What to do with my 2007??

I'm not worried about the HV pack. I've heard about the brake issue. Also, my engine sometimes on cold starts shakes really bad and is rough. I just don't want to spend thousands on a vehicle that is not worth that much. My neighbor had an 06 with just under 200k miles. Started having one thing and another.. finally traded it in for a newer prius. Disclaimer, he went to the stealership. If I had to have the stealership do work, i would be getting rid of it now 110%. Luckily, i'm very handy and have worked on cars myself most of my life.

As for the wheel bearings.. there are 4 things that are contributing to their failure.

1. Chicago roads are not great and full of potholes and cracks. Especially during the winter
2. Salt is definitely a contributing factor
3. I keep my tires close to max psi.. summer tires around 48psi, winters around 40-42psi. The harder tire transfers more of the impact to the suspension/hubs. However, i've never bent a wheel as many of my friends have who keep their tires inflated to or under recommended psi
4. I have a strut tower brace and subframe brace. Plus I have the touring model which i believe has stiffer suspension?? Anyways, I corner aggressively and i'm sure the lateral g's is not helping

 

Hey, some of us have to work!!
First, not a "she"
Second, I fit fine in the Prius.. I'm 6'2"/260. However, the seats suck. Yes, i do have the seat extenders which just broke one of them

Yes, the major complaint for me is highway cruising. I do a few trips a year. When I had my Sequoia in the stable, that was the tripmobile. However, I sold that last year and do not plan on replacing it. Want to stick to one vehicle besides a work van which I have.

 

I've looked at and researched many vehicles over the past 6 months. The answer is.. I don't know

I will tell you what has kept my attention the most and I keep going back to. 2014-2017 BMW 328d(yes, diesel) xDrive Wagon M sport. Why? The driving dynamics are wonderful. The cornering especially with dynamic adaptive handling is fantastic. The back seats are just big enough for my kids. And, it gets 35mph combined and over 40 on the highway. If I decided to delete and tune it, high 40's while cruising at 85 mph is easy.

I've looked and contemplated a few.. Really like the new Camry, but I need the utility of a hatch/wagon. In 2015 I almost bought a Golf Sportwagen TDI, but didn't then dieselgate happened. Plus the Golf platform's rear seats are cramped.

I've looked at SUV's, but just not interested.

At the Chicago Auto Show, I saw the new Volvo V90 Wagon in T6 trim.. beautiful and so much technology and room... but it's new model and in the upper 50's and 60's. Out of my price range.

Here is a pic of the 328d xDrive Wagon M Sport

 

That is my fear.. what if all those things start to break in the next year or two. My neighbors 06 with less than 200k started with one thing after the other and finally traded it in for another Prius. However, lucky for me it's mostly parts as labor I can do mostly myself.

 

If you are not capable of doing maintenance and repairs yourself, I would never buy a German brand. However, just like there are so many diy posts and videos on the Prius, there are many cost saving solutions on the BMW forums. My friend loves his x5 diesel and 3 series diesel. Very reliable. I have another friend with an x5 with rear air suspension.. one of the air bags was leaking. Stealership wanted over $2,000 to repair it. He bought 2 new aftermarket air bags for $150 and replaced it himself. So many other stories i've read on their forum since I've been following it for a few months.

Local dealership let me take their 2014 328d wagon for a whole day test drive.. omg, the handling, the ride, the seats, so much better. It had less than a 1/4 tank, after driving around for hours all day, still had a 1/8 tank

But, I hate payments and even tho i'm a diyer, i'm still concerned about BMW reliability. So we'll see..

 

You're last paragraph hits it on the head.. now that i've had it this long and mileage, part of me wants to keep it going. It would be wonderful if I was the first and last owner of the vehicle. Even if I did get another vehicle, maybe I keep this as a second vehicle and give it to my daughter when she turns 16(she's 12 now).

As for NOT driving 80-90 mph.. you must not live around Chicagoland! Especially in the morning, you'll get run over if you don't. Honestly, I'm a fast driver and I drive a lot. There are days i'm leisurely cruising along at 65-70.. but when I'm going from one meeting to another and they are 40 miles apart.. 80-90 it is. It's not just about sustained cruising speed.. i need passing power which the Prius doesn't have.

I realize the cost of a new vehicle will cost more than repair expenses on the Prius. If I keep the payment around $400 a month, that is $4,800 a year. I don't see the Prius costing that much to repair year over year. And it's probably why i'll end up sticking with the Prius, it just makes financial sense.

 

I'm torn on the diesel.. I've lived and visited Europe and diesels are everywhere. Great mpgs and reliability. As for the emissions, I agree, but when so many trucks, buses, etc.. are using diesel, will my little 4cyl car make a huge difference?

Before dieselgate, people were buying TDI's and couldn't keep them on the lot.. even now, with the release of the 15's as new, most Golfs and sportwagens are gone.. only some Jetta's and Passats left. Just read an article this morning how Kia or Hyundai's new 2019 SUV will have a diesel option. Ford will offer a diesel in their F150 this year, Chevy's Colorado's diesel is hard to find on the lots..

After thinking about it some more, I'll keep the Prius. Fix with quality parts as needed. If it keeps going for another 3 years, i'll give it to my oldest daughter(12.5 yrs old) to be her first car. It also comes down to I hate payments. I'm even thinking i'll register for Uber/Lyft and make some extra money every month and put in a special "new car" savings acct.