I recently purchased 07 Prius Base with 131k,1 owner vehicle. It will be used as a commuter vehicle (40 miles one way). I bought it for $3750,not sure how I did it for the price wise but I needed something good on gas because my bmw takes premium and gets only 28 MPG, and gas prices are going up. The car has full maintenance records since day 1 (it is all in website). Oil was changed every 5k, water pump was replaced, ECM was replaced,brake pads and rotors replaced about 6k miles ago.However,It appears to be the hybrid battery was never replaced.1-Is it something that I should be worried about soon? I've put 500 miles on the vehicle, no issues so far.2- I get 43-46 mpg (easy on gas and brake pedal), is it low because the hybrid battery is going bad, or because of the winter? (I live in Michigan)3-) front bumper has a small crack, i see that those bumpers are sold on ebay for $200 painted.Did anybody try aftermarket parts.If so, how did it fit and is the installation easy? Thanks
Your MPG is fine. Hybrid battery is guesswork, but the available statistics suggest a failure rate between 3-15% after roughly 10-15 years of operation, with higher failure rates as the vehicle gets older, as it's subjected to prolonged high temperatures, and as it's subjected to rapid cycling due to mountainous terrain. If you mainly drive in the northern US and don't make frequent trips over the Rocky Mountains or Appalacians, your battery has a good chance of lasting another 5 years/75,000 miles or more.
Seems as though you got an excellent deal -- as with any used vehicle though, only time will tell. As others said, your MPG seem right-on. Pick up an OBD 2 diagnostic solution (Torque App for your phone or Techstream for your computer) and you'll be prepared to tackle any future issues. Welcome, and best of luck.
My 2009 that I just got (also in Michigan) got about 38MPG over the last 200 Miles on the highway. This is driving the way I drive normally. Simba
Yeah, cold wrecks MPG. If you look at the MPG graphs for the Prius on Fuelly, you'll see that people who live in northern climates have a yearly cycle: 35-40 MPG in winter, 50-55 MPG in summer, in between in spring & fall.
