Author Topic: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?  (Read 2422 times)

thenewguy

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Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« on: August 23, 2019, 10:34:39 AM »
We're not quite there yet, but getting close to replacing one of our vehicles. Looking at what's available in our price range (~$8k), I've come across a few Camry Hybrids that look pretty appealing. They seem to generally be in the 110k-120k mile range, which has never scared me away from a conventional gas vehicle. If EPA estimates are accurate, it should use half (or less) the fuel around town that our minivan currently uses.

Anecdotal stories on the internet seem to range from 'battery is on borrowed time, be prepared to spend thousands to replace' to 'mine has lasted 200k so far and shows no signs of quitting.' I imagine a realistic expectation is somewhere between those two extremes? Closer to one than the other?

- If not completely dead, there's really no way to tell how much life is left in a hybrid battery, is there? At least in a test drive setting?
- I've seen Prius owners in particular mention identifying individual cells that have gotten weak, and replacing/reconditioning those. Presume that's feasible on most other hybrid models as well?

Any experience, insights, or other thoughts appreciated!

pdxvandal

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2019, 10:46:32 AM »
Absolutely. First-gen Priuses had a weaker battery life than second-gen, which is maybe where the fear comes from.

I bought a 2008 Prius with 260k (mostly highway) miles a few years ago. It's still going strong at 292k. If it lasts me 2-3 more years, I'll be happy, although I bet it can go another 5-7 years. You should be able to hit 300k on the Camry hybrid without replacing the main battery. I'd say go for it!

ecchastang

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2019, 02:50:38 PM »
Bought a 2008 prius with 96k miles 16 months ago.  Put roughly 20k miles on it with no problems.  Not quite as good of mpg as I wanted (low 40's) but well worth it.

ketchup

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2019, 03:29:44 PM »
No, I'd probably wait until it's around 130k to buy one.

100k is nothing.

Mrs Brightside

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2019, 07:06:42 PM »
Following this because I'm in the same situation and doing research now. Looks like plenty of Prius owners in the 200k+ mile club... https://priuschat.com/threads/200-000-mile-club.57091/

OtherJen

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2019, 08:41:35 PM »
Following this because I'm in the same situation and doing research now. Looks like plenty of Prius owners in the 200k+ mile club... https://priuschat.com/threads/200-000-mile-club.57091/

This is so reassuring! I bought my 2012 Prius 4 years ago when it had 50k miles. It's still doing great at 96k miles. I'm thrilled to know that I should be able to get it to 200k with regular maintenance! I love this car.

Zamboni

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2019, 02:19:39 AM »
Anecdote: I bought my Gen 1 Prius at 180K and drove it to over 230K before any sign of big battery problems. That was $3000 of initial car cost, plus a few oil changes and a couple of tires, for 50K miles of driving a car was getting 43 mpg consistently. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.

Now I have a 2014 that I bought at 45K miles . . . it's a 89K miles and still runs like a top.

You shouldn't even blink at 100K on a Toyota hybrid, IMHO. It's a no-brainer to pick one that's a color you like and buy it.

Faramir

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2019, 06:07:17 AM »
Yes, I would consider a hybrid with 100K on it...if it was a Toyota Prius or Camry.

100k miles is just getting warmed up.  Our 2010 (gen 3) Prius has done 94K miles, we've had it since 67,000 miles.  It still feels so new, runs like a dream and has averaged 58 USmpg for me.  But I love Toyotas, our 2004 petrol Corolla has 215K miles on the clock and going fine.

For a fuel comparison, the Prius uses 60% of the fuel the Corolla (35USMPG) uses.

When the Corolla dies I want another Prius.

norajean

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2019, 07:28:14 AM »
If you can work out a way to minimize your mileage it is even less of an issue.  Most people consider the car a convenience and use it indiscriminately while also living far from typical commuting places, like work.  We drive, including work commuting, way more than we need to but only manage to put about 4K/yr on the car.  The car we bought last year with 100K on the odometer will last a decade and still not reach 150k.

ColaMan

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2019, 08:41:18 AM »
I have a 2011 Camry Hybrid (bought new) with 85,000 miles or so on it.  I get between 32 and 36 MPG, depending upon the mix of city and highway driving that I do (unlike the Prius, the Camry does worse mileage-wise in stop-and-go city driving than on the highway -- I have found that the sweet spot is in the 60 MPH range, where I can average 40 MPG).  The car has been reliable, requiring no repair of any kind -- only routine maintenance, like oil change, tires etc.

I believe that the next model year (2012) involved a redesign that improved the car a bit.  The later version is a bit lighter and more efficient, so it gets better mileage than the version from 2011 and earlier (though again, not Prius-level MPG).   You might want to focus on those newer models, if you're looking at Camry.

flannel

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Re: Would you consider buying a hybrid with ~100k miles on it?
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2019, 12:54:46 PM »
I have owned three Priuses and had great luck with them. I bought a 2010 new and put 180K miles on it over eight years with no work besides brakes and tires (both of which lasted a LONG time). I currently own a 2012 with 110k that has needed no work and which I intend to keep at least 100k more miles.  We also have a 2006 with 160k on it that we have owned for six years.  No battery issues with that one either, but have had some mechanical work done (Cat converter, indicator light issues) Even so, it has been very reliable for the costs and we are confident with a college student driving it around the DC metro area all day long. 

Can’t recommend these cars enough. You can get a pretty nice used Prius for $8K.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!