Questions from a potential buyer

I am in Mississippi, so winter has less of a bite. My coldest tank in my v was 35 MPG, where my warmest tank was 46 MPG, so a 10 MPG drop is not unbelievable, but a c should do 50 in the summer at sensible speeds.
There is a screw-in tow hook on both my Gen 2 and my v, so the c may have one as well.

Yes the slip indicator will light when you spin the tires.

The c was introduced in 2012, so it is likely that no cases of HV battery failure have occurred yet. Gen 1 (2001 to 2003) are having failure fairly frequently now, and Gen 2 (2004 to 2009) are just starting to not be unusual. The c uses a different pack than either of those (144 volt rather than 288 volt or 201 volt) so no-one can make iron clad predictions, but I would budget $1000 by 2022. There is no reason to suspect that more c owners won't total their car than ruin their battery, so ebay will have a low cost supply from unfortunate owners.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-TOYOTA-PRIUS-BATTERY-PACK-MODEL-C-PART-G9280-52030-/321238506857

(This is hare brained theory, not fact) It is my contention that the HV battery is pampered by the computer, so time being driven is better than time sitting parked. All the Prius with amazing mileage before battery failure are taxis, driven 24/7, so do not fear driving your Prius 30,000 miles a year. (My theory is that summer heat and winter drain age a battery more than just miles)

 

it's not a subaru or other all wheel drive vehicle. it does pretty well in winter, but if you need to be out in a lot of bad weather, it may not be the right car for you.

 

welcome aboard!

my '10 takes about a 10 mpg hit in the winter. i run studded snows on corolla steel wheels.

traction was just as good or better than our 97 camry. there is always a chance you will need a tow... plan on it.

the prius loves to be driven... better than just sitting around.

 

Yes. Use it when you would use L in a 'normal' car, almost never.

 

You don't have hills in Iowa. The highest point in Iowa in something like 1,600 feet in the middle of a corn field.

 

I had no experience driving a hybrid when I bought mine other than two short test drives. Yes there are always instruments to get used to and indicators...true of any new car. And a little different starting procedure and parking procedure. But most of the time you can just drive it. Learn the nuances as you go. If I could at 70...a youngster like you should have no trouble at all.

I use B once a day maybe coming down a long steep hill to a stoplight to use max braking regen (charges battery and simulates brakes). Other than that I drive in ECO mode unless I really want to jackrabbit out ahead of traffic crossing a highway with oncoming traffic when I use PWR.

Traction batteries can last longer than a normal gas engine. 12v batteries fail just like any car.

Any car gets worse gas mileage when it is really cold. Rich mixture and the catalysts haven't warmed up. Hybrids that start out electric in the spring, have to warm up the cabin and the defrost air in the winter so they start out with the gas running until things get hot enough so they can retreat to normal mode.

 

The car is there to serve you. If you need the heat, use it. Don't be a slave to the MPG.

There are lots of Pri up in Canada. They can handle the cold. You do need real winter tires, and should not go into snow that is high enough to touch the belly of the car. You can get into a situation where the middle of the car is lifted up on snow and the tires hang uselessly.

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That's for the transaxle. The car babies its components.

That's what it's there for. There is a steel "O" tow ring in the trunk that is about as thick as your thumb. It screws into the front bumper. You could probably hang the car by it, although I'm sure it would beep at you. The various beeps mean Toyota does not approve.

That's a judgement call, depends on what you've got to pull with and how simple the situation is. If you're 50' out into the swamp and have nothing but a rusted out Pinto and some clothesline to pull with, well the tow truck starts to look better.

Just means one or more tires are slipping and the car is unhappy about it. If it's the one with a little car on top of two "S" shaped lines, that's the sideways slip indicator. I get it when I drift the turn into the local interstate on-ramp.

They last a long time. Just the warranty runs a good ten years. If one dies you can get a used one from a wreck. They survive anything.

We have stickies for 100K, 200K, and I think 300K(?) on the odometer in the Gen. II section. The Prius taxis run up a lot of miles. Browse around and see how they're doing. People here are not shy about bringing up problems.

I think of Toyotas as being good to 200K, more if you take care of them. The Prius is no different.

 

This graph provides a general idea of the winter dip...



...north of you, here in Minnesota, where I obviously see colder conditions. In fact, the forecast tonight is for a low of 7°F.

As was already pointed out, all vehicles take a hit. Most people never noticed though, since they didn't have a screen showing them and the difference seems less when the numbers are lower to begin with.

The heater info you were provided was misleading. The heater will indeed cause the engine to start, but it won't prevent it from shutting off. When warmed up, the engine stops... but the heater keeps running... since the coolant retains far more heat than you'll consume right away. Years ago, I remembering measuring the engine on/off cycle while shut in a snowy commute traffic jam. It was 8 minutes. That saves quiet a bit of gas.