Purchased a Prius - is it worth it?

Cuticuraser

Hi all, I purchased a MK4 Prius with £0 road tax. It is a UK model with around 55,000 miles and full main dealer service history.

I paid £12,000 for the car. Not sure if I overpaid but too late now, I find the car quite comfortable and easy to drive but worried about long term reliability? Seems like I have to take it to the main dealer who have the equipment to do a condition test on the hybrid battery. I am worried when things fail, the parts will be extremely expensive. 

daveyjp

I've been in Toyota hybrid taxis (Prius, Corollas, Auris, Camry) with 250,000 miles plus on the clock so reliability shouldn't be a concern.

Also remember if the vehicle is less than 10 years old you will receive a new annual warranty with a main dealer service and Toyota servicing is sensibly priced.  Having just had a warranty claim on a 7 year old Yaris I can vouch that they will meet their obligations.

Cuticuraser

daveyjp said:

I've been in Toyota hybrid taxis (Prius, Corollas, Auris, Camry) with 250,000 miles plus on the clock so reliability shouldn't be a concern.

Also remember if the vehicle is less than 10 years old you will receive a new annual warranty with a main dealer service and Toyota servicing is sensibly priced.  Having just had a warranty claim on a 7 year old Yaris I can vouch that they will meet their obligations.

Good to know my car still has the warranty. 

My concern is the following. I can hear some creaks and rattles in the dash and windows. I know its a used car but my last car was a 2003 BMW 5 series with absolutely no rattles and creaks and it was at 160,000 miles. Is it just that the Prius is a bit more flimsy?

Also, the front windscreen windows tends to get fogged up quite quickly in the cold weather. I have to leave the front windscreen blower on all the time, if I switch to automatic (with the AC on) the front windscreen gets fogged up again. It still has all the original Toyota windows and has never been in an accident as far as I am aware. 

daveyjp

Leave it on auto.  If you turn aircon off when you turn it back on again the moisture condenses on glass.

Leaving the aircon on keeps the air dry and prevents fogging.  It also keeps the system in good health.

Cuticuraser

There is definitely an improvement in economy - easily double if not more mpg of what my previous can could do but the car just doesn't feel as planted as my old car, especially at higher speeds.

Mildly_Miffed

Cuticuraser said:

Also, the front windscreen windows tends to get fogged up quite quickly in the cold weather. I have to leave the front windscreen blower on all the time, if I switch to automatic (with the AC on) the front windscreen gets fogged up again. It still has all the original Toyota windows and has never been in an accident as far as I am aware. 

Leave it on auto all the time. it's how it's designed to be used.

When was the pollen filter last changed?

born_again

Cuticuraser said:

Hi all, I purchased a MK4 Prius with £0 road tax. It is a UK model with around 55,000 miles and full main dealer service history.

I paid £12,000 for the car. Not sure if I overpaid but too late now, I find the car quite comfortable and easy to drive but worried about long term reliability? Seems like I have to take it to the main dealer who have the equipment to do a condition test on the hybrid battery. I am worried when things fail, the parts will be extremely expensive. 

Pop down to a local Taxi place & ask the drivers... Plenty of them drive them @ 55K hardly run in 👍

VED will not be free next year 👍

Grumpy_chap

Cuticuraser said:

MK4 Prius
worried about long term reliability

They are bomb-proof and will last longer than eternity.

Cuticuraser said:

My concern is the following. I can hear some creaks and rattles in the dash and windows. I know its a used car but my last car was a 2003 BMW 5 series with absolutely no rattles and creaks and it was at 160,000 miles. Is it just that the Prius is a bit more flimsy?

Yes.

Cuticuraser said:

There is definitely an improvement in economy - easily double if not more mpg of what my previous can could do but the car just doesn't feel as planted as my old car, especially at higher speeds.

Prius does not handle as well as 5-series, but very staid, boring, predictable.

facade

Cuticuraser said:

Also, the front windscreen windows tends to get fogged up quite quickly in the cold weather. I have to leave the front windscreen blower on all the time, if I switch to automatic (with the AC on) the front windscreen gets fogged up again. It still has all the original Toyota windows and has never been in an accident as far as I am aware. 

Both my cars do this if the AC is on AUTO, it doesn't blow onto the screen.

There will be an override control to direct the air to the screen and your feet, but leave the AC on all the time to help dry the air.

You can leave the AC on AUTO, but you need to set the temperature to roasting for the glass to get warm enough to stay clear.

I have mine on 18.5 degrees, the same as the house, otherwise I'd feel cold when I got home.

Cuticuraser

Mildly_Miffed said:

Cuticuraser said:

Also, the front windscreen windows tends to get fogged up quite quickly in the cold weather. I have to leave the front windscreen blower on all the time, if I switch to automatic (with the AC on) the front windscreen gets fogged up again. It still has all the original Toyota windows and has never been in an accident as far as I am aware. 

Leave it on auto all the time. it's how it's designed to be used.

When was the pollen filter last changed?

Literally changed last month. I even opened the glove box to check and it’s new 

Cuticuraser

born_again said:

Cuticuraser said:

Hi all, I purchased a MK4 Prius with £0 road tax. It is a UK model with around 55,000 miles and full main dealer service history.

I paid £12,000 for the car. Not sure if I overpaid but too late now, I find the car quite comfortable and easy to drive but worried about long term reliability? Seems like I have to take it to the main dealer who have the equipment to do a condition test on the hybrid battery. I am worried when things fail, the parts will be extremely expensive. 

Pop down to a local Taxi place & ask the drivers... Plenty of them drive them @ 55K hardly run in 👍

VED will not be free next year 👍

Thankfully my car is before 2017 so looks like my road tax will go from £0 to £10 next year!