One of YouTube’s most popular mechanics has urged used car buyers looking for a fuel-efficient yet refined model to consider one that does not get the love it deserves.
Scotty Kilmer has worked as a mechanic for more than 55 years and regularly posts videos on his YouTube channel, where he offers tips to help drivers find the right car for them and avoid huge repair bills. In a recent video, Scotty took a look around a customer’s 2014 Toyota Prius, noting that it is still running on the original battery and achieves 55mpg – despite having covered 140,000 miles.
He explained: “The Toyota Prius: people hate them, others love them. Well, since they sold millions of them, there must be a reason why some people love them. Let’s see the truth about this particular one. It’s 11 years old, it’s got 140,000 miles on it.
“The current owner bought it new and put all those miles on. It’s still got the original hybrid battery in the back, and it’s obviously still working fine because, under normal driving conditions, she’s getting 55mpg in this thing.”
Whilst the Prius has been a part of Toyota’s range since 1997, Scotty particularly recommended the third-generation version that was built from 2009 to 2015.
Despite having clean-cut styling that some might find bland, this era of Toyota Prius offers a spacious interior and a particularly clean and economical powertrain, comprising of a 1.8-litre petrol engine and an 80bhp electric motor.
Since the most recent examples are now a decade old, drivers can get behind the wheel of a used third-generation Prius from around £3,000, with a clean example typically requiring a £6,000 budget.
Later in the video, Scotty took to the roads in the Prius to demonstrate that the hybrid powertrain offers a surprisingly smooth driving experience.
He continued: “And off we silently go. As you’ll see, it’s on battery power now, but as soon as we step on the gas, the engine kicks in. This isn’t made for running on electricity that far – it’s more for sneaking up very short distances.
“Since this thing has quite a high ride height, you don’t have to worry that much about medium-sized speed bumps. The car’s hybrid, so you also get regenerative braking. You can hear that regenerating power [when you ease off the accelerator], and it’s always going to turn the engine off when you come to a stop when it’s charged up.”
Nevertheless, Scotty recommended that drivers interested in buying a used Prius make sure they find an example with a full-service history to prevent the risk of head gasket failure, which can be difficult to fix.
He advised: “Truth be told, some of these engines do blow head gaskets, but in my experience, it’s generally the people who do not take care of the engine. The owner of this one changes the oil and filters religiously, and she doesn’t have any problems at all.
“If you push one of these, the dirty oil wears out the inside of the engine and your head gasket blows. And if that happens, you’re looking at a small fortune [to fix it] because it’s not a normal four-cylinder petrol; it’s an Atkinson cycle engine.”
