Your Opinion on Used Prius

tooblue on 25/07/2017 - 12:23
Last edited 25/07/2017 - 14:54 by 1 other user

I am after a used car for my parents. Most of the time there are only them two in the car to shopping centre and visiting me (10 min motorway). Initially we are looking at Camry and Accord around 2007 but noticed Prius is around the same price range. Budget is $5000~$8000, can stretch a little.

Prius Pro:

  • Fuel consumption;
  • Quietness;
  • Toyota reliability;

Prius Con:

  • Safety;
  • Battery life (although many reviews say the battery is going strong even after 300,000KM);
  • Maintenance and service (only Toyota dealer can do it);
  • Parts not easily sought compared to Camry and Accord;
  • Too many ex-cab not many privately owned Prius on the market;

What's your opinion on the Prius? And what kind of Japanese car should my parents have?

Poll Options

  • 10
    Camry / Accord / Mazda6
  • 5
    Prius
  • 1
    Jazz / Yaris / Swift /Mazda3
  • 19
    Other
Automotive

Comments

  • Nugs on 25/07/2017 - 12:28

    is air bag part of recall?

    • Baysew on 25/07/2017 - 13:11

      Not for Prius.

      Toyota Corolla, Avensis Verso 2000-2004
      Toyota Echo, Rav 4 2002-2003
      Toyota Echo, Rav 4 2003-2005
      Toyota Corolla, Avensis Verso, Yaris 2003-2007
      Toyota Avensis Verso, Yaris 2007-2008
      Toyota Corolla, Yaris, Avensis Verso 2006-2011
      Toyota Corolla 2003-2005
      Toyota Corolla, Yaris & Rukus 2010-2012
      Toyota Echo, Rav 4 2002-2003

  • Skramit on 25/07/2017 - 12:30

    You haven't mentioned max budget…. that will help.

  • plmko on 25/07/2017 - 12:42
    +1

    Battery isn't as expensive as you think, many places can replace just the cells. Go ask some of the taxi drivers, their place may even do the servicing.

  • pantsparty on 25/07/2017 - 12:56
    +5

    Is there really a point of buying a hybrid given the low mileage they will probably be doing? They will hardly spend anything in petrol anyway. I would buy a non hybrid car - something reliable like a Corolla.

  • kelkel108 on 25/07/2017 - 13:05
    +2

    I drive a 2007 Prius, the hybrid battery died around 230000km, currently about to hit 270000km
    Fuel consumption is great, currently at 4.4L/100km, full tank can get you at least 900km
    Maintenance and service, you can do it in anything normal mechanic shop. I've never gotten mine serviced in a Toyota dealer
    I've never changed any parts that was hard to come by except for the hybrid battery.
    But things like the front lights are quite hard to change since everything is so compact together.

    • bobbified on 25/07/2017 - 13:21

      I drive a 2007 Prius, the hybrid battery died around 230000km

      Do you mind telling us how much it cost to fix/replace the battery?

      I'm a bit curious because I saw the Tesla in the Myer in Bourke St mall and the price, if I remember correctly, was around the $160,0000 mark! In my mind, it'll take many years to break even with the amount saved on petrol. And during those many years, if the battery happened to die…

      • kelkel108 on 25/07/2017 - 13:29
        +2

        Cost me around $800, don't know abut Tesla though

        • bobbified on 25/07/2017 - 13:32

          That's nowhere near what I was expecting. I was thinking it'd easily be in the thousands! Was that to replace the whole battery?

          From my Googling around in the last few minutes, it seems the Tesla S battery is around the USD$45K (!!) mark, but everyone seems to think it'll get cheaper as they produce more - not sure how much cheaper it can get though.

        • gmail92 on 25/07/2017 - 14:05

          @bobbified:

          A tesla is not representative of a consumer electric vehicle like a Prius. They are in different leagues.

        • bobbified on 25/07/2017 - 14:12

          @gmail92:

          The cars itself may be in different leagues - one is a "common" car (prius) and the other is a "sports" car (Tesla S).

          But the battery technology isn't going to be much different.

        • scrimshaw on 25/07/2017 - 16:54
          +1

          @bobbified:

          the reason why the batteries are cheap is because the Prius from 2007 doesn't use lithium. It's nickel metal hydride… the same kind of tech used in consumer rechargeable batteries

          Nimh is much cheaper than lithium but has far less power density

        • bobbified on 26/07/2017 - 08:59

          @gmail92:
          @scrimshaw:

          You're right guys - think my wording didn't come out the way I intended it to.

          What I was trying to say is the battery technology is quite limited so there are very few options in the type of battery to be used.

          The battery technology we have today is one of the biggest limiting factors in the development of portable electronics and advancement is so slow compared to everything else.

          On a per kW basis, there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference in price.

    • whooah1979 on 25/07/2017 - 17:21

      Fuel consumption is great, currently at 4.4L/100km, full tank can get you at least 900km

      not bad. we filled our vehicle on friday and drove to canberra. then to perisher > thredbo > back to canberra > sydney. work yesterday and today. the last check was >1200km and still got one quarter on the fuel gauge.

      • samojed on 25/07/2017 - 18:08
        +2

        what do you drive?

      • kelkel108 on 26/07/2017 - 09:34

        I live in Western Sydney, drove to Gold Coast once, got there and the lights just started flashing. That's around 900km
        What do you drive?

  • JimmyF on 25/07/2017 - 13:09
    +1

    How is the Prius safety a con? Even the early itech models came with ESC, side airbags, and had a good crash rating for a car its age!?

    • tomleonhart on 25/07/2017 - 13:18
      +1

      Yeah a bit strange. I thought Prius is a 5/5 ANCAP :-/

    • Euphemistic on 25/07/2017 - 13:24

      Additional risk of lithium battery fire?

      • JimmyF on 25/07/2017 - 13:29
        +3

        zero risk of a lithium battery fire. The prius doesn't use lithium batteries.

        and yep at the time of release, it was a top rated car by ANCAP.

  • badonde on 25/07/2017 - 14:24
    +1

    I was hesitant but very happy with my used prius.
    For some of the reasons you mentioned, the used price can be pretty low.
    So if you get one with low mileage, it'll be a bargain and last a long time if well maintained. My mechanic said they just keep on going if you do the maintenance.

    Also regarding the cells, have owned two 2004 prius and never had any issues at all. If the battery issue does come up (which from research I haven't seen any instances of this for a car under 300,000k) you can (as said above) just replace the dead cells quite cheaply.

    I think pantsparty has a good point in that if it is rarely used, it could be "simpler" to just get a corolla etc.
    However, if you can get a prius for the same price (or cheaper!) - they have better build, stereo, safety etc imo so why not?

    One thing to watch out for is the service history (as always) and recalls. You can call any toyota dealer and they can tell you if that car has had all of its recall work done.
    Many of them were minor issues but if not carried out could lead to trouble down the road.

    Good luck!

  • Kangal on 25/07/2017 - 17:47
    +1

    Just get an old Falcon on Gas : )

  • Findo on 25/07/2017 - 20:21
    +3

    If they don't drive it much, fuel economy shouldn't be a factor. Why not get the most comfortable and safest car for the price you're looking at?

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