Leading the drive to make hybrids and plug-in electric cars everyday transport. Although the Toyota Prius went on sale in Japan back in 1997, the first model to arrive in South Africa was the second generation (NHW20) in 2005. It caused quite a stir, with its sleek styling (0,26 drag coefficient) and combination of 1,5-litre, 57 kW petrol engine plus an electric motor delivering an additional 50 kW. The permanent magnet electric motor is capable of regenerating electricity under braking, while the engine uses continuously variable valve timing to maximise efficiency. Torque outputs for engine and motor are 115 N.m and 400 N.m respectively.

The vital element of this vehicle, as with all electric or hybrid vehicles, is the battery,a 200V nickel-metal hydride unit, which is a 200V nickel-metal hydride unit, which is warranted by Toyota for eight years or 160 000 km to overcome concerns that after a few years one might get hit with a bill of nearly R20 000 for a replacement unit. Topically, more efficient Li-ion versions are now being introduced in hybrids with much more storage capacity to take advantage of “plug-in” where the batteries are charged overnight providing enough capacity for up to a couple of hundred kilometres.

WHICH MODEL?
No decisions here – you either buy one or you don’t! So it’s merely down to price, condition, colour, mileage and a guess on what the running costs are likely to be. Initially available only on a full-maintenance lease plan over four years, it wasn’t long before one could buy the hybrid outright for R269 000. Comfort is luxurious, especially the rear seat legroom, but luggage space isn’t, due to all that extra running gear. The boot measured 224 dm3 although the utility space is much better at 1 100 dm3.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ENGINES
Just about all that Prius owners talk about is fuel consumption, with about half claiming they get the factory quoted figures and the other half saying that they don’t… Overall, owners’ figures are in the region of 5,5 to 6,9 litres/100 km. Water pump squeaks were noted by a couple of owners.

TRANSMISSION
No complaint about the CVT gearbox, other than the drone as it quickly gets up to revs, then stays there.

SUSPENSION, BRAKES AND WHEELS
No problems reported in this area, which is quite unusual.

STEERING
Only one owner had a problem with his electrically-assisted steering, so we can conclude that this set-up is reliable. There was a recall in 2006 for replacement of the steering shaft to prevent the possibility of a loose joint. (This also affected some other Toyotas.)

ELECTRICAL
A couple of hassles with the sound system buttons exhibiting intermittent contact and some touch-screen glitches, otherwise no niggles. One owner experienced a fire behind the facia caused by an electrical malfunction. This was sorted out under warranty. Although one or two people had a problem with the 12V battery going dead on them, the 200V nickel-metal-hydride battery cells work well, with only a couple of passed-on reports of premature failure. A replacement pack, should it eventually get old and feeble, will set you back nearly R20 000 from an official dealer. While this is expensive, at least you know that you should have another 10 to 15 years of charge at hand.

INTERIOR
A few complaints of wear and tear to the cloth upholstery were noted. Rear visibility is restricted, causing some unease while reverse parking.

BODYWORK
Some rattles and squeaks were noted but nothing else.

GENERAL

Prius owners seem to be an intense, fastidious lot, judging by comments offered about their cars. The fact that there were few complaints either means that we are talking about a top quality product, notwithstanding the complex drivetrain, or owners are so fixated on being “green” and getting the best fuel consumption they can muster, that they neglect to talk about any problems they had. We somehow think the former applies.

SUMMARY
A five-star EuroNCAP safety rating, low fuel consumption in the vicinity of 6 litres/100 km, futuristic styling, spacious comfort and a certain “aura” combine to make this one of the most interesting and unusual second-hand buys on our market. Even if you cost-in replacement of the battery pack, other costs should not be too onerous, but bear in mind that this is not a high-volume model such as the Corolla, so parts, if required, will be pricey.

ALSO LOOK AT?
Diesel-engined saloons or hatches with a similarly low fuel consumption.

Original article from Car

Second hand cars for sale