Prius - less miles / new battery

[Bruinguy]

Hi,

I have been lurking for a few weeks, getting the creative cost cutting juices going (and cutting $200/mo from the budget by just paying attention).  I'm looking to get rid of my gas guzzler and buying a used Prius for my commute (to save another ~$150/mo).  I'm trying to weigh some options and wanted to get any feedback that you might have.

Would you rather have a prius with less miles (say, 95,000 miles) or a prius with more miles (say, 175,000 miles) and new batteries?

In the immediate scenario, the prius with lower miles is a little more expensive (by $1,500).

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[prodarwin]

95k.

The batteries are very reliable though, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy one with 200k+ even on the original battery. 

A refurb battery is about $1000 installed.

[madmax]

Are the new batteries refurbed or actually new? Does the car have service records for everything else? All other things being equal, I would buy the one with more miles in this case..

[Rebecca Stapler]

I would pay $1500 more for the car with the lower mileage -- it seems like a big mileage difference for a little money.

The other factor is what years the cars are. If they're close in years, then I would be more sure about opting for the lower mileage, because it indicates that the 175k mileage car had heavier use.

We have a 2006 Prius with 105k miles on it. It's getting a little rattle-y, so I have to take it in for a maintenance check. But I'm wondering if you've driven both cars and whether there was a noticeable difference between the feel of them?

[Bruinguy]

Thanks all for your thoughts.

The cars are close in years '07 and '08.  The older one has less milage.  They appear to be otherwise similar--single owner, maintained by dealer, with records.

Don't know for sure on the battery, I assume that the dealer would put in a new battery, but will find out.

I was initially leaning toward the new battery with more miles, but you guys have reminded me that there are a lot of other things going on in the car too.  80k miles represents about 5 years of work-life difference between the two...the $1,500 extra doesn't seem like a lot when you look at it that way.

[Nords]

I was initially leaning toward the new battery with more miles, but you guys have reminded me that there are a lot of other things going on in the car too.  80k miles represents about 5 years of work-life difference between the two...the $1,500 extra doesn't seem like a lot when you look at it that way.

The heck with the batteries.  You should take a look at the air conditioning.

There may be a recall on the water pump that expires soon, as well as recalls on the floor mats and a steering wheel gear.  That's off the top of my head, so you may want to run a CarFax on the VIN or just take it to a Toyota dealer for an inspection.

The 95K Prius is coming up on a 100K brake job, a 100K coolant replacement that is not DIY (with a very finicky flush & vent that can overheat the inverter if not done properly), and perhaps possibly a new set of tires.