Picked up the 2010 Prius III yesterday after work. I feel very comfortable with the purchase. I will be trying to fully detail the car the next 2 weekends. I enjoy reading all the info on this site.
The 2010-13’s are the same. 2014’s are a little bit better, and the 2015’s are the “best.” Regardless of which year you to choose, they are generally trouble-free from 0-150K miles. You may have to add some oil, but otherwise, they are very reliable. But once you are past 150K, just be prepared for all hell to break loose.
I'll be turning 174,00 miles this week in my 2010. I've had no problems The guy said he never drove over 65mph, and it was garage kept. He had EVERY record for EVERYTHING he had done to the car. I think if you drive it like a Prius and not an F1 car, it will be fine.
Congratulations..and enjoy. In my opinion, I wouldn't worry about the Hybrid Battery. Yes, the common thinking is usage, helps maintain them better than long periods of non-use. But my way of looking at it, is that as a 2010...heading towards 10 years old, you'd be reaching the point where "possible" Hybrid Battery replacement would be on the table regardless of vehicle mileage. I also feel, predicting or trying to predict when a Hybrid Battery might fail is well,- nearly impossible. So if you aren't having any immediate issues, just drive it and enjoy. It's probably wise to be aware that failure is possible....and have a fund set aside to cover that expense when it happens. But low mileage or not? Who knows how long you might be able to go? I think if I was making a choice, in regards to a 2010 Prius, I'd always want the one in the best shape, with the lowest mileage possible, and I'd just deal with the Hybrid Battery.....as and when it became necessary. And for the most part, there really is no way to predict when failure might happen. Low Miles, Moderate Miles, or High Miles. Once you reach a decade...the Hybrid Battery becomes a wild card for everyone. Got stories of Prius owners on original Hybrid Batteries with 100,000 miles or more...double that even....and I've read a much rarer few stories of failure just around the expiration of the warranty. So really? Who knows? Set the money aside for the eventual expense...and then just hope you don't need to use that fund...for a long time. But in the meantime....you have a real low mileage Prius. Enjoy it.
Thanks. I drove it about 30 miles to my parents house this weekend because I will be detailing it there. The trip computer said I averaged about 48.7mpg (mostly highway). Still learning how to drive it efficiently. I used to average 36-38mpg in my corolla on that route.
That sound about normal for highway driving. A Prius will get better mileage off the highway than on it under normal driving conditions, opposite from non hybrids which do better on the highway. It's always funny to me when I see one for sale and advertised as "60 mpg highway and 52 in town". That's when I know the seller has zero knowledge about a Prius. My 2015 gets 52 overall but about 47.5 at 70mph on the highway and at times 56-58 when I stay off the highway.
I get between 35-40mpg in realistic city driving. Stop, go, stop,go......... "IF" no one is around, I can excellerate slowly using the battery, but that is rare. I was getting 16-17mpg in my van, so 35 is great! Combined I average 47mpg and can average 52-54 highway. It all depends on how you drive.
