I got my Prius serviced today — with over 202,000 miles on it. Though they did recommend a coolant flush (every 100,000 miles), otherwise this time there were no expensive surprises. They told me it’s in great shape.
I bought the car in 2008 with 126,000 miles on it, crossing my fingers that it would last the four years I was making payments on it. Now I’d like to see it go as many miles for me as it did for its previous owner.
I love my Prius. The mileage is fantastic. (Lately it’s usually “only” been in the high 30s, but I drive in stop-and-go traffic on Highway 50, so that’s actually very good.) And over the years I’ve had it there have been far fewer expensive surprises than the “cheap” car I owned before it.
And I’m a small person, and I like driving a small car. A Prius starts with its electric motor, so it always gets a head start at a green light over the cars waiting for their engines to get going. It also shuts off during a long stop and is lovely and quiet. This does produce some behavior of trying to get at the front of a line for a red light and hating to be behind trucks. I also get annoyed with people who inch ahead during a red light. My engine is off, so I don’t want to move, thank you very much.
But mostly, driving this car makes me happy. When I bought it, Consumer Reports rated this model high for reliability, and it has been wonderful for me. May it travel ever onward.