A Toyota Prius with nearly 360,000 miles is already pushing its luck. Add a $100 junkyard price tag, missing parts, and years of taxi service, and a cross-country road trip sounds like a terrible idea. For YouTuber Rich Benoit, it sounded like a challenge.
The creator behind Rich Rebuilds had saved the old hybrid from the crusher. Instead of using it for short trips around town, he wanted to drive from Massachusetts to Florida and back, with a major winter storm moving toward the Northeast.
His friend Freddy Hernandez, better known as Tavarish, joined him for the drive south. They had little time to prepare, and the Prius needed several repairs before it could leave the shop.
Their journey would cover more than 3,700 miles, test the car’s famous fuel economy, and end with a mechanical problem that nearly stranded Benoit just six hours from home.
A Rough Start
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Before leaving, Benoit put the Prius on a lift and discovered that someone had cut out part of its exhaust system. Two catalytic converters were missing, and the damaged exhaust had left the car leaking coolant.
A replacement converter listed for $1,500 was far beyond his budget.
“I can get 15 Priuses for that,” Benoit joked.
He eventually found a used converter for $200 on Facebook Marketplace. Along with a $200 replacement hybrid battery, the car had already cost at least $500, including its original purchase price.
To squeeze out more miles per gallon, Benoit added homemade wheel covers made from pizza pans. He also taped over part of the lower grille and removed the rear wiper.
With those changes complete, the Prius was ready for its biggest test.
Beating the Plane
A flight to Daytona cost $157, and Benoit was convinced he could get there for less in gasoline.
The first warning came shortly after departure when the check engine light appeared. Fortunately, the Toyota continued running, and its fuel economy remained strong.
After 450 miles, they stopped in Virginia and spent just $29 filling the tank. The numbers were encouraging, even with the warning light still on.
By the time they reached Florida, the pair had spent $82 on gasoline. Better yet, they were enjoying a car neither had expected to like so much.
Still, a visit to Tavarish’s shop revealed some troubling problems.
More Than Mileage
A mechanic from Girly Garage inspected the aging Toyota and found its coolant reservoir empty. The brake fluid was dark brown, some brake pads were nearly worn to the metal, and the cabin air filter was missing.
The car received fresh fluids and brake repairs before Benoit headed north. He had also taken it farther south in Florida, adding hundreds of miles to the challenge.
During the return journey, fuel costs remained low. But as the weather grew colder, another problem began to develop.
About six hours from Massachusetts, Benoit heard a loud cracking noise. His driver’s-side CV axle had failed.
One Last Push
Outside, the temperature had dropped to around seven degrees. The damaged axle caused violent vibrations, especially when Benoit changed speed.
Rather than stop for a tow, he continued driving slowly toward home. He kept a steady pace, hoping the axle would hold together long enough to finish the trip.
It did.
After another six and a half hours, Benoit pulled into his shop. The axle was badly damaged, with transmission fluid leaking from the driver’s side.
The final trip reading told the rest of the story. His $100 Prius had traveled 3,752 miles while averaging 41 mpg.
Benoit also met his fuel-cost challenge, spending less on gasoline than the $157 plane ticket. That figure did not include the money spent buying or repairing the car.
“This little Prius changed my mind about Priuses in general,” he said.
The yellow hybrid had earned a nickname along the way: Strugglebee. Despite its damaged axle and the repairs still ahead, Benoit told viewers he planned to keep it as a permanent part of his collection.