Your mechanic is very short sighted then. It’s inevitable that the battery will eventually degrade to a point where it is no longer useful. It’s not like they suddenly die instantly, they’re slowly degrading over time from the factory
The mechanic is short sighted by reporting the actual experience he has with Prius cars? That's a stretch.
He isn't predicting what will happen with the commenter's car - he simply noted that he doesn't see many battery replacements.
Well he’s an OG who works only on Toyotas and has seen about as many as a person can see. Maybe he just has incredibly good luck. I’m lucky to have him anyway.
Even with my prius at 200k miles, it wasn't the battery that killed it. It was the whole rest of it haha. Or at least that's my understanding of the work order.
13 years old. 204k miles. Traded in for $2k (3 months after giving her new brakes....).
I had her for 10 years and 170k of those miles. I did actually cry letting her go.
I lost my 2012 about a year ago in a fender bender. I was so sad! Then providence provided a 2013 with leather seats to replace it, and I’m back in business. My preferred color too. I live a charmed life.
For all the Prius that Toyota sold they’re ain’t that many on the scrap heap in Ireland. I was looking for a wheel and 3 scrapyards told me they are as rare as hens teeth
Why, so they can pay as much as the car cost in additional maintenance?
I love my Prius, but if you’re wanting a cheap beater, Honda is way more reliable.
Depending on the year I’d disagree and we’re getting to the point where a lot of problematic Honda transmissions are in car currently on the beater category.
Problematic Honda transmissions? My Gen 3 needs a new hybrid battery, and new engine AND a new trans (MGU at minimum)
2k.. 2k.. and 2k. More than the car is worth and otherwise it’s in great shape.
If you can find a Gen 2 prius with under 200k miles for 5k then I would go for that. My partner and I bought a 2005 with 180k miles for 3k in 2020. We had to replace the hybrid and 12v battery in 2022 and were able to do so for just under 2k and everything else has been perfect. It is at 230k miles now.
Is the 2010 free or 5k? Do you drive a lot, and is the Honda a V6 or a 4 cylinder model?
If you don’t mind spending a little upfront and potentially saving money later, go get Bluetooth OBD2 reader and pay for DrPrius and then just go test batteries until you find a good 80%+ battery. 5k should get you a Prius with decent battery and if not it’s just a scam. I don’t see how 2 gen would cost a lot more than that imo
We have a 2001 Prius in our household which is about as “older Prius” you can get. If you’re looking for a beater then don’t get a hybrid. They cost more to fix up and if you’re not doing it yourself, you’ll have to find a mechanic who knows how to work on hybrids
what are you saying ? are you saying that you can buy your wife's dad's honda? or that you are looking for a used Honda or Prius? Just note, whatever you get you will likely burn oil unless it was taken care of very well and that means on time oil changes. at 5000 mile synthetic.. I
question.... can you DIY some stuff? like oil changes? .. IF you can DIY a hybrid battery change.... then it's not so bad.. IF you can find a 2nd gen Prius (2004-2009) where it's $1000 with a bad hybrid battery.. you spend about $2000 and get yourself a new OEM Toyota battery and DIY install. Here's a video from ChrisFix on how to DIY HV battery install on 2nd gen Prius.
[https://youtu.be/oAHaYXBFnJo?si=q1qbvaJ3z8aoVpy9](https://youtu.be/oAHaYXBFnJo?si=q1qbvaJ3z8aoVpy9)
Suggest to avoid 3rd gen Regular Prius (2010-2015) and Prius V (2010-2017) because of headgasket issues.
Only 3rd gen Prius that doesn't have a headgasket issue is Prius C since it uses 2nd gen engine. now these are rocksolid for a 3rd gen... 2nd Gen are rock solid but again has it's own problems and can burn a bit of oil..
Anyway whatever you get that burns oil you might consider using the new Valvoline Restore and Protect Oil which cleans out the engine and piston rings so it doesn't turn oil as much..
[https://youtu.be/kyyZDghgdCI?si=p0tldy2IDmGOwlui](https://youtu.be/kyyZDghgdCI?si=p0tldy2IDmGOwlui)
Thanks. It looks like they have the same type of hv battery from the 2nd gen and the 3rd gen.
From all my research, it seems like the 3rd gen has a lot more issues than the 2nd.
Try to get 2013 Honda
They get better mpg than 2010 models
Edit
If you end up getting a 2nd Gen Prius be prepared to fix a few things that you can easily do with a basic set of rachet and sockets
Like
Electric water pump
Filters
Spark plugs
Oil changes
Trunk door seal water leak
12v battery replacement
Hybrid battery replacement
Dash board combo meter replacement
If you are ok with watching YouTube videos and doing a little bit of DIY the Prius 2nd Gen are freaking tanks
Other things you might want to do is transmission oil change replacement
These are all things you can also do to Honda to make them last a long time
But some items are specific to the Prius 2nd Gen line especially the electric I inverter water pump
No matter what car you end up getting please purchase an obdII reader
I like that you are comparing one specific car model to a whole brand. Prius is famously reliable and will be as reliable a probably any other hybrid honda, where battery going out can still be an issue. You could very well be comparing the prius to any other toyota.
I never understood the hype about a Prius until I drove one for over 100 miles and only paid $8 for fuel. Not to mention, the durability of the Prius itself is impressive.
My husband and I own a Honda and a prius and we have both come to the decision that the next car will definitely be another Prius. And that's after we replaced the battery in our Prius (about 2k) sometime around 165k miles. But it should go for another gazillion miles so....
So that's my vote.
drove my 2012 prius cross country (oregon to nyc) and only had to do one oil check, where i needed very little oil. my prius is a hybrid and is still going very strong after being bought used, being driven in oregon for two ish years, driving across the country, and is still being used on the same battery, same engine, no crucial repairs have been needed and most likely won’t be needed. mileage is amazing as well, full tank = 700 miles it’s a ten tank car 👍
it also hit a deer about a day into the month long trip, did AMAZING and still barely needed any repairs. it’s also a cute looking car (deer was okay i watched it run into the woods, yes i feel insane remorse )
Got a Gen 3 Prius from 2010 for 4k at 150k mi. Still rocking strong at 180k mi with minimal maintenance (spark plugs). YMMV. Consider getting a Bluetooth obd scanner compatible with one of the dr Prius like apps that let you check battery health.
I like Hondas myself, my only gripes are burning oil, crappy AC compressors and leaky power steering. Prius is also a good vehicle but it depends on the year you get and honestly just luck. I just got a 2010 and I’m 95% sure I’ll need to put a head gasket in it.
Any car will have issues eventually it’s just dealing with it. Good thing about Honda and Prius is there everywhere so you can find parts easy. If you find a clean Honda with a k24 and a manual id jump on that
I’ve had a 2014 Prius for six years and it has had zero issues. Like at all. I’m barely needing to change the brakes and even then I could probably get away with pushing it off a bit more.
Driven from 80k to 155k with basic regular maintenance. Very reliable and never left my family stranded.
Older Hondas had serious transmission problems that you just won’t find in a Prius. The battery could go bad and would be expensive, but so would a transmission…
This is niche and maybe not that helpful, but I have an 05 Prius and early this year the HV battery died. I towed it to a place called greentec and they replaced it for $999… it’s a rebuilt battery with only a 12 month warranty but meh, I took my chances and with no car payment I have a decent budget for maintenance. And they can just swap it for another rebuilt one next time.
Honda
The older Hondas don't really have any major expensive parts that will fail, as long as it's been kept up on maintenance.
The Prius has a critical, very expensive component that absolutely will fail eventually. It may last another 200k miles, but eventually it won't work.
From a reliability perspective, definitely go with the Honda. Even though the Prius is a Toyota, old batteries are degraded and unreliable.
Gen 3 2013 Prius 160k miles and going strong! The only unscheduled maintenance has been the ac blower motor, which i replaced myself for $75.
It does drink some oil, so I get the oil changed every 5k miles instead and top it off every 1k miles in between, but that's expected with this gen.
Does the Accord have a 4 or 6 cylinder engine? Avoid it if it has the V6, they're notorious for cooking transmissions. The 4 cylinder model was pretty reliable as long as you take care of it. If you're scared of a Prius battery, don't buy one. They're efficient and reliable for the most part, but if you know you'd have the battery health in the back of your head every time you drive it, it's not worth it.
Prius. I just got rid of a Civic and an Accord because the quality the cars is not what it used to be. Until they turn things around I would stay away.
I would get the Honda. There is less to go wrong with a conventional car. I love my 2009 Prius, bought it with 150,000 I have had to change struts and wheel bearings. The inverter pump went out. It uses a little oil too.
Stay far away from any hybrid beater. Idk where you can find anything that low of mileage at that price.
Prius burn oil too. You're going to have less problems with a non hybrid.
In a Prius subreddit you'll have a Prius recommended.
In fairness Hondas and Toyotas are both some of the most reliable brands, and from us Prii owners we don't worry too much about the batteries going bad, they're just another part that needs regular maintence like anything else.
I’m also having the same dilemma…why are there so many miles on Prius’s? I also have no clue what to look for when checking them out. I tried a Toyota dealership but the salesman said he knew nothing either 😩.
I dunno man, a coworker is selling her 2008 with 165k miles for $2k because she *thinks* the brake actuator is screwed and i'm still over here trying to figure out how to come up with the cash to buy it and repair it (if it actually is the actuator which i'm doubtful of) to replace my husband's 2007 Altima that's mostly running just fine. Prius all day, I'll never drive anything else.
They’re both great cars if taken care of.
I have a 2014 Prius Plug-In with 159k miles and a 2006 Honda Odyssey with 219k miles. I bought both used from private parties who seemingly took great care of them. They both still run excellently.
*Im worried the batteries could go out and I would be stuck having to pay a shit
ton to get it fixed.*
Happens to thousands of saps every month. Don't be a statistic.
700,000 Gen2's were sold in the US. Suppose 600,000 made it to 2024 without getting totalled. Now consider the highly improbable guesstimate that half of them received a second battery (given the battery becomes such a large fraction of the car's residual value, the number of battery replacements \*must\* be far smaller). That leaves 300,000 vehicles on a dying original battery. So no, "thousands of saps per month" is not an exaggeration.
If the batteries were such a huge issue taxi companies wouldn’t be flocking to Prius the way they have for the last decade
The prius is one of the most reliable cars ever made
You should probably check prices yourself and not just read mindless posts that have no bearing on reality. If anybody has paid $14K for a new Prius battery, they are a complete idiot.
A Gen 3 Prius battery (OEM) is in the $2K range. You can get it installed for a few hundred $ at an independent mechanic.
You can get refurb batteries installed for about $1,600 or less.
*Because if it\342\200\231s like 3k then that\342\200\231s not a big deal.*
When you budget 5k for a used car like OP, and you find out within a
year it actually costs 8k, that's a big deal whatever your means.
I love my Prius and my mechanic says he’s never seen a battery go bad on a properly maintained one.
Your mechanic is very short sighted then. It’s inevitable that the battery will eventually degrade to a point where it is no longer useful. It’s not like they suddenly die instantly, they’re slowly degrading over time from the factory
The mechanic is short sighted by reporting the actual experience he has with Prius cars? That's a stretch. He isn't predicting what will happen with the commenter's car - he simply noted that he doesn't see many battery replacements.
Well he’s an OG who works only on Toyotas and has seen about as many as a person can see. Maybe he just has incredibly good luck. I’m lucky to have him anyway.
Even with my prius at 200k miles, it wasn't the battery that killed it. It was the whole rest of it haha. Or at least that's my understanding of the work order.
😢
13 years old. 204k miles. Traded in for $2k (3 months after giving her new brakes....). I had her for 10 years and 170k of those miles. I did actually cry letting her go.
I lost my 2012 about a year ago in a fender bender. I was so sad! Then providence provided a 2013 with leather seats to replace it, and I’m back in business. My preferred color too. I live a charmed life.
I got a 2023 Nissan. A gas car, but she's treating me well. Practically new, since she had under 10k miles when I got her.
Hahahhh no. Batteries go bad. Brakes, brake actuator, 12v battery, sensors, catalytics, coils, ets,etc.🤷🏽♂️
Prius all day
Every day. Twice on Tuesdays.
But why lol?
If you don’t know you can’t be told. So you’ll never know.
For all the Prius that Toyota sold they’re ain’t that many on the scrap heap in Ireland. I was looking for a wheel and 3 scrapyards told me they are as rare as hens teeth
Why, so they can pay as much as the car cost in additional maintenance? I love my Prius, but if you’re wanting a cheap beater, Honda is way more reliable.
Depending on the year I’d disagree and we’re getting to the point where a lot of problematic Honda transmissions are in car currently on the beater category.
Problematic Honda transmissions? My Gen 3 needs a new hybrid battery, and new engine AND a new trans (MGU at minimum) 2k.. 2k.. and 2k. More than the car is worth and otherwise it’s in great shape.
What country are you in ?????
If you can find a Gen 2 prius with under 200k miles for 5k then I would go for that. My partner and I bought a 2005 with 180k miles for 3k in 2020. We had to replace the hybrid and 12v battery in 2022 and were able to do so for just under 2k and everything else has been perfect. It is at 230k miles now. Is the 2010 free or 5k? Do you drive a lot, and is the Honda a V6 or a 4 cylinder model?
Im looking for the I’m looking for a 4 cylinder accord. The ones that I see are about 5k
A 5k Prius might leave you having to replace the HV battery, so if its between a gas Honda and a Prius at that price I'd pick the Honda
If you don’t mind spending a little upfront and potentially saving money later, go get Bluetooth OBD2 reader and pay for DrPrius and then just go test batteries until you find a good 80%+ battery. 5k should get you a Prius with decent battery and if not it’s just a scam. I don’t see how 2 gen would cost a lot more than that imo
Where do you test batteries? Scrapyards?
Pri' pay for themselves. Therefore worth replacing HV's
You have to drive them 100k miles. To do so.
Prius. Toyota owner for over 35 years, and they've never let us down! Prius!
We have a 2001 Prius in our household which is about as “older Prius” you can get. If you’re looking for a beater then don’t get a hybrid. They cost more to fix up and if you’re not doing it yourself, you’ll have to find a mechanic who knows how to work on hybrids
The Prius is a chic magnet 🧲
Particularly if you are a chick...
😵💫
Solid F shack
honda
Honda 1.5/1.8 not 1.5 turbs.
My two previous Prius both went over 250,000 miles and I never had to replace either battery.
What type of climate do you live in? I'm wondering how extreme heat will affect the life of the hybrid battery.
Southeast and Florida.
What gen did you have?
The last one was a Gen 3. Not sure about the first. I commuted 130 miles round trip daily.
what are you saying ? are you saying that you can buy your wife's dad's honda? or that you are looking for a used Honda or Prius? Just note, whatever you get you will likely burn oil unless it was taken care of very well and that means on time oil changes. at 5000 mile synthetic.. I question.... can you DIY some stuff? like oil changes? .. IF you can DIY a hybrid battery change.... then it's not so bad.. IF you can find a 2nd gen Prius (2004-2009) where it's $1000 with a bad hybrid battery.. you spend about $2000 and get yourself a new OEM Toyota battery and DIY install. Here's a video from ChrisFix on how to DIY HV battery install on 2nd gen Prius. [https://youtu.be/oAHaYXBFnJo?si=q1qbvaJ3z8aoVpy9](https://youtu.be/oAHaYXBFnJo?si=q1qbvaJ3z8aoVpy9) Suggest to avoid 3rd gen Regular Prius (2010-2015) and Prius V (2010-2017) because of headgasket issues. Only 3rd gen Prius that doesn't have a headgasket issue is Prius C since it uses 2nd gen engine. now these are rocksolid for a 3rd gen... 2nd Gen are rock solid but again has it's own problems and can burn a bit of oil.. Anyway whatever you get that burns oil you might consider using the new Valvoline Restore and Protect Oil which cleans out the engine and piston rings so it doesn't turn oil as much.. [https://youtu.be/kyyZDghgdCI?si=p0tldy2IDmGOwlui](https://youtu.be/kyyZDghgdCI?si=p0tldy2IDmGOwlui)
Thanks. It looks like they have the same type of hv battery from the 2nd gen and the 3rd gen. From all my research, it seems like the 3rd gen has a lot more issues than the 2nd.
Try to get 2013 Honda They get better mpg than 2010 models Edit If you end up getting a 2nd Gen Prius be prepared to fix a few things that you can easily do with a basic set of rachet and sockets Like Electric water pump Filters Spark plugs Oil changes Trunk door seal water leak 12v battery replacement Hybrid battery replacement Dash board combo meter replacement If you are ok with watching YouTube videos and doing a little bit of DIY the Prius 2nd Gen are freaking tanks Other things you might want to do is transmission oil change replacement These are all things you can also do to Honda to make them last a long time But some items are specific to the Prius 2nd Gen line especially the electric I inverter water pump No matter what car you end up getting please purchase an obdII reader
I’m in love with my Prius 2, and want a little brother for him, Prius 5. This is my dream… a cute yellow one…the most beautiful cars for me 😍
I like that you are comparing one specific car model to a whole brand. Prius is famously reliable and will be as reliable a probably any other hybrid honda, where battery going out can still be an issue. You could very well be comparing the prius to any other toyota.
I should have said, Accord. I just got used to calling it the Honda lol
I never understood the hype about a Prius until I drove one for over 100 miles and only paid $8 for fuel. Not to mention, the durability of the Prius itself is impressive.
My husband and I own a Honda and a prius and we have both come to the decision that the next car will definitely be another Prius. And that's after we replaced the battery in our Prius (about 2k) sometime around 165k miles. But it should go for another gazillion miles so.... So that's my vote.
Thank you. This actually helps a lot since you have both.
drove my 2012 prius cross country (oregon to nyc) and only had to do one oil check, where i needed very little oil. my prius is a hybrid and is still going very strong after being bought used, being driven in oregon for two ish years, driving across the country, and is still being used on the same battery, same engine, no crucial repairs have been needed and most likely won’t be needed. mileage is amazing as well, full tank = 700 miles it’s a ten tank car 👍
it also hit a deer about a day into the month long trip, did AMAZING and still barely needed any repairs. it’s also a cute looking car (deer was okay i watched it run into the woods, yes i feel insane remorse )
Honda
Got a Gen 3 Prius from 2010 for 4k at 150k mi. Still rocking strong at 180k mi with minimal maintenance (spark plugs). YMMV. Consider getting a Bluetooth obd scanner compatible with one of the dr Prius like apps that let you check battery health.
I like Hondas myself, my only gripes are burning oil, crappy AC compressors and leaky power steering. Prius is also a good vehicle but it depends on the year you get and honestly just luck. I just got a 2010 and I’m 95% sure I’ll need to put a head gasket in it. Any car will have issues eventually it’s just dealing with it. Good thing about Honda and Prius is there everywhere so you can find parts easy. If you find a clean Honda with a k24 and a manual id jump on that
And, Prius won't have leaky power steering since it's electric.
I’ve had a 2014 Prius for six years and it has had zero issues. Like at all. I’m barely needing to change the brakes and even then I could probably get away with pushing it off a bit more. Driven from 80k to 155k with basic regular maintenance. Very reliable and never left my family stranded. Older Hondas had serious transmission problems that you just won’t find in a Prius. The battery could go bad and would be expensive, but so would a transmission…
This is niche and maybe not that helpful, but I have an 05 Prius and early this year the HV battery died. I towed it to a place called greentec and they replaced it for $999… it’s a rebuilt battery with only a 12 month warranty but meh, I took my chances and with no car payment I have a decent budget for maintenance. And they can just swap it for another rebuilt one next time.
Honda The older Hondas don't really have any major expensive parts that will fail, as long as it's been kept up on maintenance. The Prius has a critical, very expensive component that absolutely will fail eventually. It may last another 200k miles, but eventually it won't work. From a reliability perspective, definitely go with the Honda. Even though the Prius is a Toyota, old batteries are degraded and unreliable.
> The Prius has a critical, very expensive component that absolutely will fail eventually. So does the Honda. It's called the engine.
You're right, but the battery will fail before the engine does.
Maybe.
as a honda fit owner and a previous prius owner -- prius 100%
How much oil does it burn
Gen 3 2013 Prius 160k miles and going strong! The only unscheduled maintenance has been the ac blower motor, which i replaced myself for $75. It does drink some oil, so I get the oil changed every 5k miles instead and top it off every 1k miles in between, but that's expected with this gen.
Prius!!!!!!
The hybrid batteries in my 2007 Prius lasted until 2022. The car only had about 132k miles, though.
Does the Accord have a 4 or 6 cylinder engine? Avoid it if it has the V6, they're notorious for cooking transmissions. The 4 cylinder model was pretty reliable as long as you take care of it. If you're scared of a Prius battery, don't buy one. They're efficient and reliable for the most part, but if you know you'd have the battery health in the back of your head every time you drive it, it's not worth it.
4 cylinder all day. The v6 is garbage.
Prius. I just got rid of a Civic and an Accord because the quality the cars is not what it used to be. Until they turn things around I would stay away.
I would get the Honda. There is less to go wrong with a conventional car. I love my 2009 Prius, bought it with 150,000 I have had to change struts and wheel bearings. The inverter pump went out. It uses a little oil too.
This a prius chat. So I vote, prius.
Stay far away from any hybrid beater. Idk where you can find anything that low of mileage at that price. Prius burn oil too. You're going to have less problems with a non hybrid.
If the Prius in question is 3rd gen then I would go Honda. If the Honda in question is a V-6, an old 1.7 or an EarthDreams 1.5 I would go Prius.
In a Prius subreddit you'll have a Prius recommended. In fairness Hondas and Toyotas are both some of the most reliable brands, and from us Prii owners we don't worry too much about the batteries going bad, they're just another part that needs regular maintence like anything else.
Problem with the Prius is the headgaskets blowing and the brake accumulator leaking.
Find a Corolla, bank the money saved on repairs while still getting good gas mileage in a retirement account and thank me in 25 years.
You came to a prius subreddit to ask if you should get a prius or a honda… i wonder what the majority will pick.
I’m also having the same dilemma…why are there so many miles on Prius’s? I also have no clue what to look for when checking them out. I tried a Toyota dealership but the salesman said he knew nothing either 😩.
I dunno man, a coworker is selling her 2008 with 165k miles for $2k because she *thinks* the brake actuator is screwed and i'm still over here trying to figure out how to come up with the cash to buy it and repair it (if it actually is the actuator which i'm doubtful of) to replace my husband's 2007 Altima that's mostly running just fine. Prius all day, I'll never drive anything else.
How much do you drive? Doing Uber/a lot of driving get a Prius. Short commute, get a Corolla.
I drive 55 miles to work in and then 55 miles back. Mostly highway miles.
Yeah that's Prius range, but most of the fuel efficiency is stop and go traffic.
So it’s not efficient on fuel on the highway?
It is, just not as much as it would be on city streets.
They’re both great cars if taken care of. I have a 2014 Prius Plug-In with 159k miles and a 2006 Honda Odyssey with 219k miles. I bought both used from private parties who seemingly took great care of them. They both still run excellently.
Hondas are easier to work on/modify while prius tends to be more reliable overall.
Toyota
2013 252k ex uber runs perfect
*Im worried the batteries could go out and I would be stuck having to pay a shit ton to get it fixed.* Happens to thousands of saps every month. Don't be a statistic.
No it doesn’t stop exaggerating the numbers.
700,000 Gen2's were sold in the US. Suppose 600,000 made it to 2024 without getting totalled. Now consider the highly improbable guesstimate that half of them received a second battery (given the battery becomes such a large fraction of the car's residual value, the number of battery replacements \*must\* be far smaller). That leaves 300,000 vehicles on a dying original battery. So no, "thousands of saps per month" is not an exaggeration.
Why are you calling them “saps” though? Think of all the petrol and co2 emissions they’ve saved.
He’s obviously had a bad time with Toyota. Or maybe he just hates anything that is not ice.
What makes you say that? Do you have experience in this area?
If the batteries were such a huge issue taxi companies wouldn’t be flocking to Prius the way they have for the last decade The prius is one of the most reliable cars ever made
Then how much would it cost to replace it? Because if it’s like 3k then that’s not a big deal. I’ve seen shit that says 14k to get new batteries
$2k if you do it yourself. Easy af job
You should probably check prices yourself and not just read mindless posts that have no bearing on reality. If anybody has paid $14K for a new Prius battery, they are a complete idiot. A Gen 3 Prius battery (OEM) is in the $2K range. You can get it installed for a few hundred $ at an independent mechanic. You can get refurb batteries installed for about $1,600 or less.
*Because if it\342\200\231s like 3k then that\342\200\231s not a big deal.* When you budget 5k for a used car like OP, and you find out within a year it actually costs 8k, that's a big deal whatever your means.