Well ... we JUST bought a Prius.. :-)

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zerosoma

zerosoma

Joined
Aug 13, 2011
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Waveland, MS
2005, 126,100 miles.

We go in tomorrow to sign the documentation at the bank and then pay the guy (a private seller), then we're home free.

I took a couple spins in it, it is so QUIET. Checked the oil, fluids, air filter, etc. Clean as a whistle.

The guy said he has only owned it for 4k and the only reason he's selling it is because he ordered a brand new 2012 Chevy Volt. The owners before him used it as a personal business/highway car and is good friends with them. He said they (and he) have kept up on maintenance schedules verbatim and have always been diligent to take care of their vehicles.

I bought it for $7,700 (it was listed for $7,900), and my bank approved me for a 2.9% interest rate. Our Rav4 has $6900 left to pay on it, and the blue book is at $10,500.

We're selling the RAV privately for $9,500 OBO.


So, I just thought I'd share. What is the best oil(s) for these Priuses? Seems like there might be some math or research involved with this hybrid engine. Can you use E-15 or other ethanol blends or do you use the regular/super unleaded? I couldn't find it anywhere in the manual.

And hey - I know Toyotas last a long time, but how many miles can I expect to get out of this vehicle...doing mainly highway miles and being pretty OCD on maintenance?

Thanks :-)
 
5W30 and check the oil, some of them burn oil as they get up there in mileage. Use 3.7 qt, not the full 3.9. Oil services are every 5k.

Drain and refill the transaxle fluid with Toyota ATF-WS asap. It takes 4 quarts, and two washers. 10mm female hex drain plug and normal 24mm fill plug. Fill plug faces the front of the car. The LF axle seal may sometimes leak, but is easily replaced.

Also replace the 12v battery, you will probably see your mpg go up. If the engine and inverter coolants have not been done, be sure to do them now. Bleeding is tricky, so get Techstream Lite to help.

Enjoy the car. If it needs tires, be sure to use only LRR tires or else you may lose as much as 10% in fuel economy.

Also, keep reinvolt in mind when it comes time to replace the traction battery, probably in the 200-250k range. They charge around $1600 vs the $2500 from the dealer.

Happy Motoring.
 
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With all that future and present needed maintence, or should be needed attention, you should have stayed with your gas engine. I understand that the amount of additional money to pay for these batteries, etc, it takes years to see a break even point. I think the figure for a new Volt was 9 years to break even and the Leaf 7 years....not to mention the labor of rare earth processes destruction to plant earth. Electric is not the answer....sorry to rant!
 
With all the 'questions' around battery life, I would not buy a hybrid with 126k on it!

That just sounds like you are asking for it...but that's just me. If you're happy, then do enjoy the car!
 
The FUD regarding the batteries lives on.... and apparently so do the batteries. My parents have a 2004 and they don't appear concerned. Cost of repairs, zero.

Can someone point to some metrics regarding this?

I know some just want the vehicle to fail....
 
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Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
The FUD regarding the batteries lives on.... and apparently so do the batteries. My parents have a 2004 and they don't appear concerned. Cost of repairs, zero.

Can someone point to some metrics regarding this?

I know some just want the vehicle to fail....


The batteries are really not that big of a concern. They generally last 200k without any problems and the replacement cost is not unreasonable. Anyone who buys one of these (myself included) should plan to replace the battery at some point, but it's usually good for 200-250k on cars that are actively used. $2000-$2500 is not too awful considering the Prius's fuel savings over comparable hatchbacks such as the Matrix.
 
Congrats! Nice purchase, I wouldnt worry about the battery, its been a tried-and-tested story. Battery should last 200K easy. With gas prices going nowhere but north, its a great deal.

On the other hand, I think you should be able to get 10K for your RAV4 privately. Its a high demand used car, especially with the current downsizing crowd. Ask for 10.5K, see what happens.
 
Enjoy the car! My mother in law has a 2004 that's probably got about the same mileage as the one you're buying on it at this point, and it's been nearly flawless -- completely flawless when it comes to the drivetrain and batteries AFAIK. Toyota did a great job with the gen 2 Prius IMO (I haven't driven or even been inside a gen 3 yet).
 
Originally Posted By: zerosoma
2005, 126,100 miles.
The guy said he has only owned it for 4k and the only reason he's selling it is because he ordered a brand new 2012 Chevy Volt.


I know that you are excited about your new car and I don't want to rain on your parade but.......

Why would someone buy this car and put only 4000 miles on it before buying a brand new car?
 
These cars (2004-09)are INCREDIBLY reliable...perhaps one of the most reliable cars made despite their complexity. Toyota did a great job on them and owner reviews of their reliability and longevity bear witness to that fact. Maintenance needs are fairly minimal (I agree with the fluid replacement recommendations...just a good idea on ANY used car unless recently done)and from what I've read, the batteries are still working well beyond 200,000 miles (seems I read a couple of accounts of test cars running well beyond 300,000 miles). I don't know how cold it gets there in the winter but the heating system can be marginal during very cold weather. Mileage also drops quite a bit. There are some forum tips for blocking the upper grill openings (using inexpensive pipe insulation) to provide better heating (and mpg). All in all a great choice...enjoy the ride (and great mileage)!
 
Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: zerosoma
2005, 126,100 miles.
The guy said he has only owned it for 4k and the only reason he's selling it is because he ordered a brand new 2012 Chevy Volt.


I know that you are excited about your new car and I don't want to rain on your parade but.......

Why would someone buy this car and put only 4000 miles on it before buying a brand new car?


It may be nothing, people being so finicky and all, but it would draw some red flags for me.

Are Rav4's really going for UNDER book value? I always thought they were pretty popular, and with today's used car market...
 
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Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: zerosoma
2005, 126,100 miles.
The guy said he has only owned it for 4k and the only reason he's selling it is because he ordered a brand new 2012 Chevy Volt.


I know that you are excited about your new car and I don't want to rain on your parade but.......

Why would someone buy this car and put only 4000 miles on it before buying a brand new car?


the answer itself is in the quotation you just quoted.

this guy is wealthy and generally likes to buy new things. his house is pretty nice.
 
Originally Posted By: LargeCarManX2
With all that future and present needed maintence, or should be needed attention, you should have stayed with your gas engine. I understand that the amount of additional money to pay for these batteries, etc, it takes years to see a break even point. I think the figure for a new Volt was 9 years to break even and the Leaf 7 years....not to mention the labor of rare earth processes destruction to plant earth. Electric is not the answer....sorry to rant!


The usual BITOG hybrid bashing again. This poster didn't seem to appreciate that Prius is not electric car!
 
Originally Posted By: addyguy
With all the 'questions' around battery life, I would not buy a hybrid with 126k on it!

That just sounds like you are asking for it...but that's just me. If you're happy, then do enjoy the car!


What is the big deal with the $1600 battery after 250,000 miles when an automatic car at similar mileage would be facing a $3000 tranny repair? Somehow no one complains about it.
 
I wouldn't be too worried about the Prius. While 125K is a decent amount of miles, those cars are pretty reliable.

Also, the battery replacement cost isn't too bad, IMO.

People who bash the Prius seem to forget that there are expensive parts to fail on non-hybrid cars as well. In fact, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my Hyundai right now. The dealer says the ABS pump has failed and it will cost $2000 after tax to fix it.
frown.gif
mad.gif
 
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Well, do what I did. When the ABS pump on my 90 Astro quit, I drove around without ABS. [GASP] Big deal. Been doing it for decades before ABS was even a thought..........

Originally Posted By: stephen9666

People who bash the Prius seem to forget that there are expensive parts to fail on non-hybrid cars as well. In fact, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my Hyundai right now. The dealer says the ABS pump has failed and it will cost $2000 after tax to fix it.
frown.gif
mad.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Brigadier
Well, do what I did. When the ABS pump on my 90 Astro quit, I drove around without ABS. [GASP] Big deal. Been doing it for decades before ABS was even a thought..........

Originally Posted By: stephen9666

People who bash the Prius seem to forget that there are expensive parts to fail on non-hybrid cars as well. In fact, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my Hyundai right now. The dealer says the ABS pump has failed and it will cost $2000 after tax to fix it.
frown.gif
mad.gif



That's what I'm doing.[GASP]

I'm not too keen on paying $2k. I'm working on a DIY solution, but it requires a dealer reprogramming after the new unit is installed.

But my point still stands. Some people act like the Prius is the only vehicle where something expensive can break.
 
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I wouldn't worry too much about the batteries. I have a 2005 Gen II and soon will also own a Prius C. At any ate, you need to spend some time over at Prischat.com.

I use Mobil 1 0W30 in mine.
 
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