Toyota Prius Diesel Problems
- Diesel
- Engine
- Recall
- Transmission
- 2022
- 2019
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005
- 2004
- 2003
- 2002
- 2001
Hybrid or diesel?
Both will give you good fuel savings in the sort of driving you're doing. The hybrid would likely be better in stop-start driving, the diesel better for open-road motoring. The diesel would be cheaper to buy and have a better resale value in the medium term. People are still sceptical about the life of the batteries in the hybrid -- though there is no evidence to suggest they are a problem -- but it has a negative effect on used values. You would also be tied to a Toyota dealer for servicing. The broader trade has yet to develop the expertise to look after the complex electrics of the hybrid.
Running costs
THE only reason to buy a Prius is to protect the environment, not to cut your running costs. That's because of the purchase price. It would take some time at the mileage you do to recoup the extra money you would pay out to buy the Prius in savings at the fuel pump. Same with the diesel. As a rule of thumb, it generally takes about 70,000km to recoup the extra you pay to buy the diesel over a petrol-fuelled car. The LPG option is probably the best one, because you would recoup the cost of fitting the system within a couple of years.
