Question for 2012-2015 PIP Owners

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by iskoos, Jan 25, 2020.

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  1. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    check with todd at tampa hybrids, he often has some
     
    #21 bisco, Jan 28, 2020
    jerrymildred and iskoos like this.
  2. iskoos

    iskoos Active Member

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    Yes, driving perspective and the capacity are big but believe me battery chemistry is as important.
    NiMH is an old technology and although they are reliable and work well for many applications, they are not meant to be used under heavy load; Lithium chemistry is excellent working under higher loads.

    But this car having a lithium cells have downside as well. If some goes bad, it will be very difficult and expensive to find a used replacement ones.

    Anyways, if I can come across one, I will test drive it. I really want to see how it will be different than a standard Gen3 Prius.
     
    #22 iskoos, Jan 28, 2020
  3. QuantumFireball

    QuantumFireball Active Member

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    It's not powerful at all, but power and torque delivery is instant. It's more than adequate for driving at low speeds in urban environments.

    Owners in the UK call it "milk float" mode, as these vehicles were not known for anything resembling performance.

    Bisco was talking about the floor in the Prime being raised and particularly lacking in luggage capacity. The Gen 1 Plug-in is pretty much identical to the standard Gen 3 except there is no large removable tray under the floor or spare wheel well. There is a small compartment under the floor to the rear, enough to fit in charging cables and a few other things.
     
    #23 QuantumFireball, Jan 29, 2020
  4. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    #24 jerrymildred, Jan 29, 2020
    Yea Right and dig4dirt like this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    at least you get the new pistons and rings
     
    #25 bisco, Jan 29, 2020
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    Well it's almost even: the flipped-down seat backs aren't completely flat, ramp up slightly. And there's flocked carpetting. The Matrix (and Vibe?) was really good: with the back seats down you had a dead-flat cargo area, everything durable plastic, with longitudinal ridges. Great volume and very easy to slide things in or out. Good pic here:

    Toyota Matrix - Wikipedia
     
    #26 Mendel Leisk, Jan 29, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2020
  7. iskoos

    iskoos Active Member

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    Yes. I was talking about the uneven floor in Prius Prime. So an extra reason to consider Gen1 PIP over Prime. But this wouldn't make the Prime a bad vehicle. It is a great vehicle to me. It is just too much money for the time being. Maybe in a few years, the used ones will be affordable.
     
    #27 iskoos, Jan 29, 2020
  8. iskoos

    iskoos Active Member

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    Thanks Jerry. I checked it but it is way over my price range. If I am paying 13k, then I would probably add some more and try to go for some used primes in the coming years.
    The one I was considering was 2013 PIP @ 160k miles for around $8000. It wasn't a bad deal. I will be checking something in that range.
     
    #28 iskoos, Jan 29, 2020
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  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Mine was a '13. I liked it a lot, but this Prime is flat out amazing. A level floor would be nice, but it honestly hasn't been an issue for me.
     
    #29 jerrymildred, Jan 30, 2020
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