5 Years With A Prius

[Dizzo]

In a word, brilliant! But that doesn't mean perfect! I bought my 2007 Prius when it was 2 yrs and 9 mths old, it now has 138,000 miles on the clock. In that time it has had 2 repairs, a broken suspension spring and a replacement tail light bulb. The average mpg over that 5 years is 58.3, and that is 100% accurate, I always fill up and note the miles. The on-board mpg indicator can be very inaccurate, but overall on average is about 2 mpg optimistic. The mpg figure has improved each year, the last year being average 62.8. Whether that’s because the engine gets looser with mileage or because my
driving technique is improving I don’t know. A significant chunk of my driving is on motorways as I use the car for work. I knew very little about Priuses when I bought it, I just wanted an automatic that gave a good mpg. I just don’t understand why everyone doesn’t have one! I note that in most cities, including my city (Leeds), Pruis taxis are very commonplace. Here’s to the next 5 years!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Mine has had a harder life and hasn't been as reliable. Economy and comfort can't be beat for the price though.

And yes, I'm amazed at how many Prii are used as cabs in Leeds/Bradford. I fear you'll see less of them in the future as new sales are very very low. The Auris HSD Wagon might take the place of the Prius but many councils don't allow estate cars as taxi's, though rules for private hire differ.

Funilly enough I got a cab home from Leeds the other week and we talked about the Prius. He was keen to get one but just couldn't justify the extra cost of the car. I noticed his economy meter at about 35mpg tank average and did tell him if I got 45 mpg to a tank doing taxi work, I'd have been upset. Still don't think he believed me though.

[timberwolf]

Mine has had a harder life and hasn't been as reliable. Economy and comfort can't be beat for the price though.

And yes, I'm amazed at how many Prii are used as cabs in Leeds/Bradford. I fear you'll see less of them in the future as new sales are very very low. The Auris HSD Wagon might take the place of the Prius but many councils don't allow estate cars as taxi's, though rules for private hire differ.

Funilly enough I got a cab home from Leeds the other week and we talked about the Prius. He was keen to get one but just couldn't justify the extra cost of the car. I noticed his economy meter at about 35mpg tank average and did tell him if I got 45 mpg to a tank doing taxi work, I'd have been upset. Still don't think he believed me though.

You must have been upset fairly often during the winter months ;-)

[MEP's Yaris GS]

In a word, brilliant! But that doesn't mean perfect! I bought my 2007 Prius when it was 2 yrs and 9 mths old, it now has 138,000 miles on the clock. In that time it has had 2 repairs, a broken suspension spring and a replacement tail light bulb. The average mpg over that 5 years is 58.3, and that is 100% accurate, I always fill up and note the miles. The on-board mpg indicator can be very inaccurate, but overall on average is about 2 mpg optimistic. The mpg figure has improved each year, the last year being average 62.8. Whether that’s because the engine gets looser with mileage or because my

driving technique is improving I don’t know. A significant chunk of my driving is on motorways as I use the car for work. I knew very little about Priuses when I bought it, I just wanted an automatic that gave a good mpg. I just don’t understand why everyone doesn’t have one! I note that in most cities, including my city (Leeds), Pruis taxis are very commonplace. Here’s to the next 5 years!

Out of interest, care to expand on your motorway driving technique? Are you a 60mph on the cruise control sort of driver, 80MPH in the outside lane (on the autobahn obviously) person?

Just I'm normally a 60MPH everywhere person, but drove by the MPG display on the speedo around the M25 the other week, and didn't see much difference in MPG, but obviously made slightly better progress than sitting dead at 60.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I'm a right lane, foot to the floor sort of person and I won't release the motorway speeds I travel at, but I'd still get mid 50's to the gallon.

Other than seriously slow start stop and short journey city driving, it is almost impossible to get less than 45 mpg out of a hybrid. You would have to hammer it hard to get less.

[Dizzo]

I normally sit in the inside lane with the speedo indicating 65mph, but I know from having a separate satnav that the actual speed is around 60mph. I believe the slower you go on the motorways the better the mpg, this can be clearly seen when you're stuck in one of those interminable 50mph roadwork zones. You also do better sat behind something big to benefit from the drag, but obviously not too close! I use cruise control when the mway is quiet (rare these days) but I think I get more mpg than the cruise control does. I tend to speed up on the downhill gradients and slow down on the uphill. Prevailing wind seems to make a big difference, but there's not a lot you can do about that! Oh, and about every 4th tank I fill up with super-unleaded, and usually but not always the mpg is better, but not enough to justify the cost, i do it cos someone somewhere said it was a good idea!

[cbcdesign]

I have had my Gen 3 Prius for almost 4 years now. It goes back in a little over a month. Overall its been one of the best cars I have ever had though.

I will miss the reliability, the silent running in EV mode, the great around town economy, the HUD and the keyless entry.

I wont miss the wind and tyre noise on the motorway, the creaky plastics inside the car, the surfaces that scratch very easily and dirt that collects around the back end.

[johalareewi]

and about every 4th tank I fill up with super-unleaded, and usually but not always the mpg is better, but not enough to justify the cost, i do it cos someone somewhere said it was a good idea!

Super unleaded doesn't mean better mpg (there are a few threads explaining this in detail).

What it can do is flush muck out of the system that may have accumulated by using cheap unleaded.

There are cases where using normal unleaded in a hybrid and driving around town day after day resulted in a build up of muck in the EGR.

[barrycoll]

"I will miss the reliability, the silent running in EV mode, the great around town economy, the HUD and the keyless entry.

I wont miss the wind and tyre noise on the motorway, the creaky
plastics inside the car, the surfaces that scratch very easily and dirt
that collects around the back end"

Just out of interest cbc, what do you plan to replace the irrpelaceablePrius....with???

On European motorways, from Calais to Med, the road surface is whisper quiet, even on 17" rims....from Dover, north, it is rubbish

[Dizzo]

I'm hoping mine keeps going - when I bought it 5 years ago it cost me a shade over £10,000 and it was less than 3 years old with 18000 miles on the clock. I've just had a look on Autotrader and to buy one now around 3 years old with low mileage would be nearer £18,000. That's a big hike in 5 years!

[timberwolf]

Would that be a price hike of approx 16% for each year? I wonder if Toyota are back in profit?

[cootuk]

We've just finished paying the 5yr loan on our 2006 Prius bought ex-fleet from Bradford main dealer.

Again only a broken spring (never knew) as the only unexpected thing.

Air con still blowing wonderfully cold.

Best bit has to be the gearbox and the way power is delivered.

Unusual bonus is being able to snick it into EV at low speed when passing horses (quite a few horses/gypsys round our way).

I just hope it lasts out until the Tesla 3 becomes affordable secondhand.

But I am tempted by the Mitsubishi PHEV, or even a ragged old 2.0l Forester.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

But I am tempted by the Mitsubishi PHEV, or even a ragged old 2.0l Forester.

Outlander PHEV only makes sense if a lot of journeys are sub 20miles, any long journeys with only 30MPG in HV will soon outstrip any other financial savings.

[kithmo]

But I am tempted by the Mitsubishi PHEV, or even a ragged old 2.0l Forester.

Outlander PHEV only makes sense if a lot of journeys are sub 20miles, any long journeys with only 30MPG in HV will soon outstrip any other financial savings.

Have you seen the Outlander in the flesh, I saw one today and it's huge, I can see why it only does 37 mpg when the Battery has run down and it's in hybrid mode.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

But I am tempted by the Mitsubishi PHEV, or even a ragged old 2.0l Forester.

Outlander PHEV only makes sense if a lot of journeys are sub 20miles, any long journeys with only 30MPG in HV will soon outstrip any other financial savings.

Have you seen the Outlander in the flesh, I saw one today and it's huge, I can see why it only does 37 mpg when the Battery has run down and it's in hybrid mode.

I have, but that still seems poor imo, its also why I can't understand people looking at it as though its some sort of competition for the Prius or PiP, as it clearly isn't.

Don't get me wrong, its got its place in the market, for someone who needs a Chelsea tractor etc, but if someone is wanting a vehicle for low running costs the Outlander PHEV certainly isn't it, both in fuel use as a HV and general vehicle running costs such as tyres etc.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It's competition in that it's a PHEV.

The Outlander is proving amazingly popular and sold way more than Toyota sold PIP's or Prius's. Then there's the Audi e-tron that is a nice car and again the waiting lists prove people want them.

Why aren't people queuing up for the PIP? It's very fuel efficient, but it costs way more than it should. You'd need to save a heck of a lot of petrol to make up the extra cost. But as we've all said to the diesel fan boys of past, it's not all about fuel economy.

Toyota dropped the ball with the PIP pricing. Let's hope the gen2 PIP/gen4 Prius is a game changer or many hybrid minded owners will be teased away by the competition.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

The only place Toyota dropped the ball is in not offering a basic entry level PiP imo, spec wise if you want PiP spec in an Outlander you're looking at £40k!

It'll be interesting to see how the outlander (and other PHEVs for that matter) fair the test of time with durability and residuals etc.

[Duffryn]

And - banging on with my pet gripe - when did you ever see Toyota advertising the Prius with any in-yer-face gusto?

Not sure whether it's complacency, disinterest, lack of motivation or what, but Toyota should have really pushed on with promoting the Prius like no other, considering the initial brilliant cutting edge design and engineering that they came up with.

Toyotas' advert :- Toyotas' Hybrid Family - Auris, Yaris.....and.......and........um nowt else apparently.

[cbcdesign]

barrycol: I was very interested in the new Gen 4 Prius but it got pushed back by 6 months and the Auris lacked features I cant live without so I have gone down the VW group route this time around.

I have not given up on Toyota entirely and next time I may well go back to them but I think they need to up their game on UK spec cars and be more competitive if they want to retain market share.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

And - banging on with my pet gripe - when did you ever see Toyota advertising the Prius with any in-yer-face gusto?

Not sure whether it's complacency, disinterest, lack of motivation or what, but Toyota should have really pushed on with promoting the Prius like no other, considering the initial brilliant cutting edge design and engineering that they came up with.

Toyotas' advert :- Toyotas' Hybrid Family - Auris, Yaris.....and.......and........um nowt else apparently.

I bet they're going to drop the Prius when the gen3 gets end of life, or just import the PIP version. The US gen4 is going to be built in the US, so what's the betting it'll become overly large and less economical?

Sad thing is, the Prius is actually very economical and does achieve the EU test ratings. The Auris and Yaris seem 'tuned' for the test and don't get anywhere near the rated mpg's.

Toyota have invested heavily in a UK hybrid manufacturing plant and want to encourage those models. But are they going the right way about it? Hmmm.

Anyhow, hybrid is sooo 20th century now. lol. BEV and PHEV is the way it's going and some of those can be had a really competitive pricing and in 2/3 years time when ex-company cars him the dealers, it'll be time for a bargain.

Toyota bang on about their 5 year warranty (which is good and no quibble), but you now pay royally for it. They seem to be losing the loyalty of existing hybrid owners and new owners just don't like the interior build quality when compared to the Germans.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

We've just finished paying the 5yr loan on our 2006 Prius bought ex-fleet from Bradford main dealer.

Good Lord is it really 5 years ago when you came on here umming and ahhing about getting a Prius? I remember you asking all those questions. I knew you wanted one but you were just a wee bit unsure. Now you're converted lol.

Next stop a BEV?

[cootuk]

I think the car has aged better than me lol

[kithmo]

next stop hydrogen

[MEP's Yaris GS]

next stop hydrogen

Still makes me smile at how many think this is the case - nowhere near sustainable unfortunately.

[kithmo]

next stop hydrogen

Still makes me smile at how many think this is the case - nowhere near sustainable unfortunately.

It may have been feasible if the refuelling infrastructure was already there, the fuel cell vehicle technology has been around for a good 10 years or more already. I reckon it'll be at least another 5-10 years before it even becomes possible to run a H2 car here up north, maybe if and when the normal petrol stations start having H2 pumps on the forecourt.