Should I still be considering a Prius v?

I owned the first year of the Prius v. It’s been a great car. I loved it so much, I gave it to the wife and bought myself a Prime. I think this is the last year of the “v” by the way.

 

I started out to high school in a car whose brakes operated by levers, not even hydraulics let alone tire with tread to shed water. So any car in the last 50 years seems so much safer.

I would look at the Rav4 and prefer the hybrid that isn't available till next year. Even better would be a plug in version. But as attractive as it looks on paper, there is always the potential troubles with the new engine, transmission and electronics to consider. Go look at a CRV forum to see how unexpected major problems can rear their ugly head and are only revealed when real people put real miles on the cars in real world conditions.

There is also the added complexity that more options add to the driving experience and the maintenance experience.

I got my '12 v inspected today. And as I drove it I thought why would I want more. I could easily afford it, might even enjoy the new toy. But need it? no.

So ask yourself why you need to do that trade.

 

All model years of the Prius v have "adequate" available safety tech such as lane departure warning / assist and a pre-collision braking system, though you have to have that advanced technology package (ATP) to get those features. I don't think that the 15-17 post-facelift looks dated at all, though the styling is too much for my taste, which is why I saved some money and found a 2013. The infotainment screen on the 15-17 still looks pretty good today and has the latest connectivity features too.

I personally would hold off on that RAV4 unless you really want it, I myself try to avoid purchasing the first model year of a new / redesigned vehicle (another reason for my 2013 as opposed to a 2012). Even in the lower-spec Three trim a Prius v is basically "all the car you need, nothing you don't".

 

I was in the same boat a few years back, when I retired. I had a 2003 Buick Century, so the quiet and smooth ride is what I was used to.
I started with a (used) '14 Outback 2.4 with 60K on it.
Pros,
Mileage not that bad 25 winter-32 summer, 28 average.
A good fit for overall size.
AWD (not really needed)
Cons
Noisey interior
Crappy Tunes
I could not get comfortable.

After 6 months and 5,000 miles I traded it for a new '16 v model 2.

Pros
Close to the same interior room as the Outback
Decent mileage 35-45, 42 average
Still a bit noisey but not as bad as the Outback.
Reliability and ease of maintenance
Decent Tunes
Cons
Feels a little "tinney" and a bit under powered

I did consider the Rav 4, but the mileage was not that impressive and like the Outback, it felt a bit too "truckey" for may taste. I feel everything is a compromise and priced at $27,000 list (on sale for 23K sale 10k + the outback) I felt good about the decision. Besides, if I do have to compromise I want to screw the oil co.s a little bit.

We did 3 summer road trips last year (25,000 miles total in 2 1/2 months) NO issues, and it did everything we asked, even loaded down. No regrets on the decision.

 

I think 2019 Toyota models will have Safety Sense 2.0. It might be worth buying new, to get that.

 

Except if you want the utility a wagon or SUV provides, a v isn't available in a model year 2018 or 2019 version so you can buy what the '17 v offers or something else. The question is what can offer the same MPG, eco-friendly-ness, space, etc. I've been looking. Haven't found anything I'd want to put money into.

 

My wife and I are going to look at a 2019 Corolla hatchback when they come out later this summer. They will have TSS 2.0 AND Apple Carplay capable Entune radio.
When the V was cancelled in the USA, I lost interest in buying an orphaned used model.

 

My wife and I are going to look at a 2019 Corolla hatchback when they come out later this summer. They will have TSS 2.0 AND Apple Carplay capable Entune radio.
When the V was cancelled in the USA, I lost interest in buying an orphaned used model.

 

My wife and I are going to look at a 2019 Corolla hatchback when they come out later this summer. They will have TSS 2.0 AND Apple Carplay capable Entune radio.
When the V was cancelled in the USA, I lost interest in buying an orphaned used model.

 

My wife and I are going to look at a 2019 Corolla hatchback when they come out later this summer. They will have TSS 2.0 AND Apple Carplay capable Entune radio.
When the V was cancelled in the USA, I lost interest in buying an orphaned used model.

 

Sorry for that triple post

 

(a bit off-topic, from a Prius C owner) I got my first close-up look at a Prius V yesterday in a parking lot. What a beautiful car! And all that space in the back! I love my little "C" and will definitely stay with it, but my opinion is that the V is the best-looking of the Prius models.

 

Check if the battery was low. If at something like 2 bars then every acceleration will be ICE powered not only to move the car but to charge the battery. You can work it out with dealer to see if you can test drive it with higher bars. Also if this comes with 17" rims that might explain the bumpier and noisier experience? You may want to test drive another model with 16" rims to compare ride experience. Maybe dealer will swap the rims to close the sale if you really like the ATP feature.

I think the V 2017 is going to be less headache for you since much of the issues of previous models were likely ironed out.

 

Ok, one more advice. Test drive in PWR mode. To me so much more responsive and fun. The lowest mpg average I have seen in pure PWR driving is 46 mpg and that is at full and fun acceleration. But make sure battery bars are at optimal levels. I'm testing K&N filters and will post my experience on that soon.

 

Correction I took the V on a desert drive to Joshua tree on pure PWR mode and got 40mpg. Overall no feeling of lack of power at all.

 

Totally agree with Power mode being responsive, I engaged it when making a turn across several lanes of traffic without a traffic signal and it has very good get-up-and-go. The pedal response was near-instant.

 

Is it the oiled media K&N or just a "paper" filter? The oiled version is known to foul Mass Air Flo Sensors and to do a less good job of filtering particles per two tests I read in magazines several years ago.

 

No problem with the oil or the sensors affected in any way. I used it with 1 tank and then switched back to stock filters to observe the difference. I really like the experience of the K&N vs stock. It sounds different. Deeper and lower vs. louder and higher of the stock at full acceleration. I tried to record the difference but I can not capture it. What I want to do is really monitor for any signs of particles appearing on the clean side of the filter. If there is none, then I would say it's a good filter. I will post macro photos soon.