Day of the Driving Dead: 2007 Toyota Prius
I got this next link from prolific tipper Rock On, who put in the subject; Cheap City Runabout. And I thought to myself; this must be something cool and kooky like a Subaru 360 setup to run on camp fuel, or an El Camino’d Gillig Phantom Bus, or a Honda City Turbo II…but no. To my shock, surprise, chagrin, and sobering mortification…it was a Toyota Prius. The anti-fun car. The car that everybody loves to hate. The car that even radical Hummer torching environmentalists agree is a blight upon the planet…the Prius. Hmmm. But if memory serves me correctly, there was a time when everybody hated the VW MicroBus and now they are worth more than the average hippie’s 401k, so maybe the Prius will eventually get a cult following and…nah. Find this 2007 Toyota Prius offered for $3900 in San Diego, CA via craigslist.
From the seller:
2007 toyota prius
fuel: hybrid
odometer: 183000
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
We’re selling because we need Suv, It’s been well taken care of.
Brand new 12V battery
Hybrid battery perfect condition
Cold A/C
It’s a Prius!
Passed Smog, currently r/insured.
Synthetic oil only.
Runs and drives perfect
45Mpg gas mileage
Serious buyers only.
See a better way to drive on your way to the morgue? tips@dailyturismo.com
Danger! Prius engine swap rabbit hole. I saw a Honda K24, an LS1 and a 1000hp Hellcat. Ultimately, it was time that could have been better spent.
My wife has a Prius C. I occasionally drive it since she’s wfh and it gets 45mpg compared to the 13mpg in my JKU. I find that it’s a relatively decent handling car, no it’s not going to take my FM suspension Miata around a corner but it has some zip and turn to it in city driving. The other thing I like/dislike about the car is the video game eco screen it has. For all my trying I can’t seem to beat my wife’s scores.
/lead foot
Selling prius for SUV…. My my, the times have changed.
There’s a guy on the Grassroots Motorsports board who has bought three or four of them from insurance auctions for stupid cheap, replaced the bumpers, and been good to go. They seem to be developing a reputation as a go-to for people who want unkillable transportation with low running costs. May not be a cult following yet, but it’s a start.
The thing is, when you are working on your el camino’d Subaru 360 LS1 swap, you better have a reliable daily beater. This would fit that bill pretty decently.
Didn’t realize that Prius require smog inspection in California. Double drat, guess I have to put my SBC swap project on indefinite hold….
My edition of this “blight upon the planet†gave me 280k trouble free miles, averaging just under 50 mpg in the process.
Maybe spend a little time on Weird Car Twitter and discover that there’s a lot more to love out there than just 700 hp muscle cars…🤷â€â™‚ï¸
#LongLiveTheXW20 ðŸ‘
Did… did you just scold us? A website whose mascot is pretty much an old Volvo or Mercedes that doesn’t have enough oomph to get up to slow lane speed even given an infinite on-ramp?
It’s like you don’t even know us anymore 🙠Did you ever really know us at all?
You must be new here. I’d suggest reading the DT Manifesto (http://dailyturismo.com/the-dt-manifesto/) before taking us to task any further for taking the Lord’s name in vain.
(Anyone else having a hard as hell time logging in here – or just staying logged in?)
I’d like to applaud the DT gods for having the vision to post this. Priuses are a worthwhile addition to anyone’s fleet who drives a lot and likes being invisible.
In a similar vein, we visited Jackson Hole a few years ago, one of the richest per-capita towns in the country. Guess what everyone drives? Your average, plebeian Subaru wagon.
http://davesanborn.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-infinite-subaru-wagons-of-jackson.html
Agree. Sometimes you just have to get somewhere. I also fly coach, wear t-shirts, screw 2x4s together, drink water, eat oatmeal, don’t smoke and listen to generative music by Brian Eno.
But what I look forward to is getting bumped up to business class, looking sharp, executing a fine walnut dovetail, pouring a Glenfarclas, grilling an Aberdeen Angus sirloin, smoking a Cuban Romeo y Julieta, and sitting down front row for King Crimson.
One Prius on DT is a curiosity, fine, but I frankly hope that’s the last ordinary… what was it? … oh, right, thingy, we ever see here. On the other hand, by all means, bring on the 1st gen million milers, engine/stick swaps and Priuscaminos.
Yep – posting one Prius is visionary. More than one (unless it’s been converted into a RV) will have me questioning whether Vince & Co. were dropped on their noggins recently.
Still, I kinda, sorta want a beater Prius now.
A lot of the Subaru wagons in Jackson Hole are owned by 1%-ers that they keep at their 2nd mansion and use them to blend in with the locals or feel better about themselves for making the area almost unaffordable for those locals.
Wow, you even managed to find a Justy in that roundup!
I didn’t expect this many comments on a Prius, but I love it when you guys get into the spirit of the site…which is lively debate and no hurt feelings. Well, maybe K-car owners get their feelings hurt, but that’s it.
I’ll let you guys continue to argue about this one, but I will remind everyone that if I post a car here it is because I find it interesting, fascinating, or otherwise noteworthy, and although we say some terrible things about cars (and people) it is mostly done tongue in cheek. Except K-cars, they are the worst.
If I had know this would have generated so much discussion, I would have been posting priiiii from day one.
If you stop posting stock Priuses… Prii… Pr… whatever… now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will convert all your cars to CVT.
OK, is it time for more K-car owner feeling hurting? I found a few you might want to feature!
The brand new battery is worth over a thousand dollars. Wonder what the labour charge is to install it? This would make a pretty cheap second or third car.
You mean you don’t just open a hatch, insert the battery, observing the correct polarity, and then close the hatch?
Don’t forget to check its state of charge by putting your tongue on the terminals.