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Personal Consumer Issues • Hybrid Car - Cost Savings?

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I was told by the mechanic that a 50k brake job on a Prius was a little premature. Most get done around 80k around here, he said. So I tried to figure out why mine wore more quickly. I do lightly use them for the regen aspect. I'm constantly monitoring my mpg and driving habits. I probably used the brakes much more aggressively on the highway a few times when the car was new, 7-8 years ago. Maybe that did it. I try to never use my brakes on the highway anymore, but it happens! Also, I do try using the regen frequently to stop the car. After coasting for 5-10 seconds, I go from 40 down to maybe 30. Brakes are a must for the rest of the work. :happy

And for OP - there's no hidden costs, and it's true you will use your brakes less. Toyota warranties their hybrid battery for 10 years / 150,000 miles and most owners get 15-20 years before replacement. Hope this helps :D
We've got a Prius v (the larger "wagon"). As I understand it, the brake pads only engage below 7-8 mph or if you are braking really hard. Light braking is regen until you hit the 7-8 mph speed.

We've got just over 120k on our car- front pads are original and look to have quite a bit of life left. I replaced the rear pads just under 100k. Like most other things, brake wear depends a lot on how the car is driven- we are small city in a rural area and put on quite a few miles on the highway.

I live in a densely settled suburb and commute into a very large city several times per week. It's virtually impossible not to use the brakes here all the time. Besides the regen isn't aggressive like Tesla, but people drive fast and aggressive here, causing much more brake use. I drive slower most of the time and leave a lot of room between myself and the car ahead, but going any slower results in many people cutting in front, riding my bumper, etc. Pedestrians dart out in front of me in the city causing hard braking. Even in the burbs people are aggressive. Just the other day I'm driving 55 on a 2 lane highway. A woman pulls out right in front of me causing me to brake hard. I see her glaring into her rear view mirror and she then brake checked me! This caused even harder braking. All because of her actions.

So I guess it's location dependent as much as it is driver dependent.

Statistics: Posted by YeahBuddy — Tue Apr 09, 2024 1:10 am — Replies 83 — Views 8505



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