Just wondering -- more than a decade ago, I was the proud winner of a free 2008 Prius. Of course, I had to pay $7K in tax, but still... The car was a wonder. In more ways than one. Rattle sounds from under the hood when shutdown (normal). Pain in the ... to replace headlights...normal...leaking in rear hatch normal...and finally, not much else went wrong in some fourteen years of ownership. I ended up loving the little car. As all things go, it came time to part ways and I still miss it, but just wondering if anyone else here has a story that parallels and, if any if you are still hanging on in this forum, despite no longer owning a Prius? I seem to have a hard time letting go, which for me seems strange. It's just a car, isn't it? kris
The Prius has attracted a remarkable group of early adopters. Many of the skills learned with the Prius can apply to our current rides but that is not what attracts me. It is the curiosity and cleverness of the community that draws me here. So I share what I can and hopefully give folks a smile every now and then. Bob Wilson
Hey, Bob: And still sorry for calling you Bill for so long...but...I explained that in another post. Yes, the folks here are a special bunch. Many of the early adopters have moved on and we don't see them anymore, but a fair number of newer folks have joined in -- some of them even worth reading . I was never very strong on much other than how to deal with mice, but I learned so much here that encouraged me ... unfortunately I ran into a spot of bad luck and am not able to do as much actual work as I would like in terms of "heavy lifting," but we all do what we can do -- do we not? kris
Prius ownership just recently came to an end for me... 2001 Prius... 2004 Prius... 2010 Prius... 2012 Prius PHV... 2017 Prius Prime... 2023 bZ4X. Each was among first deliveries that generation. bZ4X is very much in the spirit of those Prius, each breaking ground into new territory. The newest Prius strives to appeal to difficult to reach consumers and current owners looking for more range & power. My wife will likely hold on to here Prius Prime for a number of years to come, waiting for a long-range all-electric sedan. As for letting go, that was easy. My niece, who planning to buy it from me anyway, suddenly found her Camry with 280,000 miles undriveable. With only a month prior to college graduation, that plan came together unusually well. I could continue on the saga of promoting new technology exactly as hoped. There is much to learn & teach in the world of plug-in vehicles still.
Everyone told me I would be sorry getting the Prius, even for "free." Of course, turned out to be the best car I ever owned (2008 GenII). Basically, no repairs other than replacing the water pump at 50k. kris
Still have the 2016 Touring in the family but I sold my 2018 Prime for an EV6. The rest is in my sig!
I still have my prius, that I never fixed nor drove anywhere. Does that count? Hopefully I can get to it this summer.
The next Prius that I own will be my first one. I did see my second work Prius yesterday, still in the fleet, and AFAIK my first work Prius is still on duty. Both are well over 200,000 mostly care-free miles, although both (being BWP) have had to be white-washed to avoid the white-grey-orange 'calico' look. Not sure if they ever got around to that with my first Prius, since I haven't seen it in over a year. I had a chance to switch to one of the ubiquitous "Hello Kitty" vans that telecom employees ride around in everywhere you go, and I never looked back. I don't miss pumping gas about once a week, but biology makes stops at gas stations more frequent than refueling my vehicle, so it's not a 'Yuge' inconvenience, and my cargo capacity was increased dramatically.
Owned a 2008 Prius we bought new in 2008. Kept it for 12 years. Great car, enjoyed it and appreciated the economy. Needed to upgrade as our other vehicle was 16 years old and the Prius was 12 years old and reliable transportation is a must for us. We wanted a Prius Prime but Southeast Toyota Sales Division refused to sell us one or help us procure one - so ended up with a South Korean Plug-in. It was a big step after 30+ years of only owning Toyota's. But -... life is about changes.
SE Toyota group is the reason that I was a Prius DRIVER for 10+ years for my company but haven't owned a Toyota for over 30 years. I'm not a believer in boycotts, and I've actually visited several Toyota dealerships (including non SE group) over the last 30 years to affirm my wise decision not to support them with my purchases. The Koreans are making probably some of the best cars on the planet, however... (comma!) I'm going to continue rolling US branded sheet metal for now. It's not jingoism, just wise economics....for ME. MY mileage. YMMV.
We discovered the Prius in 2014 when we moved back here from Honduras. We bought two 2005s upon our arrival. We replaced one (my wife's car) with a 2007 when it got totaled by a tester. Replaced the other '05 later on with a 2013 PiP. Then traded the PiP (my car) on a 2017 Prime. Eventually traded the wife's 2007 for a 2017 Prius. And last fall, I finally jumped ship by trading the Prime on a '22 Bolt EUV. Wife is still enjoying her '17 Prius. I like driving it, too, when I get a chance.
You can see my series of hybrids below. I still check in here, waiting for Danny to update the vehicle list so I can add the Venza . Yes, I know the site is called PriusChat, but there are plenty of sub-forums addressing other hybrids and electrics. Learned a great deal here and hopefully added some of my own "expertise" over the years. Great group of enthusiasts here, with very few exceptions. Let's keep the tips and tricks coming...
We just wanted a nice hatchback, and had the bad luck to go shopping right when everyone was trying to discontinue hatchbacks. The Prius c was the nicest hatchback we could find in the spring of 2018. I'd previously rented some big-body Priuseses so I had an inkling of what we were getting into, and we haven't been disappointed. Still a lot to learn reading these pages.
I recommended several friends to try the 2004 and had to hold of for the 2005 Hatchback which I had to have in the Salsa Red with everything on it that was possible in California. Fortunately I still drive it 630,000 miles later. I’ve gotten to replace everything that had failed myself, which was my dream, learning the how and why of it as the miles and repares came up. The lithium upgrade has been my favorite and the catalytic converters my least favorite. I have had my wife get a 2009 which only has 100,000 miles on it so I will get to contribute to the forum a long time. iPhone ?
I got my 2010 in 2018 and even after a failing HV battery and blown engine. Even after one of the old church ladies from the movie Friday After Next hit me. I still have passion for this car and this website. Being able to DIY helps with repairs. Gonna keep this ride for a long time.
Still got my 2015. Pushing 78k miles on it. Would have been paid off 2 years ago but I had to extend the loan to pull out money to attend a funeral. Due to a lot of "honey do's", I am looking at the Ford Maverick to purchase sometime next year. I like a small truck, I like 4 doors and the idea of a hybrid truck is good for me. Wife likes to get things that requires the space of a truck bed to hall. 10-15 bags of mulch or ground cover, bricks to line up the garden, you get the idea. Most of the time its stuff that gets the interior my car extremely dirty. I also build things, and plywood and 8 foot wood beams are easier to just put in a truck bed and tie down.
Sold the 2010-II to buy my Son a Tacoma when he graduated College, but still have our 2015-4, the Wife's 2017 RAV4 HV Limited and my 2019 ZR1 #2801.