Nine-year-old Toyota Prius retains its youth

To see whether an aging Toyota Prius has lost a step, a 2002 model with 206,000 miles on the odometer was tested with the results compared to results for similar tests almost exactly 10 years ago on a nearly identical 2001 tested car with 2,000 miles. The goal was to check whether the battery had worn down, which would be expensive to fix because a new one costs $2,300 to $2,600 from a dealer (more like $500 from a salvage yard). Acceleration was timed and MPG determined to see if the aged car matched the new one.

Results

Gas mileage in the old Prius was virtually the same as it had been in the new. Acceleration was just slightly slower, which could have been due to weather &/or the fact that after 200,000 miles the ICE had become worn. Specifics are in the table below. Testers who drove the older car said it drove essentially identically to the one tested 10 years ago, and it had no squeaks or rattles.

Bottom line

The Prius that traveled 206,000 miles (330,000 kms) still acts like a youngster. Its expensive battery has not worn out, and its performance was similar to that of a new Prius tested 10 years ago.

How it held up

Prius at...	2,000 miles	206,000 miles
Fuel economy (mpg)
Overall	40.6	40.4
Highway	48.6	46.3
City	30.5	32.1
Acceleration (seconds)
0-60 mph	12.7	13.1
¼ mile	19.3	19.4

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