Used 2008 Toyota Prius Consumer Reviews
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Worthwhile purchase!
hondoman45, 09/03/2013
2008 Toyota Prius Touring 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
35 of 35 people found this review helpful
I've waited a year to write this so as to have some experience with the car. Was very hesitant to buy due to fear of the unknown with the high voltage battery. Can say now that this is not a concern as these fail rarely and with many miles and usually with at least a decade of time. My dealership might replace 5-6 a year on the first generation (2001-2003), but 1-2 on this generation. Not as expensive to replace as I thought, either, as I received quotes of $2500 parts and labor. Realistically, that would be at least 12-15 years down the road. I get about 44 mpg in the winter and 46-49 mpg in warm weather. No repairs have been needed; easy to work on.
Great car
Suzane W, 08/28/2016
updated 03/07/2018
2008 Toyota Prius Touring 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
165 of 171 people found this review helpful
Gas mileage is down about 10 mpg in the winter, but overall it is a great car. Does great in the snow, roomy inside and comfortable. I sold it in 2016. The new owner loves it
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HIgh Mile Prius Rock, best car for normal folks
Jim W, 07/27/2017
updated 02/07/2022
2008 Toyota Prius 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
40 of 41 people found this review helpful
7/31/20 update, I still have this car in my family, sold it to my son with 270K miles and he is still driving it every day. These cars seem to run forever...I love my 08 Prius, I have over 215,000 miles on the car, I purchased it with 168,000. While many of these reviews come from folks that have owned the car for a short time, I am Credit Union Autobroker in Portland OR and have owned and sold close to 500 of the Prius. These cars in my opinion are the most reliable car a normal consumer can buy. I get about 45 to 47 for my crazy all around mileage, and tend to drive it pretty hard. No timing belt, just change the oil and drive. Front brake pads, last forever, most of your braking if your normal, comes from the regenerating braking system. Have seen FB pads go well over 100K miles. I love these cars and give them 5 stars...my wife stole a V which is the wagon, and not given it back...she love it. My daughter is in Phoenix driving an 08 Touring model... Simply the best little rigs you can own. Jan / 2018 still driving this car...and still loving it.. Update Jan / 2019. Now have 240,000 miles on my car, and still going strong. Just change the oil and drive. Don't listen to the folks that put out the scary stories about the hybrid batteries. I have heard of them go over 600K miles. Daily use and driving actually is better for them... Additionally the Toyota dealers will charge 3 to 4000 for a hybrid battery replacement, but in my area I can get a completely rebuilt one installed for around $900.00 which is not crazy out of line with any moderate repair on any car. UPDATE... well I finally moved into a newer lower mile prius... the one above has 256,000 miles on it, and still runs great, actually gave to my son to drive... my new one is an 09 with a modest 164K..... I can not believe how reliable these Prius are. I am an autobroker and have sold close to 600 of these prius... they simply are fantastic rigs... Update: 2/3/2021 Still going strong, I love these cars ..you can not find a more reliable rig to drive. I just sold a 2016 with 238K miles...2/05/2022 my 2009 now has 196K miles, and like most all of these I have done nothing but change oil and filters... I have to repeat again I don't feel you can find a more reliable car to own and drive.. One thing I have found is the new body style 2010's seem to have some issues, but by 2011 were back to very reliable...
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147,000 miles so far, zero problem
jimmybirdie, 01/12/2012
2008 Toyota Prius Standard 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
40 of 42 people found this review helpful
I am an extreme commuter and I would not have been able to do this without my beloved Prius. After 4 years I have about 147,000 miles on the car and have had zero problem so far. I average about 47 - 54 mpg depending on how fast I drive. If I drive 75 mph I will get about 45-47 mpg. If I drive 65 mph I would get around 52 mpg. I still have the original brakes and my mechanic told me that it still has 75% of life left. This is due to regenerating braking and my most highway driving. The OEM tires lasted 60k miles. I replaced them with the Michelin HydroEdge tires and after 87k they are still good for another 20k miles according to my mechanic.
All-round Excellent car
charles hall, 11/20/2015
updated 05/23/2017
2008 Toyota Prius Standard 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
37 of 39 people found this review helpful
Aside from some shabby fabric on the center console, this has been a superb car. I've had maybe one repair done, and it was some routine thing they spotted at the 100k check-up. I get 48.5 mpg year round. It's quiet, and accelerates strongly at freeway speeds, like 45-75. Lots and lots of cargo space and catch-all storage areas. Only drawback? In 2008 they didn't have USB or iPod interfaces to the radio. There's also a design flaw with the traction control (which cannot be disabled) where when you stop at a stop sign and the pavement is the least but slick with water, ice or gravel the car may move haltingly when you press the gas. This is very bad, but you learn not to try and dart into traffic except in dry weather. Otherwise the performance and handling is fine. 2016 UPDATE: One of the hybrid battery cells failed at 130K miles. The repair cost $1800 from an independent repair shop which offered a 3-yr warranty. The car is running perfectly again. I have added leather steering wheel and armrest covers to fix the decaying originals. The actual seats are holding up fine, it's just the armrests and center console cover they aren't up to snuff. 2017 UPDATE: Battery failed again, repaired under warranty. But at 139K miles I needed a new daily driver. Just bought a 2017 Chevy Volt. Cargo capacity with seats down is comparable to the Prius. Rear seat headroom, not so good. But with 50 miles EV range the Volt seems a noble successor to the Prius. EV performance of the Volt is outstanding. Much more acceleration than the Prius.
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