I like this Mk2 Toyota Prius – but I’m not sure why
Maybe it’s the wonky number plate or the mismatched headlights. Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s travelled the equivalent of a journey to the moon – and is on its way back. But I rather like the look of this Mk2 Toyota Prius.
It has led a life. This Toyota Prius is like an old dog that has been dropped off at the dogs’ home following years of faithful loyalty. It’s likely to see one more (un)careful owner before being chopped in for parts. A case of Uber and out.
With 297,000 miles on the clock, the Prius could be chasing sticks and wiping its bum on the carpet for many years to come. The Mk2 Prius is more than capable of covering 400,000 miles without a problem. Indeed, this Austrian taxi grabbed the headlines after hitting 1,000,000 kilometres (621,371 miles). Fare play.
Warts and all
Launched in the UK in 2004, the Mk2 Toyota Prius represented a big improvement over the original car. The 1.5-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain delivered the low-end torque of a V6 diesel, while figures of 65.7mpg and 104g/km CO2 certainly looked good on paper.
Not that you’d see 65.7mpg if you spent most of your time maxing your Prius on the motorway.
It also featured the world’s first air conditioning system that could function when the engine was turned off. Stick that on the list of questions for your next Zoom quiz night. People who read Which? magazine and care about satisfaction surveys will tell you that the Mk2 Prius is one of the most reliable cars on the planet.
Not that any of this matters, because the Mk2 Toyota Prius is probably as appealing to you as a genital wart. Fine for a drunken journey back from the Slug & Lettuce, but not something you’d like to wake up with in the morning. See also: genital warts.
From Thesis to faeces
Thanks to my irregular sleep patterns, I’m not thinking straight. Yesterday I declared a Lancia Thesis to be my ‘forever car’. Today I’m announcing that I’d love to give this 2008 Toyota Prius a home.
I’m prepared to look beyond the inevitable smell of vomit in the back, and the multiple undiagnosed diseases languishing on the headrests and steering wheel. I’m not even bothered about the torn seats and broken door mirror. These are part of its charm.
Yes, I did just use the word ‘charm’ in the context of a Mk2 Toyota Prius.
Thanks to the government’s six-month MOT extension, it has a valid ticket until October 2020, so there’s scope to take it beyond 300,000 miles before the next test is due. For what it’s worth, the single advisory in 2019 was for the nearside front tyre.
I was once said (to myself) that not even an appearance in The Other Guys could make the Mk2 Toyota Prius look cool. I’m not entirely sure this blog post changes anything, but thanks to the unique way my brain is wired, I find myself fancying this tired old dog more than Terry Hoitz fancied Dr Sheila Gamble.
This is what happens when you haven’t left the house in two weeks. Has anybody seen my tablets?
The Mk2 Toyota Prius is for sale on Auto Trader for the less than the price of a trip south of the river on a Friday night.
9 Comments
You can come back to us Gav, you can still come back. Remember the Citroen BX, Volvo 480 and Chrysler Alpine? You can come back to us, but you need to fight it
Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever’s happened, it’s like I’ve landed on a different planet, Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home.
Glad you got it! Unfortunately I had to witness a Princess get smashed to bits in A2A last night, but it wasn’t all gloomy, as I was very amused seeing the quattro’s wheels suddenly change from early to late types with each shot!
This one:
https://www.driving.co.uk/s3/st-driving-prod/uploads/2014/11/Audi-Quattro-with-Phil-Glenister.jpg
For this one:
https://car-from-uk.com/ebay/carphotos/full/ebay731092.jpg
Did I mention pedantry is fun?
You (I?) could drop £1100 on a fugly Prius that will give you back ache if you’re over 6ft tall. OR you could rummage down the back of a large number of settees, review your overdraft limit and then go and spend £2k on the only Hyundai Grandeur currently for sale on Autotrader. Just saying.
Alternatively for the Facebook marketplace savvy there are 4ws versions of the Accord also to be had for around £1200.
These days you can have a lot of motor for £1500 or less. Saw a MG Maestro 2.0 EFi on Facebook yesterday for £1500 – needless to say it wasn’t for sale for long (no I didn’t buy it sadly)!
That Hyundai Grandeur features in a £2k luxury car guide I’ve just written.
4WS Accords for £1,200 you say? Blimey!
Your other option is to spend £1100 or hopefully less after haggling on both a Mazda Xedos 6 (https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/509582443284416/) and a matching colour Mazda Xedos 9 (https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/707148703358134/). You’re welcome.
On a similar topic I have to confess I recently became briefly fixated with 2003-2004 Kia Rios – I find their rear ends strangely alluring. There is some lovely bulgey roundness going on. Not unlike an ugly lady with a nice body.
Now I wonder how Specsavers do eye tests remotely..?
Part-hatchback, part-wagon. A 2003 Kia Rio featured on this here blog:
https://petrolblog.com/2016/09/mk1-kia-rio-sprint-hillclimb/
That may be my new favorite article on PB! Stupidly I read it as inspiration for hair brained antics! The itch is growing…