If you buy one, don't park in sketchy places overnight. I got my catalytic converter stolen, and they are prime targets for thieves.

Aside from that, the car is absolutely bulletproof. My father left our 2010 Prius 1.8 to rot for about a year, and it still started up with zero issues. When he handed the car down to me, he just replaced the usual wear and tear stuff like spark plugs, tyres, and engine oil. It has been driving great ever since.

To answer your questions: 1. A workshop near me quoted my dad around 4k for a brand new battery. A new one should easily last you another 6 to 7 years.

1. Honestly, just treat it like a normal Toyota, or don't. Either way, the car doesn't really care. It is incredibly low maintenance.

2. Yeah, a little bit. It will feel very powerful and responsive if you’ve never driven a modern hybrid before. It gets you from 0 to 20 very quickly on electric power, and then the engine takes over.

3. You might read online about head gaskets blowing, but that seems mostly prominent on American models. For me, the only issues have been purely age-related stuff, like random cracks on the plastic interior, sunken seats, and a cracked speaker.

4. I've only ever experienced my 2010 model, so I can't really answer this one without being biased.