Top 6 Reasons the Prius is a Jalop's Best Friend (Number 3 Will Make Doctors Hate You)

"Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn) 08/18/2016 at 12:00 • Filed to: Prius

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And by doctors I mean mechanics.

And this comes from experience, too: my family has been owning different Priuseseses for the past 10 years, while my dad might be the most Oppo dude to not be actually on Oppo. So here we go for our Top 6 Reasons the Prius might be the best car for you, Oppo.

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And by it works, I mean it will continue working until the end of days. Over the last ten years and two different Gen 2 Priiiii, we took it all over Europe, used it everyday to do anything, me and my sister learned to drive in it... And during all that time, you know what went wrong? Absolutely nothing. Ever. The only problem we had with it over ten years and tens of thounsands of miles was one flat tire.

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And by it works, I mean it does the job. Any job . Take it skiing with skis in the trunk? Check. Cruise on the Autobahn at 160kph? Check. Take four full-sized people from Croatia to Paris with all their crap in one go (around 1200 miles, 17 hours)? Check. Sit in traffic with you spilling your insides with rage? Check. Drive on a beach in Wales? Check. I have more, but you get my point. We need to take it to the track, one day.

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And by it works, I mean it works so well it might rescue your marriage . In the 27 years my parents have been married, they’ve been through unstartable old Jags, rusty Alfas, An E34 with the most mysterious electronics I’ve ever witnessed, and so on. My mom had to push countless cars into the garage, got stranded in the woods, put a non-ABS car in a ditch after an encounter with a boar family... She was growing quite a bit tired with the shenanigans. We had some more normal stuff to just go around, but it was always some cheap, old French stuff that was just subpar in the reliability department. Haven’t heard a single complaint since the arrival of the first Prius, 10 years ago. My dad gets to keep wife and wrenching weekends. Win-win!

The Gen3 looks slightly better. I’m not sure about the interior, though.

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And by it works, I mean it works incredibly efficiently.
Despite having to go through all the crap mentioned above, the Prius very rarelly dipped under 40mpg. And by very rarely I mean a couple of time a year, when it’s cold and we were in a hurry. As good people who watch(ed) Top Gear, I know what you’ll say to this. You’ll say “but my Golf TDI does better than this, who needs hybrid anyway?” To which I’ll have the following three reactions, in that order :

Condescending grin regarding VW TDI

Giving you my condolences

Asking you to carry four grown adults and all their crap all over Europe in perfect comfort, all of it in a VW TDI that will have cost you €8k or less, because that’s what our Prius did. And then come back with your MPG rating.

Also let’s consider than less fuel to buy = more car parts for project cars. I believe there’s a direct scientific equation somewhere, I just can’t find it right now.

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And by it works, I mean it makes a lot of sense. You don’t need something big or cool to cary kids and stuff around, especially if you already have some project cars laying around. The Prius was built in the most efficient way to do just that, and it shows everywhere in the car, from the aerodynamic body that still accomodates 6 foot tall me in the rear and a lot of stuff in the trunk, from the efficient (and quite zippy around town) to the relaxing CVT (I know, I know). Like racecars, it was built with one singular purpose in mind, and it fits the bill perfectly.

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And by it works, I mean you’ll never need another DD . Case in point, my dad just bought his third Prius, and Gen 3. And you can’t say he’s uninformed, he’s actually a car journalist. He knows. Nobody loves the car. We weren’t sad to see the first two go. But we respected it, and we relied on it everyday. It works. It does the job better than anything you’d find for that price. Just don’t buy one new, that’s just plain silly.

For Sweden > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:06

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But the Honda Accord Hybrid works too

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:07

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I wouldn’t own a Prius, but I would absolutely recommend one. For what they are and what they do, they are terrific. I’ve never understood why gear heads try to steer everyone they know away from the Prius.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/in-defense-of-…

Clemsie McKenzie > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/18/2016 at 12:09

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I mean, as a new car, yeah I’d buy something cooler for the price. But used? It’s very very hard to beat as an appliance. As you said in your article, people just need to accept that cars as appliances are a thing that can be very usefull, and no just something to avoid in fear of lifelong shaming.

Clemsie McKenzie > For Sweden 08/18/2016 at 12:10

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I’m sure it does! I can only speak about the Prius though.

Captain of the Enterprise > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:15

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I’m cool with everything but the battery pack, that part worries me

for Michigan > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:16

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I actually really like the way the gen 3 looks. The gen 2 isn’t bad, but the 3rd is good. Now the gen 4... possibly the ugliest car ever built.

Would absolutely consider a gen 1 or gen 2 as a family car, though.

Ash78, voting early and often > For Sweden 08/18/2016 at 12:16

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As we all know, Europe hates (or at least ignores) that so beloved by America. Even when they got one, it was the Acura TSX.

Clemsie McKenzie > Captain of the Enterprise 08/18/2016 at 12:17

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Again, thousands upon thousands of miles on used cars and 10 years of abuse, no sign of diminishing performances from there. I get it, though, but I guess just don’t buy one with LS400 kind of miles on it.

Clemsie McKenzie > for Michigan 08/18/2016 at 12:19

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The wheels on the Gen 3 look great actually!

It works so well as a family car. Much roomier than I expected, given the sloppy roofline.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:20

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My dad had a 2nd Gen Prius. I liked it. He sold it because the seats weren’t kind to his back but........

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:22

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I guess a Prius is acceptable as a daily driver if you’ve got a 911 and more fun cars under covers.

bhtooefr > For Sweden 08/18/2016 at 12:22

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For cargo, not as well as the Prius. Both the 7th and 9th generation have the problem that most hybrid sedans have, the trunk battery, and Honda’s look particularly bulky - I don’t think there’s even a pass through available. And, even if they didn’t have a trunk battery, the liftback of the Prius is far more practical for cargo than the Accord’s trunk.

And, I wouldn’t trust a mid 2000s Honda hybrid to keep working, and I’m a bit leery of the newer ones even. The Prius? Pretty bulletproof, good battery longevity, and possibly the most reliable transmission of any car on the market period, including manuals.

Clemsie McKenzie > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 08/18/2016 at 12:23

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Yeah that’s kinda the point I guess. Other wise if you can have one car, gotta get something more interesting. But as a workhorse amid fun cars, it’s just perfect.

Jesse Shaffer > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:25

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you’ll never need another DD . Case in point, my dad just bought his third Prius

bhtooefr > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:28

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Or, if it fails, try grid balancing the battery, and if that doesn’t help, spend about $3k for a new one from Toyota (I wouldn’t mess around with third party remanufactured batteries on Priuses, from all reports, they’re (especially on older generations) a recipe for spending your weekends swapping batteries a lot), then never worry about it for the rest of the car’s life.

And, with, say, a VW TDI, you’ll blow more than that $3k on a timing belt job (especially if it’s a PD that needs a new camshaft), a dual mass flywheel replacement, a turbo replacement, and (if it’s a VE-pumped car) an injection pump replacement.

Clemsie McKenzie > Jesse Shaffer 08/18/2016 at 12:28

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Yeah I can see that something’s kinda wrong with that. But I hope the point still got across!

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > For Sweden 08/18/2016 at 12:28

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Honda batteries are notoriously unreliable. 20k miles and they can be bad.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:29

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I actually find myself considering a Prius as first car sometimes. I’ve never heard a bad thing about them, at least reliability wise. They’re still extremely bland though.

elev8r > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/18/2016 at 12:30

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my experience riding in a Prius on the interstate is it feels like riding in an empty cardboard box. cheap feeling ride quality, wind gusts blow it everywhere. I’d get a honda fit or civic with a 5 speed manual instead. not quite as efficient, but pretty darn good.

Frenchlicker > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:31

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I have pondered upon buying one. I want to buy a truck first. Save up for a Prius. Buy one once gas prices start to go back up as a second car. Nothing says well rounded like an F350 Dually, XJ Jeep, and a Prius right?

Clemsie McKenzie > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 08/18/2016 at 12:32

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I didn’t think reliability like that was mathematically possible. Though for a first car I’d still prefer an manual, but that’s just me.

Captain of the Enterprise > bhtooefr 08/18/2016 at 12:33

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I bought a 05 corolla and get 32mpg consistently out of it so I don’t think it would be worth it for me at this time to buy either.

Clemsie McKenzie > Frenchlicker 08/18/2016 at 12:33

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Sounds like many grounds covered! It would work for most life situations.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Captain of the Enterprise 08/18/2016 at 12:36

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My parents own a 2006 RX400H with 342k on the original pack. They generally last around 150k without a worry, similar to many transmissions. If they do need replaced, they are generally the same price if not cheaper then a transmission.

CobraJoe > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:46

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One of the reasons why I dislike it.

No chance to replace broken parts with performance aftermarket pieces. No late nights getting to know your car really well. No forcing your tiny sports car to do offroad duty or carrying impossibly big items.

Heck, a breakdown would mean it actually did something interesting for once...

bhtooefr > Frenchlicker 08/18/2016 at 12:47

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If you can get away with it, do it in reverse.

Buy the Prius now while gas is cheap and everyone is buying trucks instead.

Buy the truck when gas is expensive and everyone is buying Priuses instead.

Then, you’ve bought both at the bottom of their purchase price curves.

Clemsie McKenzie > CobraJoe 08/18/2016 at 12:49

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I see your point. But

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 12:53

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I’d definitely want something more exciting and with manual but I wouldn’t really mind a Prius in theory.

I’ll just turn in my Jalop card tommorow:(

Clemsie McKenzie > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 08/18/2016 at 12:55

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That’s ok mate! I drove for two years exclusively on my parents’ Prius, so I guess it was my first car. There’s nothing wrong about the Prius (I really should write a post about that one of those days).

Frenchlicker > bhtooefr 08/18/2016 at 12:57

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The truck has a more immediate use. That's the only reason it is listed first. I already own the XJ so that part is done. And I think the prices on the Prius won't budge too much to matter. The truck will be cheaper to buy with more expensive fuel but by that time I could have one mostly paid for and it could have done work to pay for itself.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 13:01

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Pedestrian cars aren’t all that bad, I can have fun with my parent’s Golf Plus haha.

Clemsie McKenzie > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 08/18/2016 at 13:04

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Exactly! And the chassis in the Prius is surprisingly good in the twisties. Not a fan of the brakes and throttle response is pretty bad, but it can be fun in some tight roads!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 13:07

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The handling of our car is also one thing I like about our car. I found it to be better handling than a late model Audi A4 quattro.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Clemsie McKenzie 08/18/2016 at 16:35

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That’s all fine and dandy, but while you like this

Some of us would prefer this