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Prius


Scarlett
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Got a 2006 a couple of years ago. We did have to replace both batteries at 8 years. One you can do yourself (dh did with online references). The other you still have to go to the dealer for. I think the battery was 4K. While expensive that's been the only expense and we knewvit was coming. Yes, I really like this car.

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I've only test driven one. No, I didn't even test drive it. I sat in the drivers seat, realized I could barely see out of it for all the blind spots, and am now wary when I see them. As a driver they make me nervous and as a cyclist I can't stand how quiet they are. Not a fan.

 

And we get better mileage in our Jetta. :)

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I have a Prius and I love it.   So much so that we got a used Highlander Hybrid.

 

The battery that is expensive is not like in one in a regular gas car.  This is the battery that is the brains of the operation.   So, when you replace it it's somewhat like getting a new transmission.  That is why it is expensive. 

 

That's great at your son wants one!  Esp. so because they are not known for their sportiness.    Sometimes when I'm trying to get on the highway going up a hill I feel a bit like I'm on a lawn mower...   I can go fast, don't get me wrong... but it certainly doesn't have the same pep as a traditional 4 cylinder gas car (or even my Higlander). 

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Wow didn't know the batteries were so expensive! Thanks for that info.

 

Ds fell in love with the 2012 red Prius we looked at.

I expect battery price will come down now that there are more hybrids on the road and more than one company making hybrids. Battery life is supposed to be 8-10 years. So, you can plan on the expense. really, the big issue is only model of hybrid that's been around long enough to go through needing a new battery is the Toyota Prius. Now, there are hybrids from several makes on the road so the monopoly on being able to service this is ending.

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i have one--got it last november, a 2014, last one on the lot. I LOVE it. LOVE it. LOVE it. It makes tremendous mileage (about 480 miles on a full tank on 10 gallons) and I will never have another car, I don't think. There are garages that will replace the battery less expensively--theres one near us I believe--that have good reputations. My friends who have one say they replaced their battery around 8-10 years in.

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Yes and we love it. Not only do we get 50 miles to the gallon, but the trunk is huge. We have a blue one with tan interior. Do not get one with tan interior. It's a Toyota so of course it's fabulous. It tops out at 106. ;)

 

Why no tan interior?  We have two cars with tan interior so DH opted for black with our Camry Hybrid and I hate, hate, hate the black.  It shows EVERYTHING and is really hot in the summer.  I wish we had gotten the tan.

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Why no tan interior? We have two cars with tan interior so DH opted for black with our Camry Hybrid and I hate, hate, hate the black. It shows EVERYTHING and is really hot in the summer. I wish we had gotten the tan.

The prius fabric is different than the fabric and other cars. Our car looks dirty all the time.

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I am not a car person. To me, they are entirely utilitarian. I need 4 doors, 4 wheels, and a reliable engine & other than that, couldn't care less what I drive.

 

Until I got my Prius.

 

I LOVE my Prius. LOVE it.

 

I love the 50 mph gas mileage. I love the different design of it. I love the fact that 4 of us can ride comfortably in it (and we have a regular Prius).

 

A lot of Prius can be driven 200K. I only have 60K on mine, so I'll have to let you know on that.

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I've had a 2013 Prius IV for 8 mos now and I really love it. Dh and I both want to drive it, but I usually win because I drive more miles during the day. He gets to take the minivan to work now, lol.

 

The mileage is amazing, especially in eco mode. It's sluggish in that mode though, so it takes some getting used to. I'm not a peppy driver, so I'm fine with it. I do like the power mode when I need it, and that is quite peppy. Being a data-happy kind of gal, I love the displays that show you in real time exactly how much gas you are burning. It changes my driving in ways that annoy my teen-aged son greatly😀

 

I have heard complaints about the comfort of the regular driver's seat. Dh insisted on looking for a IV or V so we could get the fake leather and power adjustable seat. It is quite comfy.

 

One of my favorite things is the keyless entry. I keep a fob in my purse and never take it out. Whenever I drive the minivan now I stand there helplessly trying the locked door until I remember I actually have to get a key out and push something. I like that it won't let me lock the fob in the car too. A lot. Other cars probably have keyless entries too, but it's a first for me and I love it.

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We traded in our '94 Camry when it was old enough to vote and bought an '06 Prius in '12. It doesn't have quite the pick up of the V6 Camry but is still fine. I do a fair bit of urban freeway driving with short merges and weird left side zipper merges and it has never been an issue. Mechanically it has been bomb proof. We got 300k+ out of the Camry, I'm hoping for similar from the Prius. Our battery pack is still solid despite being in cold, cold MN. I expect to have to replace it in the next couple of years... I budgeted that $3K in when we bought ours used and it still had a much better total cost of ownership than anything else we looked at.

 

With DW's new job we are probably going to have to buy a second car soon and will buy another late model Prius... hopefully we can find a jauntier color than silver this time.

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We have a 12 Prius and while I don't *love* it, it does what it's supposed to do, which is save money, and it doesn't have a serpentine belt, so that's nice, and the first five services come with the car, so that is nice. HOWEVER, the batteries are not the only big expense. It needs special tires to get the good gas mileage. They are more than 700 on sale. 

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We have a 12 Prius and while I don't *love* it, it does what it's supposed to do, which is save money, and it doesn't have a serpentine belt, so that's nice, and the first five services come with the car, so that is nice. HOWEVER, the batteries are not the only big expense. It needs special tires to get the good gas mileage. They are more than 700 on sale. 

 

whoa!! I never paid that much for my Prius tires.. Is that because it's a '12?   That's a lot of money for tires.

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We have a 12 Prius and while I don't *love* it, it does what it's supposed to do, which is save money, and it doesn't have a serpentine belt, so that's nice, and the first five services come with the car, so that is nice. HOWEVER, the batteries are not the only big expense. It needs special tires to get the good gas mileage. They are more than 700 on sale.

We got tires this year. I think I spent 500. I've spent close to that on my other car. Tires are expensive. I expect that for any car.

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I'm a big Toyota fan here.  I bought my 2010 Prius new and have 130K miles on it.  I love it.  Over the life of the car, I have averaged 55 mph. I do a lot of highway driving, but it's varied between 55mph and 75mph. I get significantly better gas mileage at 55mph.

 

Repairs. It seems to go through tires more quickly than other cars.  I don't pay much attention to comparing. Regular oil changes are more expensive because of the synthetic oil, but you only have them every 10K? 12K? miles.

 

Someone mentioned the blind spots.  That's true, visibility out the back window is pretty poor.

 

There's tons of leg room and space, even in the back seat. My grown kids (including my 6 ft, 200 lb. ds) prefer the space and comfort of the back seat of my car over my husband's four door luxury German sedan.

 

My son also prefers driving my car to driving my husband's car, I guess in the comfortableness of the controls and smoother gas/braking.

 

Negatives.  While the stereotypical Prius driver is a treehugging vegan liberal, the vast majority of drivers I see are old men with gray hair.  ;)

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