Hi everyone, my name is Kevin. I've been reading this forum for a long time to learn about my 2010 Prius & decided to join because I'm thinking about getting another one. Car info: After racking up 130k miles from long commutes and roadtrips to San Diego, my prius is slowly developing an oil leak and probably needs a new battery soon too. Sadly, the cost of that work would greatly exceed the car's value... on the bright side this means I get to think about a new Prius Prime I love my current Prius because it goes a looong time without needing to visit the gas station. With the charging stations at work and in my neighborhood, I think I could go 2-3 months between fill-ups on the Prime. Thanks for reading!
Sad that the 2010s seem to have this burning oil issue. Other than that, I'd bet they could go 200,000+ like the other model years. Best to figure out if most of your driving will be still doing long commutes and SD roadtrips, or more around town, and how many seats you need. Just to check all of the boxes, I'd take a look at the Honda Clarity plug in. And just so you don't kick yourself later, test drive a model 3. Then if you still want the Prime, go get the Prime with no regrets as you did your homework and know what the alternatives were.
Yup, definitely a leak. Oil is slowly seeping out of the timing cover - not fast enough to drip on the ground, but it'll probably get worse over time. Pulling out the engine costs quite a bit especially in the bay area.
I don’t know if I would recommend a Tesla right now. They are having financial problems. The next year will be a critical one for them.
I'd say if they ran out of money, there would be several white knights waiting to pick up the pieces. Two profitable quarters in a row now. I would say they are in the best financial shape they have ever been in. Test drive a leaf, a bolt, a Clarity, and yes, a model 3. Arm yourself with knowledge. Yes, examine the health of any company you buy from. But make your decision with all the information you can gather. Global Sales December & 2018: 2 Million Plug-In Electric Cars Sold
Kevin, have you seen the Venza? It sure is pretty, and might not be the most practical, but it's on my Christmas wish list! 2021 Toyota Venza | Toyota Official Site
You might want to test the health of your battery with the Dr. Prius app. You would need to get an OBDII bluetooth adapter that plugs into the vehicle's computer diagnostic port under the dash, then pair it with the app. Their web site gives info on the app and recommends adapters: Hybrid battery diagnostic and repair tool for Toyota and Lexus I have a 2010 Prius with nearly 100,000 miles and the app shows the battery as healthy. Mine "uses' some oil but doesn't seem to be leaking any. Maybe you are looking for an "excuse" to trade up. I understand the feeling. After nearly 11 years I am also tempted. Sometime within the next year Toyota would normally announce the next gen Prius which is due as a 2022 model. Of course, these are not normal times, so it may be delayed or even cancelled since they are coming out with several other new hybrid models. So, I'm going to wait until more is known about the future of Prius.
