Just as an aside, this vehicle has appalling fuel economy even for its size and apparently has a really poor reliability record. The resale value for a 2007 Jeep Commander is about $18 - 19k (per Edmunds) which is approximately the same as my 2007 Prius (per Edmunds); the Jeep originally cost > $40k, my car cost $26k. The Jeep uses at least 3x more fuel than the Prius.
I have a 2005 Prius and find it very cheap to maintain. The brakes are like new. I did recently change the coolant and brake fluid, but not sure if this was necessary. I will change the transaxle fluid at 100k. I did have to change the tires.
no surprise you were bombarded by feedback on this. what you are hearing is a mechanic who is NOT CURRENT. when the Pri was new and unknown technology, it was common for outside repair shops to charge a premium because they had to send mechanics for special training. that situation is long gone.... the Pri comes back year after year with top ratings for ROI and TCO... iow REAL out of pocket costs to own and drive the car... sure, they break, need to be fixed, but of the half million Pri owners out there, the percentage that pay are very very small and statically unlikely to happen. if you want to control costs, go on line get 3-4 air and cabin filters, replace them yourself. no tools or mechanical aptitude is needed. that will save you over $100 every time you do that
Another thing this coworker said is her so called mechanic said you have to buy special tires. Is that true?
Yeah you do but you have to inflate them with the air from your co-workers head..... And that fantastic mechanic
Maybe they were thinking of the Classic Prius? These had a high load range 'XL' tyre. The 'XL' really only indicates that the tyre can manage a higher service pressure than standard (41 vs 35 psi). The Prius needed the higher pressure to get to the load index of 84. TireRack.com only has the OE Bridgestone Potenza RE92 with this load range and index, and only a Dunlop SP10 with the appropriate load index. The other tyres offered in this size are 81 and 82, meaning they can handle about 40kg less per tyre/160kg the set. The hatchback 2004-2009 Prius wears 185/65 R15 tyres (with a load index of 87), or 195/55 R16 tyres for the Touring version. There are many more choices available for these tyres. The OE Goodyear Integrity (in the US) is moderately priced, at $71 each, but many owners report that the handling and grip are poor. They also don't have great treadwear. Some people claim that they're Low Rolling Resistance, but I can't see any claim to this effect on Goodyear's website, and John1701a's User Guide says that they're not. The original Honda Insight also had Bridgestone Potenza RE92s, in a very unusual size 165/65 R14. TireRack offers no other all-season tyres for this car.
The tires are quite ordinary but if you follow the threads about tires, you'll find we're actively seeking "low rolling resistance" tires as opposed to just any ordinary tire. Our hybrids reward those who choose low rolling resistance tires with supreme, city mileage versus just outstandingly, city mileage. But some folks like a little better 'handling' or 'quieter' or other tire controlled attributes like 'snow and ice' performance. You have a lot of choices. Now the really frugal folks (like me,) order our tires online and take them to a shop for mounting and balancing. I did it because no one in Huntsville sold the brand, style and size I wanted. But there is an easier approach. Your Toyota dealer will sell replacement tires, a little pricey, and the problem is solved. Good, fast and cheap, pick two of three. <grins> Better still, either subscribe or buy Consumer Reports. They aren't infallible but we catch 'em when they screw up. <grins> Bob Wilson
You have to purchase special "hybrid" tires: they run on hot air and misinformation. (and it's possible he was thinking about the 2001 - '03 models)
I use special tyres, would you trust the life of your family and yourself to ordinary tyres? I trust Michelin.
Right - and then shipped with a factory spec of 35 psi, at which point the load capacities of XL and normal P-metric tires are exactly the same. I was quite convinced I had misunderstood something, until I found the official TRA standard in the engineering library here, and yes, it really did mean what it sounded like it meant. (The details are in another thread.) So even the Classic Prius did not require the XL tire for reasons of weight. I was still curious then why Toyota had called for XL tires at all, but there does seem to be a common practice of spec'ing XLs when a little more lateral stiffness is wanted. Because they have extra sidewall thickness (to get the extra load capacity that the Pri actually doesn't use), they do have less sideways flex. That seems to make them preferred for handling on cars that are tallish and narrowish. I have no official source for this but it seems to be common wisdom in forums for Volkswagen Bus fans, who know a thing or two about tall narrow vehicles; that's where I found it. And the Classic Prius, while not VW bus-shaped, is taller than a lot of cars for the width. -Chap
You have made a wonderfully smart move. The 2nd hand knowledge passed on by a 3rd hand source is absolutely inaccurate!!! Why? The Prius actually needs LESS maintenance than similar vehicles. The knowledgable mechanic is blowing smoke because he has no idea whereof he speaks. I'm at 110,000 miles in 36 months. Over those 110,000 miles nothing has gone wrong that I didn't do or somebody(thing) did to me. As for normal maintenance read your service manual which you got with the other books. What's above the shaded line is what's required. Essentially it breaks down to this for the first 100,000 miles... Oil/filers every 5000 miles Rotate tires at your option ( 5000/10000 miles ) Air Filter every 30,000 miles THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will likely need a new set of tires. You will likely need a couple of sets of wipers. You will likely want to change the cabin air filter or two. THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will likely NEVER EVER EVER need new brakes!! Holy .......Never??? You will likely NEVER need to replace the timing chain. At 100K change the inverter fluid. At 120K change the spark plugs. See above for normal maintenance between 100K and 200K. Don't you feel smarter now than you did earlier today???
I have an 07 and it just passed 50,000. I have done all the scheduled maintenance. No other repairs. Even the tires are still good.
I agree, my in-laws have an 06 Prius w/65,000 miles and the only thing they have done were oil changes, tires, & wipers.
Sigh.... nope. Definitely not on the current gen. If you look up the 09 Prius OEM tires on Tirerack, you'll see: Goodyear Integrity 185/65R15 Then go lookup the tires on an 08 Corolla CE. Guess what? They're exactly the same model and size. The OP can also have their friend go to Best and worst in new car owner satisfaction: Car owner, auto shopping. Regarding reliability, you can point them to http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/02/consumer-reports-most-reliable-used-cars-1.html where you'll see the Prius amongst the most reliable used cars.
Isn't it funny (and I noticed this when I first got my Prius) some people love to give offhand remarks to try to make you double think your decisions. Don't let them do it. You've bought a great car and you are going to be so happy with it. I wonder if the "family friend" is a "shade tree" mechanic, or one who is not experienced with the hybrid "mystique". I certainly would not let him touch my car for an instant, as I'm sure it sounds like he has had problems with the ability to work on a hybrid before. Perhaps, we should say "at least he's honest" and it would be a problem for him.
