I don’t think the Prius has a timing belt, I believe it is a chain and does not need replacement.
Didn’t older prius’s have issues?
My sister has the Toyota Matrix, cuz needs to haul things around. Honda has a similar car, though a little smaller.
I vote against the Prius, in your circumstances.
I vote FOR the Prius. We have a 2004 with 140,453 miles. One problem at about 50K (the computer chip went out). Still gets 45 MPG regularly when I drive, less when DH drives. We bought it new and did maintenance on time usually. Otherwise, not problem (doesn’t have an input jack though…)
If you have a good mechanic who tells you it is ok, I don’t think you should waste further time. A good mechanic is more precious that rubies.
Civics have timing belts which must be changed periodically, which can be somewhat expensive. If the timing belt breaks, it can be much more expensive.
Also, according to Consumer Reports reliability surveys, older Honda Civic hybrids have much worse reliability than Toyota Priuses. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/02/honda-civic-hybrid-battery-reliability-gets-worse/index.htm
Why does the OP need a hybrid? It sounds like the car will be used mainly for short distances.
That’s what I read, too. A Prius is an attractive option to OP because it is a roomy hatchback.
“Why does the OP need a hybrid? It sounds like the car will be used mainly for short distances.”
I drive my car mainly short distances and I value gas efficiency. How far I drive has little to do with it.
It’s not that he “needs” a hybrid. He needs a highly reliable car, and the Prius is that in spades, and it just so happens to be a hybrid. That’s how I’m looking at it, anyway.
Thanks so much to everyone for their feedback. I’m still up in arms. I’m really looking to find a Corolla, Elantra, Civic or Fit, but my resources are online and I haven’t been able to locate any for a lower price.
However, a family friend has a contact to a 2001 Corolla with around 50k miles on it. There’s some work to be done on it (mainly cosmetic). I personally don’t fancy the style of the car and I’m not very keen on driving something that old with so few miles (possible hidden mechanical issues)… but if it runs, I’d consider it. It’s going for around $3000.
Also, that’s correct about the hatchback style- it’s ideal for me to haul dorm stuff and the corolla is a sedan. I’d just have to make it work; pay for storage during the summer. But would you say this is a better option given my circumstances?
I have enough money to pay for the Prius I mentioned but I don’t mind saving a few grand. If the Prius maintenance and upkeep costs are really high, then I’m not inclined to get it.
Does anyone know of any listings for corollas, civics, honda fit, etc under $4000 with under 100k miles on it in the fort lauderdale area ? That would help tremendously.
And also, how much does it usually cost to get a prius serviced?
We have a 2005 Prius with 175 K miles on it. Up until last year, it was a dream. Now it’s a nightmare! Getting someone besides the dealership to work on it is almost impossible & we live in a large metro area. Two weeks ago the skid control ECU went out. $2k is dealership estimate to fix. Hubby is very handy so replaces it himself. $50 and 8 hours labor later the car works but all the alerts still on. Can’t reset the computer, dealership says the diagnosis is $400 plus any labor/repairs. 15 phone calls to mechanics and a week wait in the shop, the computer is finally reset. (This same car was in the dealership for a month last summer. Problems came up, dealership recommended repairs, after beginning repairs and insisting the battery was good, the expensive batter fails. Only reason we’ve not ditched the car is we only need it for 2 more months til daughter flies to college.) I would never recommend an older hybrid to a college student. Corolla sounds great!
I had an '05 Prius, my parents still have an '06. My kids currently share a Matrix (manual) and I drive a Camry Hybrid every day. I switched to the Camry because of accident damage and I am a tall person, so it fits better. None of our Toyotas have had work done for mechanical issues except our 1992 Camry when it was 17 it needed a new water pump. (we have also had 2 Siennas in the past) I am an assertive driver and I still got an average of 44 MPH in DFW traffic. (full disclosure, it dropped a few MPH after I switched to more ‘grippy’ tires)
The overall maintenance cost will be lower in the Prius (even with the eventual replacement of the battery). For those unfamiliar with a Toyota Hybrid, they are a bigger advantage for short runs than for highway driving anyway. The gas engine shuts off at stops in traffic and often runs on full electric in parking lots and such. The brakes regenerate power to the battery, so unless you live somewhere where you can buy the plug in version, there is no need to plug it in or any of the other myths I have heard over the years.
A note on mileage in a Toyota Hybrid (assume the same on other brands, but no knowledge). Outdoor temperature has a noticeable effect on mileage. Too hot or too cold and you will see changes. You will also notice the difference in bad weather. It is probably likely that it is more due to the constant read-out of your mileage than anything specific to the car itself.
I would be very happy to have any of my kids drive a Prius. I has 0 percent to do with being green, that is just a side benefit. The overall cost profile is outstanding. The higher price also means you have a higher resale value, though mine paid for the higher price-tag in less than 5 years.
I would also do more research on the accelerator issue. It was an overblown issue having more to do with add-on floor mats than with a design issue. The solution was that the shaved down the accelerator pedal to reduce the chance of getting it caught on the floor mats…and advised owners to actually use the anchors that keep the mats from sliding.
We have a 2005 Prius and it’s been a dream; not one problem with it and it has about 130k miles on it now. Had it in CA for years and then it went to PA with D2 for her senior year in college and, while, for whatever reason, I was nervous about it in the snow (partially due to its age) but np. D2 moved to a metro city and didn’t want it so it’s now with D3 at college in upstate NY. Again, not a problem and she’s driven it to Boston and NYC thus far. I noticed a few posts back that someone’s 2005 Prius was problem free until 170k miles…I’m not sure I’d feel disappointed in our Prius if it was flawless until 170k. We’ve had ours maintained regularly but, aside from new brake pads and new tires, both of which are reasonable maintenance items that wear out, we’ve not spent any additional money on it. I have not found it more expensive to maintain although I’m comparing that to a Lexus which I could expect to be more.
Any used car bought carries an element of risk. Good luck with your decision, op.
in 2009 we purchased a 2001 prius with 90K miles on it for $6000. Daughter is still driving it and it has nearly 240000 miles on it. Runs perfect. We did have to have the battery replaced at 180000 miles. We didn’t do it at the Toyota dealership, but did have it done by a guy who was certified to replace the hybrid batteries. It cost $1900.
Other than that, we have had no repair costs except usual maintenance–have replaced the starter battery a couple of times but that was a minor cost.
You are definitely taking a risk with a 2005 prius. I think the risk of having to have your battery replaced in the next couple of years is minimal. Any used car you buy has the potential to need a major repair–what if you need a new transmission in another car? How would you handle that?