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What gen 3 to buy?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by hg1027, May 9, 2021.

  1. hg1027

    hg1027 New Member

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    Hello forum

    Sort of an introduction, I managed to total a 2012 accord last weekend, looked at gti's for a few days, then finding everything in my price range is pretty well beat on, my wife decided she'd rather have the reliability of a prius instead.

    We have a 2013 suburban for cargo hauling and 6 person camping and road trips. We also have a 69 beetle for go kart fun and track days, so honestly the gti wasn't a big deal.

    I'll keep working from home for as long as I can get away with it, but I'll go back to a 20-40 mile a day commute some day, and my wife is anything from 2 miles to the bus stop to 60 miles to her second office (once a month ish). When I have to go to the home office, it's about 60 miles, but that's only a few times a year. Variance: they have at least L2 chargers.

    So, with a budget of about $16k, and the used market in general nuts right now, gen 3 looks like the most realistic. 2015 can be had with under 80k miles (not that it matters as much as condition and history). Some 2016s sneak in, and some 2017s with accidents in their history.

    Question for you experts, is there enough improvement in the gen 4 that we need to get there? We can swing another couple k, but a good clean 1 owner 15 seems like a better idea than a 3 owner 16 with more miles.

    Wife prefers cloth seats, I prefer leather but don't really care. If leather, not black.

    I think gen 3 did not have an option for LED headlights, not clear if there was a lighting package or if trim 4 covers everything but solar roof.

    Prefer white because Texas sun.

    Also, I'd really like to be able to swap head unit for CarPlay/AA. It looks like that's basically plug and play on any trim level gen3, even if it came with nav. Is that correct? I believe it's still easy swap on a plug in.

    There's a solar roof on Carvana right now, which would be nice in Houston. If not solar roof, I'd actually prefer no sunroof, since one car had a leak, and we have trees over the driveway that took out the glass on the Honda.

    Any other tips on trim levels or options to look for?
     
    #1 hg1027, May 9, 2021
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    If gen3 go with the low miles on a 2015 and change oil at 5k intervals. Be aware that a 2016 or 17 Prius v wagon is still a gen3 while the regular Prius went to gen4 in 2016.

    Attached is a link describing the technical improvements of a gen4, realizing some help improve mpg and others reflect a gen3 flaw that was redesigned. Particularly the improvements in cylinder cooling, egr, inverter (pcm) and intake design. Several pages. 4th-Generation Toyota Prius Teardown (Part 1) - MarkLines Automotive Industry Portal
     
    #2 rjparker, May 9, 2021
    mikey_t and Samuel Williams Jr like this.
  3. Samuel Williams Jr

    Samuel Williams Jr Member

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    If your asking for "opinions," on a Gen 3, I'd say "No." Toyota kinda messed up on the Gen 3's and on the Gen 4's as linked they made a lot of "improvements," to make, up for it. The new Hybrid Tranny for one is a huge improvement! Less wear and tear on the motor at high speed, and I don't know about other states? But in NV having to do better than 90 to pass a Gen 2, on Hwy 395 is not unusual?

    More than 80 mph on the battery, regen in a Gen 2, is not good for it? But out here some Gen 2. owner's don't seem tp care? But the Gen 3's all the "issue's," seem to come from the same source?

    If you want a Gen 3, get the one with the lowest mileage you can find, and if you do? Plan on having the intake manifold and egr valve cleaned, especially if it was "Dealer Serviced. Folks say, Dealer's are notorious for overfilling the oil on car's they service? And if they do, the excess oil will accumulate in the EGR valve and intake manifold. So plan on that and adding an oil Catch Can, and most likely you'll do fine. :)
     
    #3 Samuel Williams Jr, May 9, 2021
  4. hg1027

    hg1027 New Member

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    Thanks for the replies! Sounds like a 4 would be worth it.
     
    #4 hg1027, May 10, 2021
    mikey_t likes this.
  5. Samuel Williams Jr

    Samuel Williams Jr Member

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    Well heck, I learned stuff because you asked, the Gen 3 and the new tyranny is why (I feel) the mpg went up? The EGR, crap caught "Toyota," by surprise some how? So they did change that.

    But the Gen 3, does seem to be more labor intensive than the Gen 2 (when new) and the Gen 4, seem's to be more back to form, but hey those are nothing compared to keeping an 89 Porsche 951's on the road? How about 35,000 T-Belt changes before some other "WTH," is this crap (Speed and Reference Sensor's) fail's??

    Compared to that kinda crap any Prius is a piece of cake, but if you don't wanna screw around? A Gen 4 would be a better choice in my "Opinion."

    Check the oil and put in gas, and call it day back to normal. :}
     
    #5 Samuel Williams Jr, May 10, 2021
  6. hg1027

    hg1027 New Member

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    Gen 4 more back to form, are you saying it's further improvement, less labor intensive? Or are you saying it's back to Gen 2 needing more attention than Gen 3?

    I have a 69 beetle, and I've had old motorcycles, so I know about maintenance (oil change with every other fillup it seems, valve adjustment every month or so).
     
    #6 hg1027, May 11, 2021
  7. Samuel Williams Jr

    Samuel Williams Jr Member

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    Sorry I meant the Gen 4's are more like the Gen 2's in that they are not as maintenance intensive (relatively speaking.)

    And even at that the service interval's would be insane? You'd just need to find a Gen 3, with well under 100,000 miles, and just plan on checking, cleaning the EGR valve and intake manifold and adding a Oil Catch Can, and doing it again in, I don't know 50000 miles? And most likely with 5000 mile oil changes and no over filling of the oil? Way longer than that?

    But knowing the potential (EGR Issue) could be there is half the battle. The Gen 3's definitely have a lot of upgrades over the Gen 2's. But we can't get one because if I go out there with tool box, to start taking parts of a car we just bought? My wife would kill me on the spot. :)
     
    #7 Samuel Williams Jr, May 11, 2021
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