Automatic car options?

The One Doctor

I have a 2005 Mk2 Prius but it's starting to get too expensive to run - mainly brake problems. I love the car but it's just a pain in the arse now.

I have maybe €4k to spend. The car has to be petrol or hybrid or elec and must be automatic. I think another Prius would be a bad idea - they just keep having brake issues because the brakes don't get used.

A biggish boot would be great but it's not nessecary. Really all I want is reliablity and reasonable fuel consumption.

So far I'm thinking Yaris or a Hyundai but I'm open to other makes except Opel.

Any ideas?

Atlantic Dawn

Honda Civic hybrid might be an option, should get one easily for that budget.

commited

Have you now resolved the brake issues?

micks_address

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Honda Civic hybrid might be an option, should get one easily for that budget.

A lot of people complain of MPG on the Civic

bear1

The One Doctor wrote: »

I have a 2005 Mk2 Prius but it's starting to get too expensive to run - mainly brake problems. I love the car but it's just a pain in the arse now.

I have maybe €4k to spend. The car has to be petrol or hybrid or elec and must be automatic. I think another Prius would be a bad idea - they just keep having brake issues because the brakes don't get used.

A biggish boot would be great but it's not nessecary. Really all I want is reliablity and reasonable fuel consumption.

So far I'm thinking Yaris or a Hyundai but I'm open to other makes except Opel.

Any ideas?

Brakes don't get used? I don't get this.

Atlantic Dawn

micks_address wrote: »

A lot of people complain of MPG on the Civic

Yes not as good as the Prius but spec is decent for the money.

bear1

bear1 wrote: »

Brakes don't get used? I don't get this.

Yea come on!
In what way?

The One Doctor

BrownFinger wrote: »

Yea come on!
In what way?

The Prius is mostly slowed by the electric motor to charge the battery. The disc brakes only get used if you brake heavily. So the brakes rust and degrade because they're not used. It's a silly system. The latest Prius does away with disc brakes.

bear1

The One Doctor wrote: »

The Prius is mostly slowed by the electric motor to charge the battery. The disc brakes only get used if you brake heavily. So the brakes rust and degrade because they're not used. It's a silly system. The latest Prius does away with disc brakes.

Seriously? What if you are in traffic? Driving in a city?
It seems like an incredibly idiotic system if that's the case.

colm_mcm

I’ve never heard of these problems with the Prius and I sold them.

CiniO

Indeed it's a fact that electric motor is used to charge the battery during braking, so if someone is driving very delicate and never brakes hard, then indeed regular disc brakes get very little use.

Simpler though is to brake heavily from time to time, instead of fixing braking system (like seized brake callipers).

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

Indeed it's a fact that electric motor is used to charge the battery during braking, so if someone is driving very delicate and never brakes hard, then indeed regular disc brakes get very little use.

Simpler though is to brake heavily from time to time, instead of fixing braking system (like seized brake callipers).

I've a gs450h and there's zero engine braking, is does recharge on over run but the car does not slow down. So unless Toyota uses a completely different system in the prius and gs you most definitely need to use the brakes to slow down.

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

I've a gs450h and there's zero engine braking, is does recharge on over run but the car does not slow down. So unless Toyota uses a completely different system in the prius and gs you most definitely need to use the brakes to slow down.

The idea is that even though you are pressing brake pedal, regular disc brakes might not be engaging yet, but car might be only slowing down by using electric motor as generator.
Only once you press your brake pedal harder, then disc brakes come into force.

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

The idea is that even though you are pressing brake pedal, regular disc brakes might not be engaging yet, but car might be only slowing down by using electric motor as generator.
Only once you press your brake pedal harder, then disc brakes come into force.

Must be because the GS is a bigger car but every time I press the pedal it engages the disc. When I start in the morning and only running on idle I can hear the brakes clearing the corrosion from the disc.

Bigus

4 new dice and pads will cost less than €200 and take less than an hour and a half to fit ?
Where's the 4K coming , I think op needs a new mechanic . There can be brakes accumulater issues too but loads of low mileage used Prius parts available

Bigus

Bigus wrote: »

4 new dice and pads will cost less than €200 and take less than an hour and a half to fit ?
Where's the 4K coming , I think op needs a new mechanic . There can be brakes accumulater issues too but loads of low mileage used Prius parts available

You'd get 4 new calipers for 200quid too.

jackofalltrades

BrownFinger wrote: »

You'd get 4 new calipers for 200quid too.

Where?

colm_mcm

Far as I know Rear calipers are shared with other toyotas. RAV4 I think.
Some preventive maintenance on them wouldn’t go amiss if it’s a recurring problem.

The One Doctor

Any other good car suggestions?

Not really interested in arguing about the Prius, it'll be sold on once the new NCT is done.

colm_mcm

Not a Yaris, the auto box on them is dreadful


(Except on the hybrid, which is out of budget)

Civic IMA, it's a step backwards in a way from the Prius, but it's still as good an option as anything else you'd get for the money