Just wondering what people think the long term durability will be. I think it will be very high. Hybrids really necessitate an engine hours run time gauge like on a boat.
I do fairly low mileage, and I reckon it'll be all the ancillary stuff that starts going first. A/C system, radiator leakage, MFD problems, CD changer, body corrosion...
I got 12 years and 70K miles on my 94 Tercel before I bought my Prius. I could not bring myself to trade in the Tercel for only $1500 - it still has a lot of useful life in it as a second car for my brother. I have no doubt during those same 12 years I could have put on 200K on this little car with few problems. I expect to get 12 - 15 yrs out of my Prius which equates to about 150K during that time frame based upon my current yearly mileage. I could no doubt get more mileage out of the Prius, but, as a car gets past 10 yrs I think time does more to the car than miles driven. If I had not bought a Prius I would have driven the Tercel into the ground before I replaced it with a new Corolla. Unless Toyota comes out (again) with truely unique technology in 12 - 15 yrs - I will drive the Prius into the ground (if I don't get hit by a deer first). Springtime
There's a "for sale" sign in the window of my 1994 Honda Civic EX (61,000 miles) and my '06 Barcelona Red Metallic Prius is on the dealer's lot awaiting my arrival. Since I put low miles on a car, I go by years... and I plan to drive my Prius for the next 10-15 years.
I really hope it will last a long time, 200K to 300K. Then the second owner will get a lot of good out of it. I will most likely sell it when it has a 100K or so providing there is something better out by then. I think I have provided quite a few people with good used cars, I take good care of them and sell them before they are even half worn out.
All of my Japanese-made cars have gone 200,000 without much trouble at all, and I don't expect anything less from the Prius. I maintain my cars well, and they take care of me.
At 40000+ mi/yr, I'm expecting 5 yrs and looking for 6-7 yrs. As one poster mentioned above about ancillary parts, those are the least of my concerns if this is like my 4 other Camry's. After 150K there was nothing wrong except normal wear-outs.. a pump here, belts, hoses, etc. My only concern with the Prius is the stability of all the software. But after 16 yrs of trouble free driving Toyota has earned my confidence. If they say 'life of the vehicle' I'll go along with that.
At least 200K miles. But what I really hope is that by the time I have that many miles, non-gasoline powered vehicles will be so advanced that it will be in my economic interest to buy a new car rather than keep the prius (which by today's standards of course has excellent mileage).
I would love to keep this one for the long run (ie; battery death) but my daughter and her husband may try to guilt me into selling to them and buying another...leather would be nice!
not sure but this will probably be my last car. Unless my life span is non-typical for my family. That could well be 12 /14 years. Which will probably be battery death as well.
My current car has 153,000 miles after 23 years and is still going strong. No reason my new Prius shouldn't last as long. I figure after 10-15 years, I'll replace the battery with the latest battery technology, and convert the car to a plug-in hybrid. By then, plug-in upgrades should be inexpensive, and improved enough to make the car almost pure electric. Batteries should be good enough by then to make the ICE obsolete.
Mileage... i'm sure the prius could last 500,000+ miles.. but years? that's the problem. The batteries are estimated to last 21 years. So does the pole include the entiere HSD? or just the gas engine part? Just gas.. it may not die in my time. HSD.. i'll give it low 20 years. Maybe mid 20s.. but who knows, maybe Toyota will surprise themselves.
Frank Hudon, I like the way you think To paraphrase Sir William Osler, I think the Prius will rattle along into very respectable old age.
I clicked the "300,00 miles" option. My wish is the have my Prius last at least two or three year after I pay it off so I can have time to save up for a new Prius.
I put 200,000 - but in my defense, my previous car, my first *new* car, has 85k on it and is rough and ready to be sold, and all other cars I've had were dodges. So, 200k for me would be perfectly acceptable. -m.
My Prius replaced my '87 Nissan that had 210,000 thousand miles on it (in 4/05). It's my hope, and my expectation, that my Prius will last at least 200,000 miles, which is what I voted. The only caveat I have is that to last 200,000 miles, the Prius will have to live through two teenagers, with the oldest being on the cusp of getting his permit. I shudder to think what havoc the kids will cause for the car.
I plan to keep the car at least the 7/100k that the warranty offers... I'd have to see how the car is doing towards the end of that time period before I'd decide. I've heard many stories about good Toyotas running forever, but 10 years was the lifespan on my previous Toyota... time will tell for me =)
200,000 miles is 10 years, at which point I'll have been driving a paid-for car for a while and will be long-since in need of new gadgets that can't be shoehorned into this one...