I am a current 2008 Prius owner sitting at roughly 229k miles, so it seems like it is time to start looking for an upgrade. In my area there are a lot of us "Two" models or "LE" models. I understand that these are base models, but will still be a pretty decent step up from my '08. What are the biggest differences in the base model trims vs. some of the higher trims? Thanks for the input!
Not to throw a wrench into your plans but I had a 09 that I drove 225k+ and upgraded to a Prius Prime. Not sure where you’re located, but the federal $4502 tax credit and any state incentives you may have makes the Prime less expensive. Love love love my Prime. Love running on electric- about 30 miles in warm weather. Also the hybrid system has come a long way since 2008 too. Easy to exceed the fuel economy figures too! My only complaint is the slight reduction in cargo due to the bigger battery. But in just about every other way the car is far superior to my beloved 2009.
welcome! a few things that drive people crazy are decontenting. some gen4 have no spare, and make sure it has 3 door sks if you want it.
The only thing I miss from having a Prius three vs two is being able to unlock the doors by touch. My first Prius C was a three and I had to replace it after an accident. I decided to get the two because I planned to replace the stereo with an aftermarket unit to get CarPlay, specifically wireless CarPlay.
Are you looking for new or used? From the middle of 2017 to now, all Prius models have had the following set of Toyota Safety Sense features: Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD), Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA), Automatic High Beams (AHB) and Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC). Before the middle of 2017, those features were only standard on the Three and Four Touring models, but were optional on the Three and Four Non-Touring models. Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) were standard on the Four models and not available on any other models. Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) with Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA) were available as on option of Four models and not available on any other models. The mid-cycle refresh in 2019 simplified things somewhat. Now all models above the basic L Eco have all of the features mentioned above: PCS w/PD, LDA w/SA, AHB, DRCC, BSM, RCTA, ICS and IPA. My 2017 Four Touring has all of those features, and I find all of them useful except for the Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, which is a joke, as it currently exists on the Prius. I found the Lane Tracing feature with Steering Assist on the new Corolla to be much more useful, FWIW.
