2015 is the only good gen 3. any gen 4 is fine. if you don't do your own work, find a mechanic before buying a car.
2016 up excluding the 2016-17 Prius v since it is still a gen3. In your choice of years, the worst are 2014s with vins prior to the following: Compare last six digits of vin
The 2017 Plugin Prius is the one I worked on that I liked the most... Whenever I see a plugin Prius at the gas station I always ask 'em when was the last time they filled the tank and they always say it's been months. One dude said it's been almost a year. Super reliable well built car!
The Prime won't save you a lot on fuel if you're driving most of the day, but it is the best of all generations and models for almost anything but carrying capacity. Any other 4th generation would be a very close second place. And I'm one of those who only buys gas every 2,500-3,500 miles, so I obviously have lots of drives shorter than 30 miles. But then again, we went to St. Augustine (about 180 miles away) and got 58 mpg round trip. Still have almost half a tank left. A regular 4th gen (2016-22) will do about the same mpg. And it will be vastly more comfortable than the older models.
The Prius V has all the same EGR/head gasket issues of the other 3rd generation Prii. Plus the cooling air intake for the hybrid battery is right down low on the rear floor and liable to suck in more dirt and hair. Not nearly as good in the fuel department, but it does have plenty of room.
The v certainly rides and drives better and has more room for cargo. Bigger standard tires, pitch and bounce control and higher btu ac are all great. But you will have a $2500 brake booster, $2k battery and most likely a new engine at least once during your ownership. If only they made a v with a gen4 engine. But that functionality went to the Rav4 hybrid.
the newer the better. but rjparker knows the v much better than i do. i would assume the 15 and up have new pistons and rings, but i would confirm it through part numbers. and then, i would clean the egr circuit before driving it, and have a savings account for actuator replacement if necessary
Can an extended warranty from Toyota cover the actuator? Remember, I’m the guy with a 2011 Prius 4 with Solar currently 180k and still- knock on wood, … and my son has a neighbors 2004 with hybrid battery change in 2017… we both love our cars, I’ll probably give him the 11 and sell his. Just trying to determine what’s next.
i don't know anything about the warranties, it is certainly worth exploring. make sure you read all the fine print. also, there may already be an extended warranty. you should be able to find out at toyota.com/owners. don't get me wrong, there may be lots of v's without issue. we only see what comes through here.
Keep an open mind about 3rd gen Prius of model year 2010~2014 vintage. We have a 2010 with 93K kms, not using a drop of oil between changes so far. Knock on wood...
One thing, eight-o’clock-day-one it had a block heater, and we try, mostly successfully, to plug in for a couple of hours before any stone-cold start. Also, following Canadian 3rd gen schedule for oil changes, which is 6 months or 8k kms, whichever comes first. And we’re doing under 5k kms yearly now.
After reviewing and reading I decided to buy this vehicle. I'm very surprised I can't find them to buy in Jamaica. I am looking for 2014 -2016 prius to buy. If anyone knows a dealer please assist. This vehicle ticks all the boxes.
