wackjum

And I'm really sorry I made fun of them for so long.

What a great little car. I'm getting 41-43 miles per gallon across the two fill-ups I have had already. It has more torque and getup than any econobox I have driven. It is also pretty roomy for the size. Its a technological marvel that reflects an understanding of the main causes of ICE inefficiencies.

Handling is better than I thought it would be. A lot of it probably has to do with the small size, but the big battery pack that is low and center probably gives it a little better balance than most other small econoboxes.

There are a few big negatives. The car has a lot going on, alternatively turning on and off its gasoline and electric motor. As I drive it more, I am picking up the car's logic and I can sort of guess what its going to do, but if you are a sensitive driver, it can be annoying.

But by far the most annoying thing is the brakes. The car can stop very well, approaching sports car level braking, except it is completely inconsistent when this will happen. Sometimes you touch the brakes and the seatbelt chokes you from the deceleration. Sometimes you are on the brakes and uncomfortably sailing along. I have read it is has something to do with the regenerative braking and the system varying the levels to prevent overcharging. If you're looking for consistent pedal feel and performance, this car is not it.

Finally, the last thing I find disconcerting is the complete lack of mechanical information. I know it is a hybrid so certain information is unnecessary, but I don't like knowing nothing about the gasoline engine that is still the main source of power for the car. I don't have a tachometer, a temperature gauge, or oil pressure.

Getting away from the drivetrain, the car has a massive A-pillar that I find annoying. Visibility is not too bad out the back but also takes some getting used to because a spoiler splits the view into two separate windows. The "leather" seats are below average in quality and comfort, but my basis of comparison is luxury brands.

Finally, the last bit of ownership experience I want to touch on is perception on the road. I get zero respect in this thing. If I signal to change lanes, nobody will let me in. Most other drivers will accelerate to get ahead of me. It doesn't even matter if I am going as fast as they are. It seems the assumption is, I'm not letting that Prius get ahead of me and slowing me down. But the car itself encourages you to drive slowly. Sometimes I look down at the instantaneous fuel readout and notice I am getting 15 mpg and it becomes almost impossible to not want to back off.



So I have done a lot of thinking, now that I have been introduced to one possible future of car technology. For the majority of drivers, like ones who can drive on busted motor mounts or a bad alignment without a clue, they're not going to care about the quirks of the hybrid drive train. They don't care about what's going on with the engine. They just want to get from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible.

It also makes me realize the future of car technology doesn't really have room for enthusiasts. And with quality machines like the Prius, I can sort of see why.

ttribe

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Jakes_tl

Which prius did you get? I know there are a few different models.

wackjum

I bought a 2008 Prius Standard fully loaded. It was one of the last years for the 2nd gen.

I bought it off of a friend's dad who owns his own construction company. He had this as his company vehicle, driving it around to inspect his various projects. It had 273,000 miles (!) and I got it for $2,000. He had taken it to Carmax and they offered him $1,500. He told his son if there was any better offer, he'd do it.

I bought it sight unseen, knowing it had no A/C, bad mileage, and a ton of warning lights. He suspected it was in need of a new battery pack, something his mechanic told him would cost $4,500.

I met him at his house, bought it, and drove it home (reliving my high school days when my car at the time also didn't have A/C). Sure enough, the dash was lit up with a million warning lights, including ones I had never seen before.

After I got it home, I took out my voltmeter and measured across a few points, and came back with 11.5 volts. From reading online, I knew the optimal voltage should have been around 13.8 so I knew there was a charging issue.

I opened the hood and discovered the coolant bottle for the inverter was bone dry. The inverter was overheating, shutting down the charging system and causing the car to enter limp mode. I filled it up with water and let it for about 30 minutes. I came back, and the level had gone down so I filled it up again and waited again. Finally I topped it off a third time and this time the level stayed constant. I turned on the car, and to my amazement, I started seeing turbulence in the coolant bottle. The impeller blade still worked, despite having been run dry for who knows how long!

I let it circulate for a few minutes. Then I got in and drove it to the mall (to pick up an online order from Best Buy). All the warning lights had turned off, A/C was back, and I've been driving it as a daily ever since.

Very reliable and tough little thing.

wackjum

Oh yeah. There is a recall out on the car where the inverter impeller develops a slow leak that can cause the coolant to drain. The recall had not been done yet, and is probably what caused it to run empty.

I already have an appointment scheduled for later this week. Toyota's going to fix my 273,000 mile Prius's problem for free. This car has been my deal of a lifetime.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

how many cars do you have now?
wanna give one up?

NBP04TL4ME

So for a little diagnostic work and some water you got a functional car for $2K. Not bad I guess. Not sure I would have done the same - well no, I'm sure I wouldn't have. Good luck with it.

Please do us all a favor and stay out of the left hand lane -

wackjum

Signature block only allows me to list 5 cars. I had to take one off in order to add the Prius. But I own 6 cars.

In my spare time, I buy fixer uppers and flip them. I was intending to do the same with the Prius, but I like it so much its going to join the stable. I have two other cars right now that are not listed that while I technically own, they're just for flipping.

wackjum

I don't even drive in the left with my 911. The left is just a cop magnet around here.

thoiboi

OP, you're in Texas, of course you'll get ridiculed by having a Prius!! MOVE TO CALI YOU HIPPIE!
Priuses get no respect, it's definitely true.


I think you're on the right track with the braking, it makes sense to me


That was a damn good deal plus you're saving on gasoline too! (not that gas is expensive in TX...)

Congrats on the great economical buy! You balanced out the universe with your 911 and a Prius now...

NBP04TL4ME

^^^

wackjum

$23 to fill up after racking up 419 miles. I drive about 400-500 miles a week though, so I will definitely be seeing a reduction in my fuel bill. I'm loving it.

Also, don't forget I have a modded XTerra on mud tires that gets 16 mpg.

Now I'm just wondering if the universe will explode if I put an NRA sticker on the Prius.

thoiboi

Bruhhhhh, go big or go home, get a gunrack on that sucker too

THEN maybe they'll allow you to switch lanes.

wackjum

Guns, gun racks, and ammo are heavy. I'm trying to hyper mile.

thoiboi

so are batteries


PRIUS WEIGHT REDUCTION THREAD?!?!??!!

NBP04TL4ME

Still kind of crazy how you avoided a $4500 bill. Maybe you should flip it back to your buddy's Dad for $4K. That would be a quick and easy flip.
Don't think the NRA sticker would be a good idea -

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

OoO what other vehicles do you have for sale? i might be interested

wackjum

He bought a Camry Hybrid the same day.

I actually called him and told him his mechanics are idiots and to never bring a car back to them again. He was very appreciative of the information, and didn't seem to regret giving up what was really a perfectly functional car.

I think I'm going to keep driving the Prius for now since it will probably cut my fuel bill in half and far outweigh any money I'll get from it for reselling it. They're used as taxi's and seem to break 500,000 with minimal issues.

wackjum

One thing is the dealership only replaces things. The battery pack is made up of individual cells that may go bad over time. You can replace the cells for about $50 per cell and extend the life of the battery pack indefinitely.

I was partly inspired by this guy who fixed his Camry Hybrid for $10 when the dealership wanted a battery replacement.

A "plus" if you're into car repairing is that Hybrids aren't really owned by car people so if things go wrong, they may dump the car for cheap.

How to fix a $4,000 hybrid battery problem with vinegar and baking soda

thoiboi

https://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/580459...-the-left-lane

just read this today

oonowindoo

are you going to do a Prius photoshoot with the same girl?


I know it is a DD beater and all but.....

at least get a license plate frame that says "My other car is a 911 Turbo"

black label

Good idea, the cops will never notice your SPEED(ing) yellow 911 if it's not in the left lane

NBP04TL4ME

ttribe

neuronbob

Congrats on a hell of a deal, even if it is a Prius.

wackjum

I'm probably better off just doing a photoshoot of her by herself.


You laugh, but I only moderately overspeed. The people in the left are hauling butt and are the ones that get pulled over.

FamilyGuy

LaFerrari, P1 and 918.

As long as man is alive, there will always be room for enthusiasts, on land, sea and air

DarkTower19

NBP04TL4ME

Actually, when I do see Porshe or other expensive exotics, they typically are in the right hand lane and are observing the speed limits and/or driving with the traffic.

vas25tl

When I traveled for work, I had a 2010 Prius V, then a 2012 Prius V (not the wagon, back then they were the "5") and I gave my wife the 2012 when I was done with it. I then sold it and now she drives a 2008 Touring. I picked it up last year with 51K miles on it and now it has 67K.

They're great little cars, require little to NO maintenance and actually have a lot of pretty cool features. I had a 2015 Silverado 2500HD quad cab for a rental last week and after putting 507 miles on the tank, being at 0 and seeing $90 hit the gas pump, I quickly missed the prius - which would have cost about $25 for the same amount of miles and would have been a hell of a lot easier to park/drive.

Enjoy, I'm interested to see how many miles you'll put on the original battery.

BTW, you can do a volt test of your regular battery in the info screen.

SamDoe1

Sure but can the Prius tow a small house behind it?

Cars are tools, buy the right one for your application. A Prius is a solid city car for those who drive in congested areas or never for longer, high speed trips. They aren't, however, cars for people that want to get up to speed at any appreciable rate or take corners at anything higher than that yellow sign says to.

A Silverado 2500HD is awesome for those that tow/haul shit around all the time. It is not, however, awesome for those using it only as a commuter car or a grocery getter.

I had a PriusC as a rental a while ago and while it was glacially slow, it did get 54mpg in the time I had it. If I were in the market for a small, fuel efficient commuter car, I'd definitely look at getting a Prius. But I'd do the same as OP and have other cars to do other tasks.

vas25tl

Oh I totally agree - they have two entirely different uses. For me, I needed to drive 1700 miles in a week with a colleague and our luggage. Prius would have done just fine. I've had a truck bug for the last month looking at Tundras and the Silverado helped kill the bug. I'm not going to be hauling houses or anything major, I'm back to searching for an SUV.

I can't say the 6.0L in the silverado had an appreciated rate of acceleration, it had a touch time on some of the hills in upper Michigan.

SamDoe1

^ Ram diesel should be on your list if you're looking for a truck that will get respectable fuel economy. Or wait a few more months and look at the Colorado diesel and the new Tacoma.

FWIW, the same 6.0L in my Denali hauls ass, well at least it does for a vehicle weighing 7400lbs.

wackjum

BTW I took the XTerra to the office today since the Prius is at the dealership (recall work). I'm getting literally 1/3rd the mileage (15 mpg vs 45).

Pros: People are letting me merge into traffic.

Cons: No manatees were saved today.

Costco

re: your original post, yes the future looks bleak for enthusiasts. Especially in America. We are fat and lazy, and technology is advancing so fast that soon cars will drive us around. Enthusiasts interests are an ever shrinking niche. It may be for the better... roads will be safer, not just in terms of accidents, but also road rage, DUIs - and there will be less congestion.

subinf

I'm a Prius fan. When my mom picked up one in 2005 I wasn't thrilled but it's turned out to be pretty great. I find myself borrowing it quite a bit if I need to head somewhere with my bikes/other crap. Fold down seat is nice. 45-49mpg is nice. It's tempting to pick one up (I commute a lot as well). I'm over the not cool factor of it - If I need to drive fast I'll just hop in a different car.

You pretty much stole it for that price. That is awesome.

oonowindoo

All this Prius talk made me go see how much they cost.

I am shocked at the prices.

2012-13 low mileage priius cost around 21-22k
BRAND NEW 2015 Prius 2 has MSRP 25k and truecar says you can get it for $20k now?

So why buy used?

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Because you can get it for $2K. Duh.

Undying Dreams

iTrader: (3)

Sorry.