Should I worry about the Prius' battery life?

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From Des O’C: I am trying to reduce my motoring costs and was wondering what are the pitfalls in buying a Toyota Prius of year 2004-2006. What about battery life?

There are no major issues with that generation Prius and I would not be unduly concerned with the battery life. While some suggest it has a 10-year lifespan, in reality there has been little evidence of this happening, even in the US where models have clocked up heavy mileage without complaint.

Its battery system is designed to maximise battery life and is likely to last the lifetime of the car. Toyota claims it has data showing the equivalent of 180,000 miles with no deterioration in its output. In Ireland Toyota says it has only ever replaced one battery in the Irish fleet of 2,400 Priuses, and that was due to water damage as the car in question was caught in a flood. If you look to countries where the Prius is used on taxi fleets, there are cases where some cars have completed more than 500,000 miles with no issues reported. If you want extra piece of mind you can also get a 12-month warranty when its bought from a Toyota dealer.

I wouldn’t be unduly concerned with the lifespan of hybrids, but I would flag up one issue: the Prius really comes into its own in urban driving and you need to consider your average weekly journeys. If you spend most of the time on national roads and very little in traffic, then the benefits might not be as great as you expect and a diesel might be a better option.

From IF: I’m in the market for a new four-door saloon. I have a budget of around €26,000. What would you recommend? I have been considering the Renault Fluence and the Volkswagen Passat. The choice seems to be between the top end of the Fluence or the low end of the Passat.

Your budget puts you on the cusp of the mainstream family saloon market. You might be tempted to opt for entry-level versions of the VW Passat or Ford Mondeo, but I would be more tempted to opt for a better equipped version of more affordable family saloons.

For this sort of cash you could pick up any Fluence model, but before you buy I would suggest you try out a few others: the Ford Focus saloon 1.6 TDCi Zetec at €25,130; the Skoda Octavia 2-litre Elegance at €24,455; the Toyota Corolla and the Opel Astra saloon. My choice would be the Octavia, but it’s worth shopping around. There are some really good deals at the moment, even outside the scrappage scheme.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or email motorshelp@irishtimes.com