The 2024 Toyota Prius offers a well-built, comfortable interior with comfortable front seats and a user-friendly infotainment system. While the interior may not be the most elegant in the class, it is well-built and features a traditional automotive cockpit. The Prius comes standard with 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back row and 50.7 cubic feet with the 60/40 split-folding rear seats folded down. The familiar Prius jigsaw pieces remain, such as a central driving data display, a touchscreen for navigation above the climate controls, and a chopped rear.
The interior is mostly steel, with some high-strength steel in critical places like doors and pillars. The front nose and rear bumper cover are mostly steel. The interior quality is much improved from the old Prius PHEV, with some hard plastic used. The cloth seats on the Prius are hard to clean and wear out quickly, so leather seat covers are recommended. Synthetic leather upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available. Ecological plastic is used for foam and injection moulded parts in the new Prius.
The Prius LE has fabric-trimmed front seats, a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, and a 6-way adjustable front passenger seat. The 2023 Prius XLE and Limited come standard with faux-leather SofTex material, while the LE comes with cloth. The interior offers cutting-edge styling, space-age features, and ample interior room.
📹 Is the Toyota Prius the Worst Car Ever Made
Is the Toyota Prius the Worst Car Ever Made, DIY and car repair with Scotty Kilmer. Toyota Prius car review. Worst car to buy.
What leather is used in car seats?
Nappa leather is a soft, smooth material used in car interiors to enhance a luxurious ambiance. It is commonly used by luxury automakers like Porsche and Bentley, but also by Hyundai and Toyota for more economical vehicles. Full-grain nappa is processed, dyed, and lightly embossed with the nappa grain, without surface defects being corrected. Correctioned Grain Nappa is an option for economical vehicles, where surface imperfections are corrected and the nappa grain is embossed, offering a slightly lower price but maintaining the same visual appearance.
Why are Prius cats so expensive?
The theft claim frequency for 2004-09 Prius models was over 40 times higher in 2020 than in 2016, according to HLDI analysts. The Prius is targeted for the precious metals in its catalytic converter, which require more metals for proper functioning. Catalytic converter thefts rose from 100 a month in 2018 to over 1, 200 a month in 2020 due to higher prices for platinum, rhodium, and palladium. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that catalytic converters from some models command higher prices from recyclers.
The frequency of theft claims for Prius vehicles was 58. 1 claims per 1, 000 insured vehicle years in 2020, compared to 1. 4 in 2016. Overall theft losses for Prius vehicles were nearly $137 per insured vehicle year, a 45-fold increase from $3 in 2016. In contrast, theft claim frequency for all other 2004-09 vehicles remained relatively stable from 2016 to 2020, with overall losses remaining about $7.
Which Prius has leather?
Both the Prius XLE and Prius Prime will offer superior performance and luxurious features. The XLE will feature an upgraded interior, including comfortable leather seats, ample cargo space, and a 10-inch touchscreen display.
Does Toyota use real leather?
Toyota SofTex® is a synthetic leather interior that is resistant to spills and easy to clean. It is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional leather seats, producing fewer emissions and requiring less maintenance. SofTex® is breathable and reflects UV rays, making it more breathable and absorbing less heat. It also has a special coating that reflects UV rays, reducing heat absorption. Leather seats absorb more heat from the sun due to their materials, while SofTex® is more breathable and dirt-resistant.
Both leather and SofTex® surfaces are highly durable, making them ideal choices for many drivers seeking a luxury ride experience. The 2020 Toyota 4Runner interior and exterior color options offer a variety of options to choose from.
Are Toyota seats real leather?
SofTex® is a lightweight, soft, and eco-friendly synthetic leather seat material that has been demonstrated to reduce CO2 emissions by 85 percent and VOCs by 99 percent compared to conventional synthetic leather. This makes it an ideal material for applications requiring wear and spill resistance.
Is Toyota SofTex better than leather?
SofTex is a synthetic material that is eco-friendly, emitting 85 fewer CO2 emissions and 99 fewer volatile organic compounds than leather. It is often cheaper than leather interiors, with the Toyota Sienna XSE having SofTex standard but requiring an additional $4, 000 for leather wrap. However, SofTex can be inferior to leather in some ways, as it lacks the richness and shine that leather provides. A properly maintained leather interior might age more gracefully than SofTex.
The information provided on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice or indicate the availability or suitability of any Capital One product or service to your unique circumstances. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional. The information presented is believed to be accurate at the time of publication but is subject to change.
How much precious metal is in a Prius catalytic converter?
It is typical for vehicles to contain between one and two grams of rhodium within their catalytic converters. High-end vehicles, such as sports cars and supercars, tend to have higher levels of rhodium, as evidenced by the Toyota Prius.
Why is Prius discontinued?
Toyota discontinued the Prius v production in 2017 due to shifting market preferences, the introduction of the Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius, offering greater electric driving range and potentially better fuel efficiency, and limited sales growth. The Prius v had a loyal following but never reached the heights of the standard Prius, making it a less desirable option for buyers.
Are Prius bumpers plastic?
The bumpers of Toyota and Lexus vehicles are manufactured using Toyota Super Olefin Polymer (TSOP), a polypropylene material that is lightweight, rigid, and impact-resistant. TSOP is used in both exterior and interior automotive parts.
What are Prius seats made of?
The Toyota XL is a compact SUV with synthetic leather upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front and rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. Standard features include an 8-inch touch screen, a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Wi-Fi hot spot, satellite radio, Bluetooth, six USB ports, a six-speaker stereo, push-button start, and automatic climate control. Additional features include a 12.
3-inch touch screen, navigation, an eight-speaker JBL stereo, wireless device charging, remote keyless entry, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a universal garage door opener, a fixed-glass roof, and a digital key. The infotainment system is user-friendly with modern graphics and prompt responses.
What rare metals are in the Prius?
The demand for catalytic converters is high, with older Prius models commanding the highest prices. The surge in metal prices is attributable to a confluence of factors, including reduced mining output, compounded by the global pandemic’s impact on production. This has led to a notable increase in the cost of metals such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium.
📹 How Big Is The Inside Of A Toyota Prius V?
This video provides measurements and dimensions of the interior space of a Toyota Prius V. The presenter demonstrates how much cargo can be fit inside the vehicle, including a surfboard, by moving the seats and measuring the available space. The video also shows how to maximize cargo space by removing the headrest and leaning the front seat back.
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My buddy’s head gaskets in his Prius finally went out at 700,000 miles. The dealership wanted $6,000 for the replacement. He bought the parts for $80 and took a Saturday learning about it from youtube and doing it and now he is still driving it and says it runs like new. It may be hard but stuff is a lot cheaper if you do it yourself.
I’ve been working at Toyota dealership service department since 2011. You know how many generators failures I’ve seen? One. On a 2003 gen 1. That’s it. Honestly we see more intake manifold failures on this particular generation car that is displayed in the article. Starting to see some rear suspension springs crack and break but not regularly. Maybe one out of a thousand cars have oil consumption problems. I’ve ran into 3 vehicles in the past 2-3 years with that issue. Other than that they are great cars to own. I own a 2012 and it’s been trouble free since I purchased it new. From everything I’ve seen working on Toyotas, nothing has deterred me from owning it. Ask me how I feel about Tacomas… that is a completely different story. Complete, rusted out shitboxes.
My 2005 prius with over 160k miles on it just had the battery pack go bad in 2018. yeah its expensive. But its an old car and its been trouble free until that battery went out. It still gets 45mpg or better. Mostly stop and go driving on this car. Its been good. When it has another major issue it will most likely just get sold off and replaced with a non hybrid camry or something.
Love you scotty, but I have to say: 1. The ‘alternator’ you talked about is actually motor-generator, which is an integral part of hybrid transmission. So the equivalent problem on regular car should be a ‘bad transmission’, not just a ‘bad alternator’. 2. Prius transmission is classified as eCVT, but it’s not the conventional CVT driven by belt and pulley. There is no pulley nor belt: the motor-generators act as electrically controlled ‘torque multiplier’. 3. Prius 3rd gen (shown in the article) is true ‘beltless’ car – there’s no ‘serpentine belt’ to drive waterpump and AC compressor. 4. Not many people talk about this, but because AC compressor is driven by electric motor, AC blows cold air even when the gas engine is off. The AC will run off from traction battery, and if your battery starts to run low, the engine automatically kicks in to charge battery. A couple minutes later, the engine shuts itself off and you’re getting cold air next 30 minutes without idling the engine. This is very cool feature for campers and people living in a hot climate.
Your nuts, Scotty. I work on these Prius cars for a living. We have seen miles on them up to 700,000 miles. We rebuild the batteries, and some of our oldest rebuilds are 7+ years…. no probs. There are certain years that have had more problems than others. But all in all…. we have had damn good luch with them. As far as a economy car goes…. I would much rather own one of these than any American (Chinees) made car. 😉
Funny I just came across this article a week after I replaced my entire battery pack on my 2012 Prius. Nowadays, you can get a complete refurbished/rebuilt replacement for about $1500 out the door, which is what I paid for mine. Each cell holds a healthy parallel of energy and came with a 2 year warranty. My ’12 Prius also has 209K miles. I’ve changed all four brake pads & rotors twice, spark plugs once, coolant once, tires twice, and of course, the main battery pack. For 7 years, 10 gallons of gas every 450 miles, and over 200K miles….I can’t think of a better, more economical/reliable platform than Toyota’s Prius.
I love you Scotty, but Prius is a car, that’s hard to kill, I wholeheartedly disagree with you on this one, and that’s a rarity I like your articles, I now own a Ford cmax enegi that practically pays for itself in gas saving over my crappy equinox that I traded it in for, love ya Scotty but this time you’re wrong sir.
My prius is 13 years old and this is the first year I have had to do any real maintenance on it. I had to replace a $2 fuse and tighten the bolts in a few places. Still carrying me at 40 miles per gallon in the city. I guess the seats are kind of worn down and i scraped the side on my trash can.. but can’t blame the manufacturer for that one.
Thanks Scotty, great review of the Prius. I worked for Toyota for 20 years and saw the intro of the Prius. It is a very, very reliable car. Most Uber drivers use them in the UK. I think it’s the perfect A to B car. It won’t let you down and costs so little to run. If you want fun from it though best look elsewhere!
I have 438k on my 2011 Prius. I did my first front brake job at 287k. Yes it was a Taxi. I had no problem finding a salvage battery from LKQ for $900. Never needed a new generator. It still runs great though it is now semiretired. For vehicle for hire it was the lowest cost per mile vehicle I ever drove as a taxi.
Taxi companies only care about the simple cost per mile, and the fact is that all cost analysis have said that purchasing a Prius driving it it’s entire life until it’s worn out and then buying a new one, the total cost maintenance and purchase is cheapest mile per mile with a Prius. 565,000. New wheel bearings, battery replaced with Bumblebee Battery $2,100 out the door lifetime unlimited mileage warranty on parts and labor. Oil changes and regular maintnence. These cars are simply the cheapest to own per mile, and are extremely reliable. Actually let him keep scaring you off so that we can keep these inexpensive cars cheap
Just today I watched a article on the ten most reliable cars. It seems that the time scale was reasonably long, not just the first couple of years and 6 were Toyotas and if you include Lexus it was 8. Three were Priuses. I’m still on my first 12V battery in my 8 yr old Hybrid Camry. It never has to crank the engine.
Everyone I know tried to talk me out of getting a Prius. It’s too expensive to fix it’s not “cool” you won’t know how to fix it…. Bla bla blah. I’m not a car guy at all so im almost 90% of the time going to hire a mechanic, hybrid or not. I got my Prius almost 9 years ago and never had a problem outside of regular maintenance. I went through some HORRIBLE Buffalo, NY winters, multiple drives to Florida, N Carolina, DC.. All over the place and she’s still going. 🤷♂️
I got a 05 with low miles and the battery went bad a year later. I just took it apart and fixed it just like all my other cars . Been two years now and still good . I have a second one with low miles a 2010 no problems for two years now . I think the Prius is a landmark car like the bug,model t, a outstanding design and use of engineering in automobiles.
Ugliest car but if you plan to use it for 10 years it blows every competitor out of the water. My buddy has had one for longer than I can remember and is not planning to get rid of it after 300k miles. He is using it as a mini work truck and everything still works! I think it paid itself more than a couple of times already.
Most of the companies that sell refurbished batteries sell them with a 3-5 year warranty by default. Costs anywhere between $700-$2000 depending on what you want to get. And anybody can swap out the batteries, hardest part is lifting them. Also, the generator rarely goes bad. The only model where the generators really go bad is in the first gen Prius.
I still have my 2011 Prius since 9 years ago. The hybrid battery broke down after 4 years and It ran on the gasoline engine for other 4 years without any issues, and it was running almost 300km/20Lt which is about 36MPG. Recently and finally I replaced the battery with a used Lithium one, and it is running currently with 52MPG. This is the most fantastic car ever.
I bought a used 2013 prius, the F150 now for dump trips and street bike collects dust. Prius interior heats and cools almost instantly, awesome stereo system, fits in tight parking spots, and only car I have had thats only needed oil change and tires over 3 years ownership out of 15 previous vehicles owned, no year around expenses on service centers… all around great car.
I think you can get like up to $5000 in tax credit if you buy a Prius Hybrid, if it’s new. Don’t quote me. Look it up. IF you use it for Rideshares (Uber/Lyft) you can take business miles for fuel, depreciation, and maintenance costs, or look up section 179 to potentially depreciate it out over a couple years.
I have a 2005 Prius with 365, 000 and counting. I bought it in 2016 when it had 286,000 miles for $3K. Original Hybrid battery and engine still in good condition. I get 44 mpg on average. So far, I have had the water pump, inverter cooler pump, and brakes changed once. Used primarily for rideshare in San Francisco up and down the hills. The only issue I currently have is the dash light that randomly turns off, and I can not see the speedometer. This car can easily run to 1,000,000 miles with regular service.
Again, thanks Scotty for helping to keep used Pri prices low. Have not heard of “generators” going bad on Pri. Most parts on this car are Corolla based including wheel bearings. I have 160k on my 11 year old Pri. Owned this car since mile 1. Only parts I had to replace: inverter water pump (under warranty), 12v battery (twice), oil/filters, tires, rear wheel bearings (twice due to my choice of cheap parts), head lamps, running light lamps. Also replaced plugs, water pump/belt, transmission coolant and radiator coolant based on age, not due to malfunction. Traction battery will be a big hit but car has more than paid for itself in fuel savings over 11 years. Compared to last car I owned that got 22/28 city/hwy, this car has made me about $1000 per year (in gas savings). I’ve paid for new traction battery 3 fold.
Multiple things here. Firstly, I have two Prius’ 2008 and my wife’s 2009 both over 260,000 Paid $3200/$3300 Best cars I’ve ever owned. Prius doesn’t get better mileage in the city unless you are a taxi service, my wife drives 4 miles to work, she nets 40mpg I drive 50 miles all highway and net 50mpg Scotty has a great website, but doesn’t seem to care about fuel efficiency. Never did he mention all the other features than that make the Prius environmentally friendly, so clearly his concerns are very different than most Prius owners concerns. Great website, just way off on the Prius
I owned 2 prius. 2010. With 175000. My second one 198000. No battery problems. Heres my problems. 1. Needed windsheild wipers 2 three sets of tires 3. Nothing else. 4 no brakes yets with 198000 miles. I dont drive like a nut. I drive the car up to 75 miles hour all the time. People ask other people who own priuses. We all love them. No headaches like other people talk about. Before i bought my second one I talked to the best technician at toyota. He said you should get 300000 miles easily without problems SO FAR HES RIGHT. Goid luck with your prius . We live our 2 cars
He’s right in some parts, but keep in mind that maintance is the key. Changing your transmission oil and regular is the key. Don’t drive like a crazy driver, these cars are not meant for that kind of drive. I had a Civic didn’t give the correct maintance so the car broke at 180k miles started over heating to a point I had to replace the engine and was not worth it. Lesson learned. So, any car you buy and you give proper maintance you will definitely have for a car for a good long term maybe 3k to 4k miles
I have a 2012 with 135,000 miles, it’s still basically brand new. I don’t need a new car, but I’ll admit I wouldn’t mind a newer car that’s a little taller to make it easier to get in and out… But, tough to take on a car payment when I have a great car that’s paid for and cheap to run. More money for motorcycle parts and trips! Hehe…
Scotty is correct 99.999% of the time but is wrong on this one. The batteries have exceptional reliability and will often last for 500,000 miles! Rated the most reliable car on the road. I have a 2013 Lexus CT200h which uses the Prius 3 drivetrain. Totally trouble-free. Good idea to change the transmission fluid around 80,000 or so and I change the oil every 8-10 thousand miles. And fortunately, these don’t have the terrible belt-driven CVT transmissions that have given the CVT a bad name. It has an eCVT which uses the electric motors, engine and planetary gear system.
Fantastic car. 375000 miles between 2 Priuses. Zero unscheduled maintenance besides tires. Change oil. Keep clean. Drive on. After 14 years, replaced 2005 drive battery with aftermarket model (for $1400) due to age of the unit. Works perfectly. These are Fantastic vehicles. Tow a 5′ x 8′ trailer routinely w/1000# load. MPG drops to 40mpg. Usually 45-50mpg. Scotty, I love you, but you dont have personal experience with a Prius. Easily, best car I’ve ever owned.
I am confused because I have had a Prius for 15 years and I have always got better gas mileage on the highway than in stop and go traffic. I seem to get the best mileage when there is some braking but can go at a good speed for quite a while. Don’t get me wrong, I got good gas mileage all the time, though.
I have to disagree on this one. My ’05 Prius has 205k miles, and still going strong. And imo it’s not even the mileage that’s impressive. I have almost 15 years on the original battery (to my knowledge), and it is showing virtually zero signs of degredation. I was up in Buffalo/Rochester during the infamous storm a few years back. It hit -60F in my area. Seemed like so many cars (even newer ones) were broken down, and mine started up perfectly fine! I had pretty much every common issue (clock spring, one wheel bearing, exhaust leak, PCV valve), but nothing too hard to replace myself, and nothing that was a deal breaker. Still not a money pit yet, and unless the cat, generator, or brake actuator go bad, it should be good for a very long time. I’m fine with replacing the cells every year or so when it gets to that point. And I really wanna break the odo at 299,999.
I’m an electronic engineer. If you know how this stuff works its easy. If you dont understand electronics and motors and how batteries work of course old generation vehicles are definitely easier to work on. I know i have a 95 ford f150 inline 6 with 400k and it runs like new, but then again its because i know how to maintain em. Just like my 205k 2011 prius that runs like new…
Seriously, I wish I had watched this article or found it before I bought my current Prius for $5K. I think I have already spent $2.5K on repairs on a variety of issues related to the electronics and other components. The hybrids are very complicated and time consuming to repair and the parts are very expensive. So whether you use the dealer or the local hybrid shop, it costs big money unless you got time to DIY on this which I don’t have. It’s not just the battery, there are a lot of complex electronic components that can go bad.
As usual your analysis is excellent, with a few caveats. There are several big ticket items on these cars such as the battery and the inverter (not called a generator). The inverter can, however, be replaced cheaply if you purchase a salvaged inverter (usually under $500). Inverters RARELY fail. If they fail within the 100K warranty period, which happened to my daughter, then you are set however the replacement is only covered for 12K miles. She sold her car after 14K miles after replacing the inverter under warranty. Probably a mistake in hindsight as these are actually great cars. In a non hybrid car, would you recommend against purchasing a car if the transmission or engine replacement was worth more than the value of the car? There is a big business in parting out a used Prius and selling these high value parts. Last thought: Taxi fleets have been using Prius vehicles for years with mileage regularly getting into the 200K-300K range. Typical high cost replacement is the traction battery and every cab driver I knew who replaced his/her battery purchased a refurbished battery at a significant savings.
I have to disagree. In our taxi company, we have Prius’ with over 500,000 miles on them. They are dependable, they have plenty of power, and they are not that expensive to maintain. The battery lasts for many years, and the replacement is around 3 or 4000 dollars. I have never heard of a generator going. Having said all that, we generally operate them for 4 to 6 years (though some of the owners flog them for much longer…). When purchasing a replacement, we don’t ever buy new. Usually, they are 2 to 4 years old. I agree, I would never buy a prius that was more than 8 years old.
Scotty, changing out thePrius traction battery – the big one under the rear seat – is about as complicated as changing a cell phone battery, it just weighs a hell of a lot more – about seventy pounds! And I don’t mean one of those glued-to-the-inside-of-the-unopenable-case smartphone batteries! you know a regular old flip phone battery. I’ve performed this operation several times. I took over my dad’s old 2005 2nd Gen Prius a few years back, he hadn’t driven the car in two years – the battery had bricked – he actually drove an Audi A8 with the W12 engine. Why would you drive the Prius if you are a single guy with a W12?? Just to keep the battery charged? Apparently Dad had other priorities. He gave me the car if I could get it running. So I did. It wasn’t difficult, it was just heavy. And, at the end of the day not that expensive if you don’t buy Toyota and you can change a cell phone battery – and a bunch of interior body work. A couple of hours. So if you are wondering, the first replacement battery was a cheap $600 refurbished battery that lasted – as I expected – a year-long-enough to save for a proper battery, which I did and have been going gang busters ever since. Just this summer I got 54mpg going from Northampton Ma to Bath ME with Dad in the passenger seat. I cannot complain at all, I just cranked over 50,000 miles; at the rate I’m going in another five or ten years something might wear out or break. At the moment all I’m not paying much for is gas and oil. It’s pretty great.
We got a used 2011 w 84k on it a few months ago. Loving it and my wife says she would never buy another brand of car besides the Prius. So far, so good and love it what the computer says we got 75 mpg on the road. Averages about 50 mpg around town. Our previous Subaru Forester got about 29 on the hwy. Can’t wait to take a long trip this summer.
Scotty, a properly rebuilt traction battery, balanced, is $500-$550. $3250 at Toyota. In Arizona the heat is the bandit. And even more costly repair is the brake actuator. $1,600 vs $2400 at Toyota. The Prius popularity has virtually eliminated finding one used under $5500. Keep up the great work young man. DJ In AZ.😎👍
I bought a used Prius 3 years ago. It is a 2003 Prius and it had 178,000 miles when I bought it for $1,700 . I haven’t put one damn penny in that car yet and I drive it every day, and it even made 12 trips back and fourth from Massachusetts to Pittsburgh. Hell, we hardly ever put gas in this thing. Really not one penny. We have over 200,000 miles on it now and it still runs great.
I don’t understand how this article doesn’t have more dislikes, it deserves it. Scotty only rants about every car that’s not his, and a few diy articles. 219k miles, main car, secondary cars break down and money pits, only change oil bi-yearly, tires and brake pads only ONCE! Everything original and been running smoothly since 2005. BEST CAR EVER MADE, period.
I have a 2008 Prius and I have over 206,000 miles on it. It’s still on it’s original battery. Still on the original transmission. I’ve had the brakes done once. Best car I’ve ever had. The only bad thing about the Prius is that it doesn’t do well in the snow. There’s no button to turn off the anti-skid device which turns off the power to the front tires the moment it feels a skid. This can be dangerous when going uphill. You can slide backward into the car behind you. Installing studded tires the day it’s legal to do so makes the Prius a snow champion. Of course, studded tires are expensive and you must remember to swap them before it becomes illegal to use them. Other than that, it’s been the most reliable car I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned Ramblers, Fords, Subarus, Hondas and Nissans. The average gasoline mileage is 51 mpg in the Summer and falls way down to 35 mpg in the Winter. By the way, I live in Maine.
I have 2017 Prius and I work with it almost every day delivery job.Bought the car with 47K on it,and now 91K. When I took the car last year,it was burning 55mpg. Now it burning 48-50mpg. Im worry about the HV issues.Reading the comments here and wondering how it may to be possible. Really interesting comments.The hope support the man.
Toyota has admitted in a California court that they have had 20,000 Prius Inverter failures on their 2014- 2018 Prius’s. Inverter failures costs thousands of dollars to repair. A better choice than a Prius is the American designed Ford C-Max. Comparable gas mileage, better interior room and more powerful than an risky Prius.
I own 2 2013 Toyota Prius’s. One regular, one C. Both have over 120k and have had zero problems. Regular maintenance and 1 front brake job each. By far the best Automotive purchases, I’ve ever made. They were hard on tires until I put Michelin’s on them. I’m not trying to tell you your business Mr. Kilmer, and while your articles are informative and mildly amusing, if you compare changing the alternator on a car, and diagnosing problems with the synergy system on a hybrid merely for entertainment value, you lose all credibility as a mechanic.
You can buy a 2004 to 2008 Prius for 1500. There has only been one repair I couldn’t easily handle myself, a fuel sensor deep inside. The part was nothing but I’m glad I had a mechanic friend who agreed to do it for $200, because Toyota would have charged 3 grand. 260 k miles and still running strong. Most cities have a battery guy who will sell you a battery for 500 with trade-in the first time and 300 thereafter.
my 2008 gen 2 Prius has been the most reliable car I have ever had; its not any more costly to maintain than a non hybrid and a lot cheaper on gas than a non hybrid. plus it hasn’t rusted like my toyota truck. still on original battery at 232k and i have no problem putting in a new battery if I have to. I just spent 5k$ on new brakes exhaust springs shocks tires and a bunch of other stuff and it drives like new, way better than spending $35k on a new car.
My family owned four Prius 2006 2007 2010 and 2014. 2006 sold when 165K only changed oil and tires. 2007 now 205 K only head light bulbs oil and tires, 2010 80K oil and tires same as 2014 65K oil and tires. The most reliable car. I think Prius brakes will last 250K miles. I used to own Pinto, Vega, Old Mobile Cutlass, Pontiac GTO, Volkswagen big, Volkswagen bus, Audi, Toyota Corolla, Datsun Maxima, Datsun B210, Lexus LS400, Camry, and Sienna All of those cars Rankings 1-Prius, 2-Camry, 3-Sienna 4-Lexus
I got my brand new 2012 Prius in CA for $18,000 after tax, fees and rebates. The greatest investment I’ve ever made in my life. It comes with a full size bed in the back that is great for traveling cheap with your girlfriend. If you are taller than 5’7″ (my height), then you might need to sleep diagonally to fit in the prius bed (or you can push the front seats forward). Currently about 240k miles, and zero problems (only changed oil, filters, and tires).
It might be bad, but I’ll raise you the Chrysler 200 as the worst. When I screwed up my truck, I needed something to drive. Anyway, I’m driving my father’s 2012 Chrysler 200. This car has been passed around in our family and when it gets problems, nobody wants to work on it, unless we paid up at least 200% of what job it is. It takes forever to change a tire. 3 alternators changes. When its cold outside and a not so strong battery, it won’t start, have to jumpstart it. I can go on… it’s bad.
Stay away from 2010-2015 and buy 2005 -2009 second generation. It will last 500000miles. The 2010 has a oil consumption problem, and 2010-2015 headgasket problem is common too. Battery replacement cost 600$ including labour or you can do it yourself for even less than that. If you dont use your prius or dont clean the battery vents your battery will die quicker.
I have a 2005 Gen 2, 234 000 miles. Original hybrid battery and that generator you mentioned (never heard that they had any issues). In last 16 (!) yrs I replaced the 12V battery (small but pricey AGM. Guess I paid around £160), inverter coolant pump (£38 + 20 minutes job), the break pads twice, spark plugs once and that’s it. I’ll do all the maintenance, cause it’s that easy. Engine oil and filters every 6000 miles (30 minutes job, so why to extend the intervals), gearbox oil every 35 000 miles (I use Toyota oil, expensive, but only need to do it approx every 1.5 yrs) same time I clean hybrid battery cooling fan and intake, the breather valve at the rocker cover, EGR and throttle body. As far as I know that’s the exact maintenance regime taxi and private cab users do on their million miles cars. What was your advice again, so that I can tell it to them ( cause you know better)? Ps. Oil consumption on the high side, needs to keep an eye on it and top it up. Even the cheapest superstore oils exceeding Toyota’s API SJ quality requirements for engine oil, so I use those, no problem. In the same 16 yrs, cause we have two cars in the family, we had another 5 or 6 cars come and go. Mainly because just couldn’t keep up with the maintenance costs. The last two were a Vauxhall Vectra C, and a Ford Kuga. Both of them kept costing us around 1000£/year for “normal” maintenance. The 5 yrs old has more rust the the 16 yrs old Prius. What was your advice, again?
Hey Scotty….I’m a courier with my own small company and I have several independent contract drivers who SWEAR BY PRIUS. They each have at least 200,000mi or more and these guys NEVER complain about unusual repairs, they almost never miss work and….they make more money because they have lower cost of business. PRIUS IS GREAT as far as I can tell. I’m a honda guy so take it for what worth.
I bought my hybrid brand new for $21,700 out the door. I can say it doesn’t really cost more than normal. It has drive sense 2.0, basically an SE model of the Corolla, best car ever. I pay $30/mth in fuel. I also owned a Prius C, never any issues. I average about 65 MPG even though it rated at 52MPG. The story you shared about a customer, that’s a rare exception. Scotty, when has a transmission ever gone bad on a Prius? How much do those cost to replace? You miss a lot of the wonderful points about Toyota’s hybrid platform. Also, there are different generations of the Prius. So which generation model/platform are we talking about with the friend that had the generator go out? Such an occurrence is rare. We are on the 4th generation incase you weren’t tracking. Toyota has done nothing but invest time improving reliability and fuel economy on these things. The company is committed. They plan to offer a hybrid in most all their cars offered by 2025. Hybrids are here to stay and I’m relieved. Too many garbage vehicles out there that have issues from day one. I’m I can guarantee you I’ve owned more cars (experience) than you have. Well, you are entitled to your opinion. Like I’ve said in the past, awesome website, but your advice on Toyota’s hybrid platform stinks. It’s one of the most reliable and trouble free platforms on the market. Electronics are here to stay. We can’t get that perfect 20+ year old Celica, etc that are much more simple to work on with a solid/reliable platform.
I’ve not seen a Prius that had to have the brakes done at 110k miles. My 2010 has 138k miles and the brake pads are still more than than 50% of new. And if you have someone sell one with 100k miles for $1800 than they were stupid. These cars are so reliable and can something go bad? sure, anything can happen but that is the exception and not the rule. And buying a hybrid just doesn’t cost much more than an ICE car now. Just like anything else, do the proper maintenance and it will give you 300-500k miles of trouble free ownership. And if you have something that isn’t worth a lot, sell it for parts and you can clean up. All of those parts you spoke of can bring in decent money as used parts. Just the CAT is worth a lot these days!
Scotty hates Prius because they don’t need fixing…so no money in them for a car mechanic. I’m getting over 60 MPG on my 2018 Prius 4 loaded with all kinds of technology that so far has worked flawlessly. I lease them but this one I will probably buy after the lease is up. Too nice a car to say goodbye to.
My Gen II Prius has 270033 and gets 46mpg. One battery pack replacement at 180K. We also have a 2012 Prius V and a 2013 Prius. I have nothing but praise for these cars. I’ve owned a 911SC, a corvette FRC and many other cars. For reliability you gotta research these Prius. I bet if we tied Scotty’s arms behind his back he would struggle to formulate sentences lol.
I bought my Toyota Prius c 2015 new off the lot with only 15miles on it. It’s now 2021 and just over 110,000 miles on it. And so far the only thing I had to change was a small battery that’s actually starts up the engine which is in the back seat. Which cost me new at Walmart $90 that’s including installation. And it just did regular oil changes every 5,000 miles. Best car ever 🙂!
Everyone here talking about how awesome their Prius is…. but nobody has owned one for more than 12 years. I bet it’s good for one a two years after you buy it used. Scotty is talking about experience and the real world when things do break down. I can already tell none of you had to take your car to the mechanic yet lol
Even though you save $6k on fuel a year. That 6k will usually go to labor for a new battery if it goes bad. That’s the bad part of the Prius. Is questioning how long the battery will last. Once it does it’s probably one of the worst thing to happen driving a Prius. Just make sure you save money specifically for a Prius battery and keep it in your savings if you plan to keep it. Or once the battery dies, sell it. But then again who will?
Decided to stop commuting 100 miles a day in my f350 DRW 7.3 power stroke and purchased a new 2019 Prius Been smiling ear to ear ever since. I am getting 74 mpg mostly highway and built in Japan. Toyota is the only car manufacturer my family members are allowed to own living under my roof. Don’t want to be bothered with car problems. The f350 I inherited and is a reminder of how terribly bad American cars are.
Scotty makes much of the cost of a generator repair. While he may be correct about the cost and complexity, what he misses is how rarely that repair is required. Furthermore he states the often repeated complaint about the cost of the battery. The cost of a factory replacement nickle metal hydride battery is about $2500. You can reasonably expect your battery to go 200k miles. What did it cost the last time you replaced a transmission? Did the $5000 cost teach you to never buy a car with a transmission? Of course not. But here’s another question. When was the last time you knew of a transmission failure on a Prius? It almost never happens. Look at the Consumer Reports used car buyers guide and you will see that the Prius is the most reliable car ever. How did Scotty miss that nugget? The people who complain loudly about a Prius are almost never actual owners. Read the comments of other Prius owners if you want to know how they really perform. I’ve owned 6 Toyota hybrids and they’ve never let me down.
2008, 212,000 miles. 52 mpg in the summer, goes down to 35mpg in winter. I live in Maine. I need struts for the first time. The only problems I’ve had with my Prius are in the snow. It’s not a good snow car unless I use studded tires. It has an anti skid feature that cannot be turned off. I plan on buying the new model which has all awd up to 25 mph. It’s been the most reliable car I’ve ever had.
I own an EV/HEV repair shop in Houston called “Priustec”. Prius is one of the most reliable car with the exception of the 3rd generation which will inevitably blow a head gasket around 200k miles but still pretty reliable for a car that can do 200k without a a major problem. For this reason I do not recommend buying a used 3rd generation Prius with high miles. You can buy a 3rd generation Prius C which is what I own and it’s got 353k miles with original engine and transmission. As far as the hybrid battery don’t worry I have them for 650 two year warranty. I figure a new one cost 35000 so it’s about 350 dollars per year so I charge 650 and that should give you 2 years piece of mind which is a fair deal, that way you can enjoy your Prius without breaking the bank.
Welcome to the Toyota Prius. Absolutely no styling. No cargo space and no room for people who weigh over 160 pounds. It looks like a cheese wedge in all its forms and sounds like a lawnmower when you step on the gas pedal. Oh, and if you bought one manufactured for California in 2011 to 2015, say goodbye to a bunch of money for a blown head gasket that’s bound to happen around 160,000 miles because they used sub-standard parts in the cylinder head. And it gets around 35 miles to the gallon, not 48. I seem to recall that Toyota came out and admitted they lied about the gas mileage. Oh and don’t forget the hybrid battery is going to go bad somewhere between 150000 and 200000 miles. But I will give it credit for one thing, the Crutchfield speakers sound really good and the later model “Prii” have a pretty good sound system
****Important: -> “Prius” should be the logo on Scotty’s t-shirt, it aligns with his view on cars, he just don’t dare to admit. ->Toyota did a huge-huge trick with the hybrid drive. -> While VW did cheating, Toyota did engineering. -> You cannot get any pertrol/diesel car run longer for less money. -> Cannot explain but I get superb MPG on highways too. Have a nice Toyota day all!
I bought my 2015 Prius used over 2 years ago with 27K for 13K and so far I have nothing but good things to say about this car. They are built in JAPAN, aerodynamic, smart, saves fuel, has no alternator or power steering pump to replace every few years, there’s no timing belt to replace either, you’ll probably never have a transmission breakdown cos it only has ONE gear!, you will not need to replace brake pads for like 150k (because of rejuvenated braking). I know they are complex vehicles, but remember it’s a Toyota and they are built to last. Scotty says try not to buy one used but honestly, what type of person do you think would buy a Prius? probably someone who would NOT drive it like a sports car BUT want to save fuel right? which means they are probably well taken care of than regular cars. So as long as you know who you are buying it from and mechanically check everything, go right ahead and buy one used with confidence. FYI even the best selling minivan on earth, the new 2021 Toyota Sienna ONLY comes in HYBRID!. what does that tell you?
Scotty I love you ….having said that it hurts me that you’re so negative about the Prius. I just bought a used one seven years old the battery is only three months old and I love my Prius. If you want to be truly objective why don’t you compare it to the GM Volt product or the Nissan leaf? This is the way things are going forward you’re smart enough to keep on top of it. Share it with us.
I have Toyota corolla fielder Hybrid 2018 and almost all same dimensions even litter bigger in few corners but the good thing in fielder is when you fold the back seats you get complete plain surface parallel to cargo so can use as sleeping bed for 2 person no need any modifications, just put mattress pillows and have a good night 🙂 one more good thing on fielder is flat roof top which is very easy to put big long roof racks, i use roof rack to carry my Micro light aircraft wing whose length is about 9 feet (folded and fully packed) weighing around 40KG .
Great article👍👍 I currently own the same prius. Im a bit over 6FT tall and in my lunch break i like to lay down to catch up on some reading. Its very relaxing and spacious can’t exaggerate how comfortable it is. Thanks for sharing this article for now i have new ideas on using the most out of my cargo space.
I would like to buy a used Prius, but how many miles is too many and what year? I am a senior and had hopes of seeing American once I retire. But, although a Prius would seem to help tremendously with afforadability of travel. I know nothing about buying one. Thank you for the educational article. Be well.