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Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,737,417 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Familyman6
I don’t believe anything gets better mileage than a Prius but I’m not interested in ever owning one. I just don’t think thy are comfortable at all and I hate the styling although the new ones aren’t bad.
On a side note. What is th averag miles expected out of a Prius before major batttery or mechanical issues are expected?
Based on my household with multiple Toyota and Lexus hybrids, the batteries last at least 350k miles and probably the life of the car for most people. Sure, there may be a very rare failure but that is not the norm.
Based on my household with multiple Toyota and Lexus hybrids, the batteries last at least 350k miles and probably the life of the car for most people. Sure, there may be a very rare failure but that is not the norm.
That’s great to hear. I would consider a rx350 hybrid
Prius V. Large enough to sleep inside. Very utilitarian. Very reliable. Very good mpg.
30K a year is nothing. I did 54K one year and oil changes every 3rd week.
Yes. I have one for a work car. I'm tall, and it rides nice and the seating position is such that you aren't uncomfortable after a long trip. Its close to the seating position of a truck. Lots of room inside.
The biggest complaint is a little road noise is more than I'd like.
You don't pay for gas and you're trying to figure out how to come out ahead? That's a tough proposition because 30K miles a year is about $3K of fuel costs that doesn't factor it. Fuel costs would be the bulk of your expense when you're doing high mileage. So now you're solely basing your "coming out ahead" on principal vs residual costs, maintenance/repair, and insurance on a relative basis compared to other vehicles. This has led others to suggest a Lexus Rx400h/450h.
Having bought an 80K mile/4-year old 2007 Lexus Rx400h for $21K out the door, I can tell you to expect around 25-29mpg, $850 for 4 tires every 40K miles, basic insurance around $700/yr, maintenance costs about $200/yr, and repairs around $300/yr. The 12V battery will likely need to be replaced every 2-3 years (there's no alternator on the car, but the HV traction battery recharges the 12V when the car is "ready"); I wish there was a warning indicator, but you'll know when the window and steering column motors slow or you could take out a multimeter to test the voltage. A lot of folks (included myself) experienced a leaky radiator end-tank between 80K-100K miles. I paid $80 for a Denso unit on eBay and spent an hour installing it in my driveway. Lexus charges $1,200-$2,000 for a timing belt change. Toyota charges $800 for the same (Rx400h is essentially a Highlander Hybrid). I ended up buying the parts for $220 and my local indy mechanic changed $150 to do the job...it took about an hour.
Other than the radiator and 12V battery, we had no issues in the 100K miles that we had it (we have since passed the car onto my sister-in-law). I believe you can get an 06-08 Rx400h for $8K-12K or the next gen 2010-2014 Rx450h for $14K-24K.
No, I dont think Ill buy another truck when/if I replace my tundra. As mentioned above, the truck rides hard like a truck and on 3+ hour commutes, it can be hard on the body. Im not sure what I would want honestly. Some days I think about going with a midsize lexus suv like a gx460 or something similar because i like to sit a bit higher off the road, but then other days I think a nice used luxury sedan would be great. The good thing is Im not in a rush or in a state of need to do anything at the moment.
One of several reasons I opted for the RAM. It has the best ride of all the trucks. LIttle things Break a lot, but the ride is nice.
You don't pay for gas and you're trying to figure out how to come out ahead? That's a tough proposition because 30K miles a year is about $3K of fuel costs that doesn't factor it. Fuel costs would be the bulk of your expense when you're doing high mileage. So now you're solely basing your "coming out ahead" on principal vs residual costs, maintenance/repair, and insurance on a relative basis compared to other vehicles. This has led others to suggest a Lexus Rx400h/450h.
Having bought an 80K mile/4-year old 2007 Lexus Rx400h for $21K out the door, I can tell you to expect around 25-29mpg, $850 for 4 tires every 40K miles, basic insurance around $700/yr, maintenance costs about $200/yr, and repairs around $300/yr. The 12V battery will likely need to be replaced every 2-3 years (there's no alternator on the car, but the HV traction battery recharges the 12V when the car is "ready"); I wish there was a warning indicator, but you'll know when the window and steering column motors slow or you could take out a multimeter to test the voltage. A lot of folks (included myself) experienced a leaky radiator end-tank between 80K-100K miles. I paid $80 for a Denso unit on eBay and spent an hour installing it in my driveway. Lexus charges $1,200-$2,000 for a timing belt change. Toyota charges $800 for the same (Rx400h is essentially a Highlander Hybrid). I ended up buying the parts for $220 and my local indy mechanic changed $150 to do the job...it took about an hour.
Other than the radiator and 12V battery, we had no issues in the 100K miles that we had it (we have since passed the car onto my sister-in-law). I believe you can get an 06-08 Rx400h for $8K-12K or the next gen 2010-2014 Rx450h for $14K-24K.
If you think that's expensive, try a Land Rover.
Brakes at 20k, brakes AND rotors by 36k, TWO batteries by 50k, every electronic component under the OBDII purview has been replaced by the time the lease is over.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,031,425 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stonepa
I always wonder what people really mean by saying a TDI will last 'twice' as long as some other car. ..., the electronics are an absolutely nightmare. I reconfirmed this before posting. Every single one of them said that their dashboard looked like a lighted christmas tree most of the time they owned the vehicles, ....
on the other hand... (5) of my current close friends have TDIs and have not had many (if any) issues.
(3) other friends run medical and legal courier services with TDI's (3,000 mi / week).
I've kinda grown to like (expect) 1250 miles between fuel stops (B4V TDI's), I only have (4) of those at the moment. Many more diesels TID's and IDI's. 3m fleet miles, never back to the dealer (yet).
I often travel with Federal or State workers who have to stop every 350 miles to fuel their Prii. (Road trips in mtns)
What a waste of time and use of dangerous, polluting fuel (GAS - ICK!)
If you are getting mileage $$ you can make a BUNDLE using a TDI, even if you buy dino fuel! (which I have not since 1976))
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to fuel their Prii. (Road trips in mtns) 
