Costs of Headlights and Tailights Gen 4 (Australia)?

Hi Alan,

I'm in the believe the headlight in gen 3 i-tech is pretty hefty due to it being LED. Unsure about the price, but it would be in the thousands. To replace the LED bulb is pretty scary too, although I haven't need one done yet (currently at ~161,000 km)

I am assuming the gen 4 base model, which is very well equipped, comes with LED front and tail lights, hence the hefty replacement cost.

My gen 3 insurance is still on the high side, despite being a 7 year old car and only worth approx $12k. Maybe due to having expensive parts like sonar sensors, expensive headlights, solar roof, etc etc. So I think gen 4 won't be any better!

Go for a test drive, preferably in a gen 3 and 4 side by side, and decide then. Don't let high insurance premium scare you, afterall if you have a good record (rating one drive), you will be alright.

SM-G900I ?

 

I'm on the edge of upgrading to gen 4, really good looking, improved interior, improved driving dynamics FWIW (subjective), and better fuel consumption too... Also as you mentioned use RON91 instead of premium.

I just hope it tows now... Does it?

SM-G900I ?

 

Yeah, some in this forum do tow with even gen 2 Prii. Bob Wilson comes to mind... Heck, my gen 3 just out of warranty and might just tack a towbar for the fun of it.

SM-G900I ?

 

This is an interesting topic. I often wonder how much the LED front and tail lights cost to replace, not only on the Gen4 but for any of the new cars! Recently I saw a new Cadillac Escalade and one of the LEDs was out in his tail light!!! What are we gaining anyway with these expensive lights other than being on the bleeding edge and looking 'sexy'?

In the 70's I used to change bulbs of various kinds on my cars. It was usually easy as pie and cheap. I never replaced a single bulb since. Now you have to replace the whole assembly. Usually one day after the 'end-to-end' - usually 36 months - warranty expires.

 

I am looking at replacing my 2008 Gen2. This car was good to me. At 122,000km she still looks good - that is after being washed. I am looking at the Gen 4 (or Gen iV? - who cares). But I also have my eye on the 2017 Chevy Volt. I never owned a GM product and up to now I never thought that I will ever walk into a GM dealership - well the world is changing. The funny thing is that the price difference (the Volt being more expensive) is negated by the Ont. Govt. EV incentive of C$11,877.

Any thoughts?

 

Yeah I reckon that's a good chunk of incentives to get the Volt. I would cross shopping if I'm in the same situation.

GM/Holden (in Australia) was selling the Volt for $63k+, that's way beyond my reach. And now they discontinued it so it's a no show for us in Australia. Even if it still is available, coupled with the lack of incentives, it's a pretty tough sell down under... I guess that's why Holden pulled the plug on importing it any further.

SM-G900I ?

 

Let you guess you must be in the sunshine state of Qld? I was there two years ago... The amount of gen 2 Prii taxis are incredible. Mileage is well beyond 600,000km and still on original battery!

SM-G900I ?

 

That's great... I'm surprised to hear mostly gen 3 now because it was not built as bullet proof as gen 2, maybe that was to do with earlier gen 3 production?

As an aside, you will really enjoy the quietness of the HSD. I was at exact situation as you were back in 2009. Crossed shopping a Prius and Golf diesel. Didn't like the turbo lag and the smell of the fuel. Also what swayed me getting the Prius is the dodgy DSG gearboxes and the high failure rate of the VW diesel HPFP. Personally I had a friend who had the Golf (petrol) stalled in the freeway, she had to fight VAG just to get it fixed. That was enough for me not to get the Golf!

SM-G900I ?

 

HSD = Hybrid Synergy Drive, meaning any Toyota with their hybrid drivetrains.

Sorry should have not use acronyms given you are new to the game

SM-G900I ?

 

HSD refers to the overall system itself, the inverter, ICE, battery, PSD, etc all combined to work in synergy.

ECVT, as you said, is unfortunate use to describe the transmission. Toyota should just call them PSD (power split device) to differentiate it from CVT. But then again, the auto journalist world wouldn't understand it and just call it CVT because the behaviour is very similar.

There are however no pulleys and belts, just a simple planetary gear sets, this is one of many explanations... Toyota Prius - Power Split Device

SM-G900I ?