 Prius Gen 1 |  Prius Gen 2 |  Prius Gen 3 |
When buying a second hand vehicle we would want it to give us trouble free motoring and good resale value when we come to sell it. In New Zealand especially in Auckland we have many Generation 1 Prius still operating and many happy owners because it is proven that the battery will last 14 years and more and support for these aging vehicles.
What To Look For
Hybrid Battery : Unless you know that the battery has been replaced or reconditioned, the battery would be as old as the vehicle. There is no way to tell how much capacity is still left in the battery short of fully charging it and performing a timed discharge. This would take time and you will need access to equipment and be competent and confident enough to do it. However you could look for other signs
1) Inquire about the fuel consumption. It should be around 20Kms / litre for Gen 1 and 2 and around 22 – 24 for the Gen 3. Estima hybrids should be around 12 Kms / Litre.
2) Go for a test drive. When it first take off the car should NOT feel sluggish. This initial acceleration is taken up by the electric drive and therefore depends on the state of the battery.
3) Obviously look for any fault codes warning light on the dash.
MAF Sensors : Get a reading on the MAF sensors with a scan tool. You should be able to get air flow rates for idling and on accleration.
Oxygen Sensors : Often ommitted because it is difficult to do but most important as recurring battery problems can usually be traced to faulty oxygen sensors. Scan tools should be able to give you readings on the state of the oxygen sensors.
Ignition system : Easily checked by looking at the state of the spark plugs. If a cylinder fails to ignite it often sounds like the gear box is faulty. ( In standard petrol cars you would hear the misfire ) You can imagine that many owners have handed over money for transmission replacement unnecessarily.
Look after these important items and you would have covered yourself when you purchase a hybrid. As you often can’t do this yourself make sure that your technician does so. The standard AA vehicle checks will most likely not include these points.
After purchase install a Power Jockey. It protects your investment. Protects and increase the operational life of your hybrid battery, increase fuel economy and you get more power as well.
Toyota Prius Generation 1 ( 1997 – 2000 )
This is the “Model T Ford” of Hybrids. Originally only intended for Japan only, but grey imports found their way into New Zealand, Australia and other left hand drive countries. The first owners of these vehicles soon ran into strife as these vehicles were at least 5 years old and non were aware that the hybrid battery was only designed to last 7 years. Many were shocked when their vehicles stopped working and repair quotes were more than the value of the vehicle. Many of the horror stories about hybrid cars stem from these experiences. This does not have to be.
Why you should buy a Generation 1 Prius.
1) Save on fuel. Petrol currently at $2.10 a litre is expected to go higher as demand from the two largest emerging economies China and India pick up steam. Cost of motoring as a percentage of the household budget will rise and savings in this area will make a difference.
2) Save on maintenance. Compared to a petrol vehicle of the same age a Generation 1 Prius practically cost very little to maintain. There are very little mechanical parts that can fail because of it’s minimalist design.
3) Low cost of entry. The Generation 1Prius can be purchased in New Zealand for between $5000 and $6000. At this price the total cost of purchase can be recoup within 2 years.
4) Resale value. With the Power Jockey installed The Battery Clinic can guarantee that the Generation 1 Prius will last as long as the petrol engine is working. The hybrid battery can be continuously reconditioned and in the worst case generation 2 type sub packs cells can be used. This will underpin the value of this venerable icon. With time this model would be sought out as a collectors item. Only about 40,000 units manufactured.
5) Joy to drive. Even though it is more than 13 years old it drives just as good as new. A well maintained Generation 1 Prius is still offers a quiet and vibration free ride.
6) Hybrids are here to stay. There is just no alternative to the hybrid for the foreseeable future. Electric vehicle still faces the problem of battery cost and range per charge on top of building a national charging infrastructure.
7) Good for the environment. Low fuel consumption means less pollution for the same distance travelled compared to a standard vehicle. Most hybrid vehicles clock up considerable mileage because they are fuel efficient and are therefore driven by owners who drives long distances. Generation 1 Prius have been known to clock up in excess of 500,000 Kms.
Toyota Prius Generation 2 (2000 – 2003 )
This was the first model released outside of Japan with the majority of exports going to the US. This is why this model is known as the Generation 1 in the US. It is slightly roomier inside giving it a bigger car feel but many of the body and mechanical parts are interchangeable with the Generation 1 hybrid. It has a more powerful electric motor and the hybrid battery sub-packs was changed to the prismatic cells. The number of sub-packs was also reduced from 40 to 38.
All the above reasons mentioned for the generation 1 Prius applies. The entry price is a little higher reflecting the age of the vehicle.
