, about $140.00



- The OEM (Original Equipment from the Manufacturer) Goodyear Integrity's are about $113.00 each, installed. The originals are low-rolling resistance, specialty tires, just like a truck or sports car. They will last about 35,000 or so. Three sets of 4 OEM tires- over 105,000 miles- will run $1356.00 installed (3 sets of 4 at $113.00 each = $1356.00).



- Oil and filter changes every 3000 miles and tire rotations every 6000 miles, just like any other vehicle. Oil changes are about $26.00 and tire rotations are about $18.00, or about $884.00 for oil changes and $306.00 for rotations over 100,000 miles



So, over 100,000 miles, for regular service, a Prius should run about $3322.00, rounded to $3400.00, or about .034 cents per mile.



Gas at $3.00 per gallon will run about you about $783.00 (12,000 miles per year / EPA combined 46 mpg = 261 gallons used X 3.00 = $783.00, or $6500 over 100,000 miles).



I get 51.7 as a year long average with the AC and stereo on in the Upper Midwest.



Total the maintenance and the gas usage and you get about $9900 per 100,000 miles.Would a Toyota Prius be a good car to buy?Its a hybrid (petrol and electric motor), designed for fuel efficiency, but even then it's not very economical (they generally get about 30mpg, maybe a bit more, whereas a similarly priced and engined diesel gets 60 or 70mpg). You certainly don't buy one based on features and how it drives, you buy it if you are a self-proclamed "greenie", but diesel is ultimately more fuel efficient than any hybrid. And plus Priuses are way overpriced, and contrary to what you may think they don't have as many features as a conventional petrol car at the same price. You could probably get a better car than that for the price of the Prius.Would a Toyota Prius be a good car to buy?I own an '07, and while the fuel economy is nice, the main reason why I bought a Prius is because it is mechanically simpler and more reliable than a regular car.



The Prius transmission has all of just 22 moving parts. No clutch, no hot-running torque converter, no gear-shifting wear-and-tear like a regular car. Because of the simplicity of the Prius transmission, it is very low-maintenance with far fewer potential failure points than a regular-car transmission. How the Power Split Device transmission in the Prius works: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd



A side benefit of the PSD transmission is that it can use the electrical traction motor to brake the car, by turning the car's forward momentum into storable electricity. This regenerative braking saves wear on brake pads tremendously, which is why the Prius does not need a brake pad change until well after 100,000 miles.



The Prius has no timing belt, no alternator, and no starter solenoid/motor to wear out and need replacement.



Such mechanical simplicity means much less time spent in the shop for maintenance, and I love it.



And the hybrid system (including battery) is backed by a standard 8-year / 100,000-mile warranty (10 years / 150,000-miles in the eight states with California-standard emissions laws). Battery reliability is a non-issue, not with that kind of warranty covering it. And anyone who thinks the Prius battery need replacement every few years or "gets damage on the highway" knows absolutely nothing about the Prius.



The Prius is by far the most reliable car I've ever owned. After being spoiled by the low-maintenance technology in the Prius, regular cars feel downright primitive. I am never going back to a regular car.Would a Toyota Prius be a good car to buy?
Generally, it is a very good city car. Comfortable and v.economical. But if your journey consist mainly highway, it is better not to go for Hybrid as the battery will be damaged if it is always low in charged. Beside, it will also become addition weight.



I managed to achieve 25km/l while driving in Japan city and some highway.



Cheers, happy motoring