2007 Toyota Prius
Discussion
This should be a fun thread. I'm ready to hear it all. Hand in my PH card on my way out. Tree hugger. Hippy. Lentil munching yoghurt knitting liberal leftie pious self-congratulating don't care about cars or driving penny pinching w
ker.
With all that out of the way, a brief explanation of why on earth I chose it. Things here in NL aren't what they are in the UK. Used car prices are way higher and road tax is a bh. The heavier your car, the more you pay. Fuel type comes into it too - roughly double for a diesel. My petrol mk3 Golf is around €360/year. Back home (UK) my Dad has a Mercedes W210 320 CDI estate - it would cost around €1700/year tax here!
For months I umm'd and ahh'd and pored over used car ads. My main criteria was something not too heavy, petrol and reliable. Doesn't even have to be fast; it is not possible to have much fun driving here because the roads just aren't conducive to it and there are speed cameras everywhere. I was gunning for a 325ti but had grown very fed up of 3 doors.
Back in around January I found a Gen 1 Prius for sale locally with suspected battery pack failure. I considered it but after some research, realised it was more hassle that it would ever be worth. But it got me looking at the Prius. The more I looked, the more I was intrigued.
The more intrigued I became, the more research I did and the more I looked. I'd pretty much decided to buy one but could hardly bring myself to. I'm a petrolhead. Love all interesting and different cars. Love driving. Prius? Forget it.
But I couldn't let it go. The only way I was ever going to satisfy this curiosity was to buy one. Went to have a look at one at a dealer, mileage was a little high but the price was good. Unfortunately it was rusting oddly so I walked. Ended up with this one from the other side of Amsterdam (20 mins away) from a private seller.
As seen when I arrived at the guy's house:
Parked up at home next to neighbour's Gen 3:
A shade under 206,000km on the clock:
It was wearing winter tyres which I didn't want to wreck over the summer. As luck would have it, a set of 4 wheels and summer tyres were advertised on Marktplaats (Dutch ebay/Craigslist), I paid 280 for them and fitted them myself.
That's all the photos I have so far. Computer is showing an average of 5 l/100km which is 56.5 UK MPG. That is a mix of around town and motorway.
It drives great. Of course it isn't the last word in dynamics, handling, power. But it picks up perfectly well enough around town and the acceleration on the motorway is fine, perfectly drivable. Steering lacks feel but on your daily commute, who cares? Auto a/c, electric windows, remote locking, cruise control - all luxury items when you come from a povvo spec Mk3 Golf!
Go on, do your worst
I'm absolutely open to questions. Fire away 
ker.With all that out of the way, a brief explanation of why on earth I chose it. Things here in NL aren't what they are in the UK. Used car prices are way higher and road tax is a b
h. The heavier your car, the more you pay. Fuel type comes into it too - roughly double for a diesel. My petrol mk3 Golf is around €360/year. Back home (UK) my Dad has a Mercedes W210 320 CDI estate - it would cost around €1700/year tax here!For months I umm'd and ahh'd and pored over used car ads. My main criteria was something not too heavy, petrol and reliable. Doesn't even have to be fast; it is not possible to have much fun driving here because the roads just aren't conducive to it and there are speed cameras everywhere. I was gunning for a 325ti but had grown very fed up of 3 doors.
Back in around January I found a Gen 1 Prius for sale locally with suspected battery pack failure. I considered it but after some research, realised it was more hassle that it would ever be worth. But it got me looking at the Prius. The more I looked, the more I was intrigued.
The more intrigued I became, the more research I did and the more I looked. I'd pretty much decided to buy one but could hardly bring myself to. I'm a petrolhead. Love all interesting and different cars. Love driving. Prius? Forget it.
But I couldn't let it go. The only way I was ever going to satisfy this curiosity was to buy one. Went to have a look at one at a dealer, mileage was a little high but the price was good. Unfortunately it was rusting oddly so I walked. Ended up with this one from the other side of Amsterdam (20 mins away) from a private seller.
As seen when I arrived at the guy's house:
Parked up at home next to neighbour's Gen 3:
A shade under 206,000km on the clock:
It was wearing winter tyres which I didn't want to wreck over the summer. As luck would have it, a set of 4 wheels and summer tyres were advertised on Marktplaats (Dutch ebay/Craigslist), I paid 280 for them and fitted them myself.
That's all the photos I have so far. Computer is showing an average of 5 l/100km which is 56.5 UK MPG. That is a mix of around town and motorway.
It drives great. Of course it isn't the last word in dynamics, handling, power. But it picks up perfectly well enough around town and the acceleration on the motorway is fine, perfectly drivable. Steering lacks feel but on your daily commute, who cares? Auto a/c, electric windows, remote locking, cruise control - all luxury items when you come from a povvo spec Mk3 Golf!
Go on, do your worst
I'm absolutely open to questions. Fire away hostyle said:
Now go and apply some man math! With the savings on the Prius to be had, what could you use those for... a track car! As you're close to Amsterdam, Zandvoort isn't to far of. Go and do some Vrij Rijden!
It has certainly crossed my mind. Not yet though, it isn't possible at the moment. liner33 said:
We bought a Gen 3 in March , new for the wife , it replaced a diesel Skoda Superb. I have to say it wouldn't have been my choice but my wife often drives them in the US when on business so that's what she wanted and we all know how those talks go .......
Truth is I rather like it , its inoffensive to drive , picks up rather well and cruises nicely on the motorway, can hit 60 in less than 10 seconds so much less of a slouch than many think and its a rather nice place to be roomy and spacious.
Fuel economy is about the same as yours a genuine 56mpg fill to fill but we don't drive with economy in mind, its a significant improvement over our diesel however.
Of course as you say not very PC but very under rated imo, but you need to have something to hate and the Prius has become the butt of jokes just like Skoda was 15 years ago.
Personally I'd drive a Prius over a diesel anyday
"Inoffensive" is a good way of politely describing it! I'm unsure how different the Gen 3 is to drive, I imagine they are pretty similar except for the power. It'll be interesting to hear back from you and your wife in a few months to know how you're getting on with it and how it compares to the Superb. Truth is I rather like it , its inoffensive to drive , picks up rather well and cruises nicely on the motorway, can hit 60 in less than 10 seconds so much less of a slouch than many think and its a rather nice place to be roomy and spacious.
Fuel economy is about the same as yours a genuine 56mpg fill to fill but we don't drive with economy in mind, its a significant improvement over our diesel however.
Of course as you say not very PC but very under rated imo, but you need to have something to hate and the Prius has become the butt of jokes just like Skoda was 15 years ago.
Personally I'd drive a Prius over a diesel anyday
320touring said:
Oooh, a Pious!
Looks good-plenty of knowledge out there re getting the most out of it and repairs etc
Yes there is loads of huge knowledge, the Prius forums are packed with folk who can answer anything related to these cars. Quite amazing.Looks good-plenty of knowledge out there re getting the most out of it and repairs etc
oldcynic said:
This thread got me thinking and shopping. I've just found a Prius on Autotrader with an LPG conversion!
I'd always assumed LPG was to make gas-guzzlers bearable, so an LPG Prius intrigues me.
I'd go for it. Unlikely it will break, just drive it around a bit and check the battery indicator while you drive. It shouldn't fluctuate much at all, if it does then the high voltage battery is dying or dead. Apart from that, things which go wrong are pretty easy fixes. See how you get on with it, if you don't like it then sell it on.I'd always assumed LPG was to make gas-guzzlers bearable, so an LPG Prius intrigues me.
Medic-one said:
I'll just leave this here.....
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/someone-is-build...
Graag foto's als die van jou er ook zo uit ziet
Dank je http://www.autoevolution.com/news/someone-is-build...
Graag foto's als die van jou er ook zo uit ziet
Certainly a sleeper! Mine does indeed look the same, I will take some more photos in the next week or so and update this thread with them, although there isn't much to see Some preparation for a basic service has started, I bought these the other day and am waiting for an online car parts shop to deliver air filter, cabin filer and oil filter.
Good question! I'm sure there is a specific grade/spec from Toyota but at the end mostly all full synth 5/30 is going to be basically the same. Right? I had looked online and found it for at least €35/litre up to around €90! A colleague happened across this Valvoline which ended up at something like €29.95 for 5x 1 litre.
Some more "fun" bits arrived today:
Oil filter. It is TINY. Hëre it is next to one for my Ducato based motorhome (granted, that is a big filter)
And here for better scale next to a tasty jar of tastyness:
Cabin/pollen filter. This sits behind the glovebox and is a 3 minute job; the current one is filthy:
Engine water pump belt. This is the only belt on the engine, there is no other aux/cam/etc belt anywhere:
Engine air filter. Current one looked OK but since I will change all these other bits why not do this at the same time:
It may be some time before all these things are done (Le Mans is next week - I'm going there in the motorhome so not worried about doing these bits for that trip) but I'll keep this thread updated cos I'm sure you're all dead interested
Some more "fun" bits arrived today:
Oil filter. It is TINY. Hëre it is next to one for my Ducato based motorhome (granted, that is a big filter)
And here for better scale next to a tasty jar of tastyness:
Cabin/pollen filter. This sits behind the glovebox and is a 3 minute job; the current one is filthy:
Engine water pump belt. This is the only belt on the engine, there is no other aux/cam/etc belt anywhere:
Engine air filter. Current one looked OK but since I will change all these other bits why not do this at the same time:
It may be some time before all these things are done (Le Mans is next week - I'm going there in the motorhome so not worried about doing these bits for that trip) but I'll keep this thread updated cos I'm sure you're all dead interested
OpulentBob said:
I like them - once I learned how to drive them. When I first drive one I got confused at a set of lights and had to turn the whole thing off and on again just to get it moving. But that was more me than it.
Without your foot on the brake pedal you cannot turn it on or shift into Drive - is that what caught you out? kapiteinlangzaam said:
Theres a reason why NL is the biggest market in the world for Hybrids
Do these still qualify for gratis wegenbelasting?
The reason is they have little or no BPM for the first buyer so they aren't cheaper to buy new, just a lot less expensive! There are loads here for sure.Do these still qualify for gratis wegenbelasting?
No free road tax unfortunately but they do 'give' you a weight discount so instead of paying tax on the real weight (around 1250kg), you pay it for something like 1150 kg. It is only one tax band higher than the Golf and will cost around €36/month here in Noord-Holland.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
So is that the case for all petrol electric hybrids then?
I was under the impression the new XC90 T8 was going to qualify as free, but perhaps not
No idea, you'd have to look it up. Given my experience trying to find this info out, don't expect it to be easy. The only way I knew for sure how much I'd pay was when the letter arrived. Info online is conflicting and/or outdated.I was under the impression the new XC90 T8 was going to qualify as free, but perhaps not
Today I did some servicing - oil/filter change, transmission oil change and water pump belt. There is no cambelt, no alternator so no belt for that, PAS and A/C are electric so no belt for those either.
Up on the ramps, tools at the ready:
Old transmission fluid drained - here's a sample. Not as terrible as I'd expected...
But when compared to the brand new stuff, clearly needs changing.
Engine oil was clearly overdue and it was also fairly obvious that regular changes have not been observed in the past. It will need a few close interval changes to help clean out the crud.
Water pump belt was dead easy to change, and like the oils - clearly overdue:
This was all at just under 207,000km
Next step will be to change the engine coolant, inverter coolant and check/change spark plugs.
Also today I filled it up for the second time, 811km after the last fill - it is using 5 litres per 100km which equates to 56 mpg.
StuntmanMike said:
I actually like these and think they are an interesting car...... I'll get me coat. 
Give one a try... you might like it...
320touring said:
glad to see it is being nice to you
its so good when servicing goes according to plan.
i'll be interested in your mpg-reckon you can beat my octavia?
Thanks - yes so far it is behaving fine. its so good when servicing goes according to plan.
i'll be interested in your mpg-reckon you can beat my octavia?
Maybe I could get it over 60mpg but that would require a lot of effort and driving like a dick so I'll stick to the current 56-ish thanks. Getting so many miles from a tank on petrol is great. I'd like to see you try that in a petrol Octavia
Roo said:
I've got an '07 plate one as well. Had it for just over three years.
It averages 57mpg in summer and about 49 in winter.
Perfectly adequate commuter car. Petrol, auto and comfortable to drive.
Have you ever had any problems with it? It averages 57mpg in summer and about 49 in winter.
Perfectly adequate commuter car. Petrol, auto and comfortable to drive.
As suspected, there's nothing much to report.
Last week or so I removed the HV battery cooling fan and cleaned it; they are not part of the service schedule so over time can get very dirty so their effectiveness and lifespan are reduced. As they cease to cool the big battery properly, in turn the life of that battery is reduced.
Not terrible but after 8 years, it looked like this:
Split in half:
Job done:
Did a longish drive today, around 260km in total. Lots of motorway cruising which it was good at. My only complaints are lack of height in the door and centre console arm rests; makes me feel like my shoulders are drooping and that is uncomfortable, quite noisy at speed; mainly road and wind, not engine. Electric PAS is very dead in the centre of the wheel, makes you feel like you're constantly adjusting it to keep in a straight line; it doesn't want to self centre.
At 135 indicated km/h (on the flat... there's no hills here) the display was floating around 5l/100km which is 56mpg.
Filled it up on the way back. In true 320Touring styleee, a photo of the trip meter with fuel gauge. It would have gone to 900+, easily and I reckon 1000 is possible with some careful/annoying driving:
Trip meter complete with regen space invaders:
Last week or so I removed the HV battery cooling fan and cleaned it; they are not part of the service schedule so over time can get very dirty so their effectiveness and lifespan are reduced. As they cease to cool the big battery properly, in turn the life of that battery is reduced.
Not terrible but after 8 years, it looked like this:
Split in half:
Job done:
Did a longish drive today, around 260km in total. Lots of motorway cruising which it was good at. My only complaints are lack of height in the door and centre console arm rests; makes me feel like my shoulders are drooping and that is uncomfortable, quite noisy at speed; mainly road and wind, not engine. Electric PAS is very dead in the centre of the wheel, makes you feel like you're constantly adjusting it to keep in a straight line; it doesn't want to self centre.
At 135 indicated km/h (on the flat... there's no hills here) the display was floating around 5l/100km which is 56mpg.
Filled it up on the way back. In true 320Touring styleee, a photo of the trip meter with fuel gauge. It would have gone to 900+, easily and I reckon 1000 is possible with some careful/annoying driving:
Trip meter complete with regen space invaders:
kapiteinlangzaam said:
Id quite like a camper, my Mrs. wont entertain it. I just want to complete the classic Dutch stereotype. If she isnt careful, I might even come home with a caravan one day! 
Only kidding.
You've got a great tow car if you do decide to get a caravan. Just saying Only kidding.
liner33 said:
This is my average since new , we dont really use it with economy in mind most of the time and it does spend most of its time on motorways at 70-75 leptons but since it was bought in March it has been steadily improving, many trips are into the mid 60's mpg wise now, the last 110 mile trip I did was 66.9mpg all on busy motorways
Last weekend we drove to Frankfurt and back. Cruise control was set at between 125-135 km/h most of the time and the computer showed an average of 5 l/100km which is 56mpg. I was surprised it was such good economy at those speeds - another Prius myth busted. Car was faultless, quiet and comfy. We had a brilliant weekend seeing old friends too AmitG said:
On the Gen3 they removed this belt as well, by making the water pump electrically driven. The Gen3 has no belts at all, which is pretty cool
I run the 7-seat version of the Gen3, it's a great car. It's never going to hold any Ring records but it's an interesting piece of technology, different from the norm, and as an appliance it has no equal IMHO.
Agreed, a car with ICE and no belts is pretty cool. One less thing to go wrong, be replaced or even think about when servicing. I know you've got the 7 seater (is it called a Prius Plus in UK? Here it is) because whilst researching them I came across your thread in these forums. I run the 7-seat version of the Gen3, it's a great car. It's never going to hold any Ring records but it's an interesting piece of technology, different from the norm, and as an appliance it has no equal IMHO.
This isn't really much of an update but I did a bit of work on the car yesterday. Although the interior appeared to be clean, I wanted to exercise my carpet cleaner so went to work on the Prius. It looks and smells fresher inside, not hugely noticable but better. Considering the small improvement, it is shocking to see the dirt which came out!
Gross, eww, yuck, etc.:
Another oil change today, 4500km after the last one. It came out very dark brown so there must be a fair bit of dirt still left in the engine. Since winter is coming, I probably won't be able to change it again for a fair while because I've no garage. Apart from that, it just keeps doing the job very nicely. 50/50 mix of motorway and urban driving is still giving around 50-55mpg. Nothing has broken or gone wrong Boring!
Boring!Found rust!
Looks like it had been scraped over a kerb and caused some damage to the rear of the left sill, just fore of the wheel arch. Badly repaired so it came back quite quick. Dropped it off at a local bodyshop on Monday yesterday and hope to pick it up tomorrow.
Not ideal at all, hopefully this place has done a good job and it won't come back - it will be fairly obvious in the next months what with the cold, wet and nice salty roads doing their job.
Looks like it had been scraped over a kerb and caused some damage to the rear of the left sill, just fore of the wheel arch. Badly repaired so it came back quite quick. Dropped it off at a local bodyshop on Monday yesterday and hope to pick it up tomorrow.
Not ideal at all, hopefully this place has done a good job and it won't come back - it will be fairly obvious in the next months what with the cold, wet and nice salty roads doing their job.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
Impressive.
Not really my sort of car, but as a 'tool' that sort of economy and reliability can not be sniffed at.
It's not my sort of car either but at the moment I'm hard pressed to find something which does the job as well for the price (not so much purchase price but running costs here). It is as you say a tool, a fridge, toaster, Prius.Not really my sort of car, but as a 'tool' that sort of economy and reliability can not be sniffed at.
AmitG said:
Hmm, thanks but I really hope I don't have to keep it that long! :PBaryonyx said:
That's a great car. Hybrids are excellent choices for day to day use vehicles.
It is a good car, I certainly wouldn't go so far as "great". But yes, day to day especially urban and semi-urban they are a good choice. One of the best things is the quietness, it takes some stress out of driving.JonnyVTEC said:
Hey Leo,
Looks like it's doing the job! I'm at 241k miles on my mk1 insight now!
I know that name... it has been a LONG time! Looks like it's doing the job! I'm at 241k miles on my mk1 insight now!
How many of those 241k Insight miles have you done? Got any more info on your one? They are fascinating things.
Since the days are just starting to get longer, I'm leaving work when it is still light. Went for a bit of a drive out and along the Amstel yesterday evening and there was a lovely sunset. iPhone camera doesn't do it justice really and the Prius is hard to get a good photo of from most angles (I reckon the side profile is its best angle and even that is debatable):
Also: 220,220 km on the clock:
APK (Dutch version of the MOT) today.
Naturally I was a bit nervous about this but it passed with no advisories. The guy did mention that the rear pads are getting low so I will have a look at them myself when I put the summer wheels/tyres back on (probably in the next day or two) then check them again after summer. Hybrids use the brakes so little that I'm sure what's left of the pads will last ages.
Naturally I was a bit nervous about this but it passed with no advisories. The guy did mention that the rear pads are getting low so I will have a look at them myself when I put the summer wheels/tyres back on (probably in the next day or two) then check them again after summer. Hybrids use the brakes so little that I'm sure what's left of the pads will last ages.
Pad change is normal on the fronts but for the rears you need a Techstream otherwise, IIRC, the brake pump just keeps on pumping and, well you can imagine.
Forgot to post this pic, it is from September last year when the weather was warm. I'd always thought it possible
In other news, there is no news. This thing just keeps on going and doesn't need anything except petrol and the occasional oil topup. Currently on 235,5xx km.
Forgot to post this pic, it is from September last year when the weather was warm. I'd always thought it possible
In other news, there is no news. This thing just keeps on going and doesn't need anything except petrol and the occasional oil topup. Currently on 235,5xx km.
OpulentBob said:
Ridiculous reliability.
"Geregenereerd"
Crazy dutchies
Part of me wants to ask Toyota for its service history (I've nothing on paper) to see how it was looked after or not in its earlier years. But another part of me would rather live in ignorance and that's the part which is getting its way so far."Geregenereerd"
Crazy dutchiesAs for the word, yeah it looks mad but you do get used to it. Of course as you learn a language these things which look incomprehensable at the beginning begin to look familiar and eventually become just normal. If anyone is wondering, it means Regenerated.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
Great stuff.
As a comparison, my last tank in the Mustang was average 19.2L/100.
Not really great stuff, quite boring really. I'm keeping this thread more as a maintenance diary for myself but with the added bonus of you lot being able to stick your oars in As a comparison, my last tank in the Mustang was average 19.2L/100.
As for the Mustang - actually I am surprised it's that bad! Has it improved since new? What's the average? Not that it matters, of course it isn't that kind of car.
Trabi601 said:
They're much better cars than people expect them to be - 0-40mph is astonishingly quick and they handle relatively nicely, too.
I had a T-Spirit for 2 years, with navigation, JBL audio, reverse camera and park assist. Hated handing it back when it reached the end of the company lease.
It's still kicking around - looking a little worse for wear now, though - although I live in Wales, I spotted it in the Asda car park near Wembley. Could barely believe it when it pulled into the space in front of me and I recognised the plate!
Agreed - it is much better than I thought it would be and I do feel I have grown into it and respect it a lot more than I ever thought I would. I only really bought it out of curiousity but I can't see anything out there to replace it, given the purchase price and (lack of) running costs. I had a T-Spirit for 2 years, with navigation, JBL audio, reverse camera and park assist. Hated handing it back when it reached the end of the company lease.
It's still kicking around - looking a little worse for wear now, though - although I live in Wales, I spotted it in the Asda car park near Wembley. Could barely believe it when it pulled into the space in front of me and I recognised the plate!
kapiteinlangzaam said:
No, I genuinely think its great stuff. I love it when a car fulfils its brief, whether that be shedding, or luxury, or sports.... there's a lot of satisfaction to be taken from spending as little as possible on a car, just as much as there is spending lots.
Mustang has averaged 14.6L/100 since new, but I essentially rag the tits off it everywhere I go. Something like 11-12L/100 would be easily attainable if I didnt mash the accelerator constantly.
Well, I'm glad you appreciate it Mustang has averaged 14.6L/100 since new, but I essentially rag the tits off it everywhere I go. Something like 11-12L/100 would be easily attainable if I didnt mash the accelerator constantly.
I totally agree on the filling a brief thing and really do feel that this car will just keep going on. It is a total bargain car. As for your pedal mashing, I don't think there's anyone on these forums who wouldn't do what you've done, considering your position and the benefits that brings sleepera6 said:
Just checked the "crazy" prices in NL
32500EUR for a similar IS? That's more than double what I paid for it in UK!
Compare any UK car price with NL and you will find the same situation. It's hard to get used to but consider the cars hold their value better, the overall cost isn't so different. There is huge tax (google: BPM tax netherlands) on brand new and imported cars here and this inflated new-price means people hold on to their cars for longer, look after them better and are willing to pay more in the second hand market.32500EUR for a similar IS? That's more than double what I paid for it in UK!
For those of you discussing the power train, acceleration etc., here's a video I found of 0-130 km/h in a Prius extremely similar to mine: https://youtu.be/mnZ9BEnblMQ
Edited by LeoZwalf on Saturday 28th January 09:39
When someone describes a car as 'dangerously slow' I more wonder more about their driving skills than the capability of the car. In the video I posted above, the car goes from 0 to 130 km/h and the video is 20 seconds long; hardly an accurate measurement but does give a rough idea of the acceleration. Anyone calling that dangerous needs to adjust their driving style!
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