Which year is the best year to buy? Former Prius owner

150K on my Prius v Five. It’s been a good car for me. Does not burn oil. Average about 42mpg.

 

exactly! and that's saying something in the arizona heat

 

No discernible oil consumption on our 2012 Prius v wagon with 150K-ish miles on it either. However, our 2010 liftback with 120K-ish does consume oil.

 

i rarely use the word ugly, but imho, gen 4 is ugly. i literally cringe every time i see it. sat inside and the materials were like an old cheap subaru

 

gen 3 i think is the sportiest so far, maybe not as fast as a 4

certainly some deficits but overall great.

 

I really like the look of our white Prius v (wagon). If you like the station wagon shape it is a winner. However, it is quite a bit heaver than the liftback...with nearly the same drivetrain...so it feels more sluggish than our Gen3 liftback.

 

how is mpg

 

I do think the 2016 looks OK, while '17 and '18 are quite unattractive. And I like the 2019 look too, as it steals a lot from the prime which I've always thought was quite sleek.

 

I'm averaging low 40s...not nearly as good as our liftback. You can really feel the extra weight when you try to glide, etc... However, we got it to replace our minivan....low 40s is a lot better than low 20s!

 

15. Better rings

 

Don't do it....!

 

How many miles did you get out of your 10 before switching to the 14?

 

I mean this in the best possible way, even if it might be interpreted as sarcastic or mean. I think that if you can afford a used 2011 Prius but the price difference to get a 2015 with the same miles on it matters at all, then I'd advise you to sell your BMW (whatever year it is, however many miles it has, whatever condition it is in) before maintenance and repair bills on it kill you. Just wash it, change the oil, and call up CarMax and Carvana ASAP for quotes. I know that's probably too harsh, and you're probably not stretched thin with the cost of the BMW, and the Prius is more like an optional hobby expense to you. But you did say you're looking to drive the BMW less to save gas money, right? Without knowing your actual circumstances, it's hard to give car advice and impossible to give financial advice. The good news is that, whether you're rich or poor, or whether the BMW is new or a beater, a Prius of the same market value is the smarter and more versatile car to own.

I hereby assign you to watch a minimum of 12 YouTube videos by Scotty Kilmer mentioning BMWs. Plus a minimum of 2 of his videos about buying a used hybrid. Plus his video about the Prius Prime. After completing those assignments, you'll either ignore him and everyone else, or sell the BMW and buy a new, not used, Prius. Most likely a new Prius Prime, though his video about that includes the result of him asking a Toyota dealer for a quote on replacing a Prime battery. You don't want to know the answer. But it's under warranty for 10 years or 150K miles in a CARB state.

All of the above is half joking, but also 100% true, and food for thought.

Unless you're on the brink of disaster, there's no need to make a perfect decision, or even a good one. But if you are, there is.

There's a great deal of info about Prius camping on YouTube. I've watched most of it, if you have any specific questions about what equipment fits where, or which people have the best videos about some particular configuration you're considering, etc. Everything from a lady who owns 2 RVs, preferring her Prius and adding a fridge, toilet, and lowest possible sleeping platform to her 2016 Prius 2 Eco; to a seemingly goofy but actually really smart young guy able to live in his Prius, complete with double bed for picking up chics, while also being a pro photographer and driving for Uber/Lyft without any of this being obvious to his passengers.