Prius V -- How slow?

I sold my 2019 Lexus RX350 and got a 2013 Prius V, loaded. I believe i know what you’re asking. The RX is a rocket. very quick and has good space. $690 per month. The V is slow but gets me from a to b the same way except with no stress, tickets, or high payments. I now get 45+ mpg but don’t expect to win any races. it is the turtle to the hare.

 

Easy solution:
STAY IN YOUR LANE and don't drive like a maniac.

 

I owned a loader v five for a couple of years. It’s 0-30 was pretty decent, especially for the fuel
Economy, it’s 50-80 was just fine. Hit power mode, and put it to the floor! You learn there is a little lag at higher speed acceleration due to the engine must rev up to make maximum power. I remember passing slow cars on county two lane roads without much issue. You’ll hear that 1.8 working, but that’s okay. If you’re going to drive aggressively, this might not be the perfect fit, but if you do anyway change the oil every 5-6k with a good synthetic oil.

 

It’s a power-limited momentum drive, like a Formula V. Limit tire scrubbing, and momentum and speed are easily maintained.

 

Test drive one. I can pass anyone that is legal to do so.

 

Driving a Prius v at 75-85 is no problem, we have a tollway in central Texas that has a 85 mph limit. It is stable at high speed, has a special pitch and bounce control and keeps up with traffic. It stills gets about 38 mpg at that speed.

However excessive speed its not good for the Atkinson cycle 1.8L engine. There is evidence that high speed driving aggravates the head gasket problems and oil burning.

If you can not stay below 70 I would not buy this car.

 

Sorry if you are not hearing what you want to hear... I will sell you mine.... there are lots of "great" deals on these for some reason...

Years of ownership, engineering, dealer mechanic feedback and knowledge accumulation.

 

Yes you do. By your own admission.

No but I've been there. And anyone who drives 20 over on a 2 lane road and thinks that those who are doing 5 over is a problem.......is just being stupid.
If the shoe fits.........

 

@evankobl
Even though the Pirus hatchback advanced to Gen-4 (with updated EGR) with model year 2016, the V wagon retained the Gen-3 powertrain though it's final run in 2017. So any V will have the problematic EGR system, inverter, and wildcard headgasket issue.
My experience with our '13 V wagon is that it has plenty of power to cruise at high highway speeds (75-80mph), but at that speed, it's loud because the engine is really spinning fast as a result of the low gearing of the final drive, plus it has a propensity to burn significant oil (in my case: 1 quart/700 miles.)

 

Compared to a Fozzie?

A v will feel about the same as an older Fozzie with the 4-spd 4EAT transmission. It's a different curve though: They leap off the line better than the Subaru, but you were asking about 50-80 and that's where the Prius is weakest, sorry. The "downshift" is far smoother and quicker than what you're driving now, but the perceived passing power is about the same.

Most of what's wrong with that old Fozzie is the lameness of a 4-speed auto. My 2006 Outback had the 5EAT, and that one extra gear makes the car so much more pleasant, and passing is a lot easier too. But they never offered that trans in the Forester sadly.

 

I regularly drive my 2012 Priuv V over 80 and haven't had any issues. With just under 70,000 miles, hopefully I continue to not have issues. Ideally, if you buy a used Prius, you want a mechanic who works on Prius's to look at it and ideally check the battery to make sure that it is still good. I haven't seen any rust issues either. I have had other cars where that was a problem.

I really like this car. It does what I need it to do and has decent power. I put it into power mode when I want a faster merge onto the highway and that helps. But it is no race car. It is a really good around transportation that gets good gas millage. I hope to keep it for another 5ish years.

I hope that you find the car that you are looking for.

 

My main car is an Outback 3.0R - H6 with 256hp. And a Sprinter diesel van.

I swear the van is faster. You can sustain 70+ without any problem but it’s definitely Forester-grade acceleration.

But city mpg in the V is unbeatable.

 

I have a 2013 V iii that I purchased two years ago with 80k on the clock. The car was very well maintained and now I am approaching 148,xxx miles. I consistently get 46-48 on a tank with mixed suburban driving in South Florida. It consumes about a 1/2 quart of oil in between oil changes (every 5k). I had the EGR cleaned at 100k. It has no problem cruising at 75 on the highway. I did NOT buy this car for speed, I bought it for reliability (had a 2004 and 2013 Prius also). My 2004 had nearly 300k on the clock but a Mercedes decided to stop the clock (minor quarter panel damage). I would not hesitate to buy a 2013 as long as you do your homework.

 

If the slowness of the Forester is driving you crazy, the v will be just as bad. Car & Driver tested 50 to 70 mph at 7.2 seconds, so 50 to 80 mph will like take >10 seconds. It maintains speed fine, though may do so with great strain going up hills (i.e., the engine is running at high rpm and audibly straining), especially with passengers. However, as noted, it's acceleration is tepid at best. If it's a 2 lane road, I typically need to plan the pass so that I have enough room. Aggravating the issue is little sound insulation, so it's quite evident when the engine is working hard (plus wind and tire noise).

Also note, while the v had plenty of depth for cargo space, your headspace (for cargo that is) will likely be a lot less than your Forester because the trunk floor is pretty high for the batteries. Take a close look at that to make sure it fits the needs for exactly what you need to haul (e.g., long but short will work, but large square boxes will not). If it works, I would definitely do an extensive test drive as it may be even slower than your Forester and drive you even crazier.

North Jersey ... driving the Garden State Parkway is always fun. 55 mph speed limit in parts and the middle lanes are doing at least 70 lol.

 

Talk about 'local conditions', you can be in the right hand lane on I-95 in NJ and get blown off by people passing at 80+ in the breakdown lane!