So it looks like I'm going to stick with the 2012 model. Although the miles are a bit higher it will balance out as I'm likely going to deploy in the near future. Resulting, my car won't be driven for a 9 month period, allowing the milage to remain low.
Afghanistan? You should find someone to drive it when you are away... they really need to be driven. Perhaps purchase one when you get back?
It'll be in storage tended to by a reputable company. If my BMW made it a year unscathed, I have full confidence in the company I used last time. They knew to do things about my car I never considered.
I have a 2010 Prius built July 2009. I'm about to hit 160,000kms (100,000 miles) and the car still feels like new. had one problem with fuel injectors at 40,000kms which was fixed under warranty. I am more than happy with the vehicle in Australian conditions, including quite a bit of dirt road driving. As another poster said 42,000 is just run in.
Computer - Some of the earlier 2010 Prius onboard ABS computers were reprogrammed for a shorter delay after there were some complaints that after hitting a rough patch on the road the hydraulic brake delays were too short. My sister's Prius needed an firmware update, my Prius did not ... so this kind of thing varies depending on the factory production lot the car was made in. Toyota does these updates for free. Exterior paint - avoid metallic paint colors because they are harder to match when repainting. Toyota exterior paint is not as chip or scratch resistant as some makes that I've seen. If you see any minor exterior body damage make it part of the purhase condition that it get fixed to your satisfaction before you buy it. Tires - Even with low mileage OE Tires like the Yokohama Avid S33D will start to have tire rot because of air pollution oxides the rubber - you'll see hair line cracks in the sidewall and inside the tread of the tire. I still have my original Avid s33D (3 years/32500 miles) - depending on how the vehicle has been driven the tread wear will vary - check the tires . Prius needs to use more expensive Low Rolling Resistant type tires to get good fuel efficiency - these type of tires cost about $100 more per set of 4 than a regular set (estimated cost $500). 12VDC Power Adapter - it just seems to blow alot of fuses these days. Just yesterday - I replaced yet another 15 amp fuse because my Craftman's portable tire compressor was drawing too much current. Fuses arre cheap but in an emergency you don't want to have to keep on replacing them. Make sure that if you use the 12VDC power adapter that your accessory has a low power drain ( like less than 80 watts) and/or you have plenty of 15 amp fuses in the glove compartment... Floor mats - in 1999 there were complaints that some Toyotas were plagued by unintend acceleration. Later most of these complaints were blamed driver error but a few were attributed to the floor mats interferring with the accelerator pedal and brake pedals. The OE Toyota Prius floor mat for the driver has two small holes that hook onto the floor and keep the driver's floor mat fixed in place . Many Non-OE floor mats donot have these holes. Check the driver's floor mats. If the current driver's floor mat is not fixed in place consider replacing the driver's floor mat. Carpet - the carpet in the rear cargo bay is easily deformed because it has a low weave/plush density so I use an old bed spread to protect it ( a rubber mat from weather tech would be nicer though). The carpet seems stain resistant but I've scotchgarded it anyway. hope this helps Walter
Thanks Walter! The color is Classic grey, and I'm getting the Pruis rubber mats, but am going to purchase the Weathertech coverings for the entire vehicle. I will also get some new tires from Costco, LRR.
I own a 2010 Prius III and had it for over three years now. Until recently I got nothing but joy out my experience with this car. Several months ago, however, I have replaced the bearings on the back wheels and that cost some $600.00. Then, just this last weekend the Combination Meter (odometer) died on me and that seems to be a major repair as the estimated repair costs start at $800.00+ and the worst part is that the car must be left at the dealer's lot for some four+ weeks. Apparently, the dealer is sending the Combination Meter out for repair and a resetting of the original miles by the "Factory." In addition, the back door on the passenger side can be opened only from the outside. It won't open from the inside. I find that very odd since I very rarely have passengers sited in the back of my car. Lastly, I also have a leased Prius III 2010 (as a second car for my daughter and a Golden twin to my Pearl White Prius) with less than 40K and, thus far, free of any problems. By all means, get the Prius with the least miles, and in case you plan to drive a Prius for 25,000+ a year for several years, get the Toyota Extended Dealer warranty. I could have surely used it at this junction.
