Author Topic: Prius Questions  (Read 14907 times)

kkbmustang

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Prius Questions
« on: June 11, 2013, 10:21:32 PM »
I'm researching Prius' and suck at car buying. I want to make sure I don't overspend. I have cash for the car. What year, miles and price is in a reasonable ballpark? I'm seeing 2005 or 2006 on CL with 115000 miles for $8k ish. Thoughts? I know I need to ask about the battery and whether it has been replaced. Anything else I need to consider?

madmax

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2013, 11:05:32 PM »
I just bought my 2006 for 12.5 with 75k miles. Might seem to be on a higher side but this was

a) In the Bay area where used Prii are in a bubble
b) Had immaculate service records and was single owner
c) New tires
d) Excellent paint

I would advise considering a Gen 2 (2004-2008). The earlier models had battery problems. There are two batteries on these cars: the hybrid one and the 12v one. The hybrid battery is considered good for the lifetime of the car so it will likely not be replaced in a car with 115k miles. Some cars have gone up to 600k with the original battery some have had it replaced as low as 200k so YMMV. Replacement cost is 2500 for the hybrid battery.

The 12v battery is actually problem prone in these models and should have been replaced so that is definitely one thing to check for. Even if it hasn't it shouldn't be a deal breaker as DIY replacement cost is about $ 250. Maybe you can factor that into your negotiation.

You can check whether the 12v battery is good by putting the car in diagnostic mode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC9G2_tbCaw

Other than that, these are pretty reliable cars - there were a couple of recalls such as the inverter water pump. If the car has a service history, check if it was replaced.

Brakes on these cars are different than conventional ones and have been known to last for as long as 150K but that is another thing to check for.

While test driving it, make sure gear changes are smooth and you don't hear any noises. Watch out for any error messages or warning signs on the display while driving.  Reset the MPG before (under Info->Trip information) and verify that you are getting decent MPG. Once warmed up, you should be getting 45-50 in the city at least. Cold starts are a different story and could be in the low 20s.

As to how many miles, price and year, I actually used the Overstock car buying service to search for my car and looked at the ones with "Great Price":
http://cars.overstock.com/

I had already decided on the 2006-2007 mileage year with 75-85k miles (I plan on keeping it 10 years at least and I figured they would be reliable until 200k).

The dealer had a three day trial period in which I was free to return the car if not happy with it. If you buy from CL, you will not get that option so an inspection by a qualified mechanic is a must.

Happy shopping!


kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2013, 11:16:09 PM »
Thanks for this great information. Very, very helpful and saved me hours of research. I appreciate it.

dizzean

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2013, 11:18:05 AM »
I paid 13k for my 2007 with 85k miles on it, it was a Certified Pre-owned and thus has a full warranty for the first year.

The important thing for me was the maintenance schedule, the rotors had been recently resurfaced and the water pump had just been replaced when it was traded in.

The price felt a bit steep initially but I'm with the previous poster, I will drive it to 200k + miles and the resale/reliability value of the Prius is really what did it for me.

Eric

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 12:14:04 PM »
No matter the car, I like using Autotrader.com to compare prices.  You can pull up a huge database of cars and compare mileage, year, condition, and price.  Track that for a couple of weeks and you'll have a good idea of what your next car should cost or if the price you're seeing locally is a good deal or not.

Nords

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2013, 06:51:20 PM »
I'm researching Prius' and suck at car buying. I want to make sure I don't overspend. I have cash for the car. What year, miles and price is in a reasonable ballpark? I'm seeing 2005 or 2006 on CL with 115000 miles for $8k ish. Thoughts? I know I need to ask about the battery and whether it has been replaced. Anything else I need to consider?
Will you have to change your poster name to KBPrius?

Heh.  We have one of each in that model, although they have a lot fewer miles than your candidates.  The brakes are good for ~100K miles, so you'd want to see the receipt for new brake shoes.  The engine coolant is only good for ~100K miles too, so you'd want to see a receipt for that too.  The coolant replacement requires a lot of venting for its weird flow channels (especially around the inverter), so if the seller claims that they replaced the coolant on their own then you could ask them to show you the venting procedure.  Odds are they'll suddenly remember that they didn't really replace the coolant after all.

Ask your questions on PriusChat.com.  You'll be able to network with other Prius owners in your area for mechanics, dealers, and checking for good prices.  You may even find someone there who's interested in selling theirs.

Kelly Blue Book (KBB.com), Edmunds.com, and Craigslist.

Pay for a CarFax five-VIN account.  When you call sellers, ask for the VIN up front (a legit seller will happily give you the VIN) and run it through Carfax.  You'll be able to verify the title is clear and you'll also have a list of recalls or other tech service bulletins that you can check with the seller's records.

As mentioned, check the age of the 12v battery.  When that starts drooping its voltage then the car won't behave correctly. 

At a minimum verify that the Prius has had its recalls done on the accelerator, the inverter cooling pump, the steering wheel, and the driver's display.  (You can learn more about these recalls by running the VIN.)  You may also want to bring along an OBDII code reader to check if there are any minor trouble codes, but if there's no "Check Engine" light during the test drive then you're fine. 

You may want to take the car to a mechanic to check the air conditioning charge.  We had a leak on one and we refilled the charge with no problems.  On your test drive you could crank the A/C thermostat all the way down to 65 to see if it can handle the load.  I guess that in a cold climate you'd want to check the heater too, but we haven't used a heater in our cars for over two decades.

If your longoard is bigger than 10'6" then you're going to want a roof rack...
« Last Edit: June 15, 2013, 06:56:38 PM by Nords »

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2013, 10:58:17 PM »
Thanks Nords. I appreciate the info. I wouldn't be opposed to changing my handle. :)

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2013, 02:31:19 PM »

Spork

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2013, 03:22:02 PM »
Pay for a CarFax five-VIN account.  When you call sellers, ask for the VIN up front (a legit seller will happily give you the VIN) and run it through Carfax.  You'll be able to verify the title is clear and you'll also have a list of recalls or other tech service bulletins that you can check with the seller's records.

You might also check out autocheck.com.  They have a very reasonable "unlimited vin check for 30 days".  I bet I ran 50+ VINs when looking for my last car.   I can't remember exactly the differences between carfax and autocheck... but I do remember that each of them did have a couple of things the other didn't have ... but both have basically the same info.

Hunny156

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2013, 03:26:45 PM »
Just wanted to say that the Prius you are looking for is an excellent choice.  I was the original owner on my '06 up until about a year ago, when a pickup truck crashed into it.  :(

Best car I've ever owned, and so much less maintenance than a traditional vehicle.

The insurance gave me a check for $11K last year, and the car had about 115K on it.  It was in pristine condition prior to being totalled.

madmax

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2013, 03:31:27 PM »

I'm thinking this is a pretty good deal for $8500. (Email negotiation so far.) Yes? No?

Wrong URL? :)

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2013, 03:36:54 PM »

madmax

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2013, 03:45:35 PM »
Looks good to me - it's below similar vehicles in Dallas and also below book value. If the Carfax and maintenance records check out, I would buy it.

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2013, 03:46:45 PM »
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3979798602.html

Whoops!

He is getting 42.5 mpg. I can get that in my 98 Honda Civic hatchback, and I only paid $2650 for mine. Plus I can do all the service myself, parts are very cheap. Civic sedans will can get upper 38's easily too for around $3000. I don't see a good reason to spend 9,000 on a Prius.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2013, 03:50:32 PM by MrMacinstache »

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2013, 03:46:57 PM »
Looks good to me - it's below similar vehicles in Dallas and also below book value. If the Carfax and maintenance records check out, I would buy it.

Thanks!

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2013, 03:52:26 PM »
Pay for a CarFax five-VIN account.  When you call sellers, ask for the VIN up front (a legit seller will happily give you the VIN) and run it through Carfax.  You'll be able to verify the title is clear and you'll also have a list of recalls or other tech service bulletins that you can check with the seller's records.

You might also check out autocheck.com.  They have a very reasonable "unlimited vin check for 30 days".  I bet I ran 50+ VINs when looking for my last car.   I can't remember exactly the differences between carfax and autocheck... but I do remember that each of them did have a couple of things the other didn't have ... but both have basically the same info.

Agree..autocheck is great... especially if you're spending alot of cash. Its good to know the history. I almost bought a van that was wrecked 3 times...oops!

Hunny156

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2013, 10:28:47 AM »
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3979798602.html

Whoops!

He is getting 42.5 mpg. I can get that in my 98 Honda Civic hatchback, and I only paid $2650 for mine. Plus I can do all the service myself, parts are very cheap. Civic sedans will can get upper 38's easily too for around $3000. I don't see a good reason to spend 9,000 on a Prius.

Depends on how your drive it.  Hubby has a lead foot, and I would cringe whenever he drove it, he would kill my 51 MPG average.  I doubt he ever got more than 30 MPG driving it, he's a bit more of a "proactive" (aggressive) driver than I am.  Also depends on if you are using it mostly for Highway or Street.  The car is made for commutes w/lots of stop and go traffic.

The Prius advertised looks good, but something doesn't feel quite right to me, especially w/all those exclamation points.  Do your due diligence, have a mechanic look it over. Find out why he's getting rid of it after only 3 months.

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #17 on: August 09, 2013, 03:31:14 PM »
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3979798602.html

Whoops!

He is getting 42.5 mpg. I can get that in my 98 Honda Civic hatchback, and I only paid $2650 for mine. Plus I can do all the service myself, parts are very cheap. Civic sedans will can get upper 38's easily too for around $3000. I don't see a good reason to spend 9,000 on a Prius.

Depends on how your drive it.  Hubby has a lead foot, and I would cringe whenever he drove it, he would kill my 51 MPG average.  I doubt he ever got more than 30 MPG driving it, he's a bit more of a "proactive" (aggressive) driver than I am.  Also depends on if you are using it mostly for Highway or Street.  The car is made for commutes w/lots of stop and go traffic.

The Prius advertised looks good, but something doesn't feel quite right to me, especially w/all those exclamation points.  Do your due diligence, have a mechanic look it over. Find out why he's getting rid of it after only 3 months.

The carfax checked out. Turns out he is a car sales person and he says he wants something sportier. I stalked him on FB and he does appear to be a sporty twenty something. We'll see.

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #18 on: August 09, 2013, 03:39:25 PM »
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3979798602.html

Whoops!

He is getting 42.5 mpg. I can get that in my 98 Honda Civic hatchback, and I only paid $2650 for mine. Plus I can do all the service myself, parts are very cheap. Civic sedans will can get upper 38's easily too for around $3000. I don't see a good reason to spend 9,000 on a Prius.

Depends on how your drive it.  Hubby has a lead foot, and I would cringe whenever he drove it, he would kill my 51 MPG average.  I doubt he ever got more than 30 MPG driving it, he's a bit more of a "proactive" (aggressive) driver than I am.  Also depends on if you are using it mostly for Highway or Street.  The car is made for commutes w/lots of stop and go traffic.

The Prius advertised looks good, but something doesn't feel quite right to me, especially w/all those exclamation points.  Do your due diligence, have a mechanic look it over. Find out why he's getting rid of it after only 3 months.

The carfax checked out. Turns out he is a car sales person and he says he wants something sportier. I stalked him on FB and he does appear to be a sporty twenty something. We'll see.

I generally shy away from 'dealers' selling cars on the side, in the 'by owner' section. Just be weary.

I still would not put down 9k on that car. I would be doing a Civic sedan for half the price. Thats JMHO.

madmax

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #19 on: August 09, 2013, 04:28:55 PM »
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3979798602.html

Whoops!

He is getting 42.5 mpg. I can get that in my 98 Honda Civic hatchback, and I only paid $2650 for mine. Plus I can do all the service myself, parts are very cheap. Civic sedans will can get upper 38's easily too for around $3000. I don't see a good reason to spend 9,000 on a Prius.

Depends on how your drive it.  Hubby has a lead foot, and I would cringe whenever he drove it, he would kill my 51 MPG average.  I doubt he ever got more than 30 MPG driving it, he's a bit more of a "proactive" (aggressive) driver than I am.  Also depends on if you are using it mostly for Highway or Street.  The car is made for commutes w/lots of stop and go traffic.

The Prius advertised looks good, but something doesn't feel quite right to me, especially w/all those exclamation points.  Do your due diligence, have a mechanic look it over. Find out why he's getting rid of it after only 3 months.

The carfax checked out. Turns out he is a car sales person and he says he wants something sportier. I stalked him on FB and he does appear to be a sporty twenty something. We'll see.

I generally shy away from 'dealers' selling cars on the side, in the 'by owner' section. Just be weary.

I still would not put down 9k on that car. I would be doing a Civic sedan for half the price. Thats JMHO.

Comparing a 98 Civic to a 2004 Prius isn't exactly a fair comparison even though the Civic is a very Mustachian car as well.

Civic MPG: 27/34
Prius MPG: 48/45

The Civic did poorly in crash tests (source NHTSA ratings). The Prius also benefits from more airbags, traction control, tire pressure monitoring and some other advancements in safety technology.

A 98 Civic will probably need a timing belt and a water pump unless the previous owner replaced these. The Prius has a timing chain and the brakes last forever due to regenerative braking (I've seen 200k+ Prii with original brakes on Prius chat forums). The hybrid battery should also last for the lifetime of the car.

I would pick the Prius over the Civic in a heartbeat considering the above.


Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #20 on: August 12, 2013, 08:16:56 AM »
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3979798602.html

Whoops!

He is getting 42.5 mpg. I can get that in my 98 Honda Civic hatchback, and I only paid $2650 for mine. Plus I can do all the service myself, parts are very cheap. Civic sedans will can get upper 38's easily too for around $3000. I don't see a good reason to spend 9,000 on a Prius.

Depends on how your drive it.  Hubby has a lead foot, and I would cringe whenever he drove it, he would kill my 51 MPG average.  I doubt he ever got more than 30 MPG driving it, he's a bit more of a "proactive" (aggressive) driver than I am.  Also depends on if you are using it mostly for Highway or Street.  The car is made for commutes w/lots of stop and go traffic.

The Prius advertised looks good, but something doesn't feel quite right to me, especially w/all those exclamation points.  Do your due diligence, have a mechanic look it over. Find out why he's getting rid of it after only 3 months.

The carfax checked out. Turns out he is a car sales person and he says he wants something sportier. I stalked him on FB and he does appear to be a sporty twenty something. We'll see.

I generally shy away from 'dealers' selling cars on the side, in the 'by owner' section. Just be weary.

I still would not put down 9k on that car. I would be doing a Civic sedan for half the price. Thats JMHO.

Comparing a 98 Civic to a 2004 Prius isn't exactly a fair comparison even though the Civic is a very Mustachian car as well.

Civic MPG: 27/34
Prius MPG: 48/45

The Civic did poorly in crash tests (source NHTSA ratings). The Prius also benefits from more airbags, traction control, tire pressure monitoring and some other advancements in safety technology.

A 98 Civic will probably need a timing belt and a water pump unless the previous owner replaced these. The Prius has a timing chain and the brakes last forever due to regenerative braking (I've seen 200k+ Prii with original brakes on Prius chat forums). The hybrid battery should also last for the lifetime of the car.

I would pick the Prius over the Civic in a heartbeat considering the above.

Timing belts, water pumps, brakes, all are very cheap to purchase and can be done in your driveway. The Prius, when it breaks down, will be expensive to fix.

I suppose you have to take into account how much cash you have for a car purchase. If you don't have much, Honda's are great. If you have the cash, then the Prius seems worthy assuming the batteries hold out.

moostachio

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #21 on: August 12, 2013, 10:46:04 AM »
I have thought about buying a used Prius also.  BUT the big question I have is what it would cost if the batteries go belly up.  All of a sudden that 50 mpg is severely humbled by a typical 4 cylinder upper 30's mpg sedan like a Corolla, Civic, Sentra etc.... I suggest this is the most overwhelming decision fact.  I would go to several Toyota dealers and ask at the service desk what kind of life the batteries have, what are the guarantees for batteries, are warrantees transferrable, what are the replacement costs of the batteries etc...

Be interesting to know the actual replacement cost of the batteries.

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #22 on: August 12, 2013, 10:58:58 AM »
I have thought about buying a used Prius also.  BUT the big question I have is what it would cost if the batteries go belly up.  All of a sudden that 50 mpg is severely humbled by a typical 4 cylinder upper 30's mpg sedan like a Corolla, Civic, Sentra etc.... I suggest this is the most overwhelming decision fact.  I would go to several Toyota dealers and ask at the service desk what kind of life the batteries have, what are the guarantees for batteries, are warrantees transferrable, what are the replacement costs of the batteries etc...

Be interesting to know the actual replacement cost of the batteries.

I would look at the data and see how long they are holding out. Also, the weight could be a factor, you might see less than 30 hauling the extra weight perhaps.

Hunny156

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #23 on: August 12, 2013, 11:04:50 AM »
I have thought about buying a used Prius also.  BUT the big question I have is what it would cost if the batteries go belly up.  All of a sudden that 50 mpg is severely humbled by a typical 4 cylinder upper 30's mpg sedan like a Corolla, Civic, Sentra etc.... I suggest this is the most overwhelming decision fact.  I would go to several Toyota dealers and ask at the service desk what kind of life the batteries have, what are the guarantees for batteries, are warrantees transferrable, what are the replacement costs of the batteries etc...

Be interesting to know the actual replacement cost of the batteries.

I've heard this same worry, even from mechanics!  I personally believe it's one of those things where a rumor got out of control, even though there is plenty of data to support the opposite theory.

When I bought the car new in '06, they said IF I needed to replace the battery, it would be $5K.  We bought the car when the full rebate was in effect, so that negated most of the risk.  Not to mention my non-mustachian commute at the time, so we saved a ton of money between the maintenance and the gas.

Recently, I've heard that the cost to replace a Prius battery was about $2,500.  When my Prius was totalled, I was still getting a full charge on it, 6 years about 115K miles into it.

prodarwin

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #24 on: August 12, 2013, 11:06:44 AM »
Do some research.  The batteries last a LONG time (warrantied to 150k in CA) and are around $1000 to replace with a refurb pack.  I bet if you search your local CL for a Prius, you'll even see an ad or two about replacing the battery pack.

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/20/toyota-prius-ass-kicker-or-trouble-maker/

Quote
But don’t tell anyone else – these battery rumors and other unfounded fears are surely some of the things that are driving down the cost of the used Prius to the current bargain levels. Five dollar gasoline will probably exert the opposite effect whenever it arrives, so get ‘em while the getting is good.

Also, I'd love to see you guys get a consistent upper 30s mpg in my last 2 commutes without some crazy hypermiling.  The only time any of the "upper 30s mpg sedans" actually get those numbers is in highway use.

The average for a 1998 Civic is 31.4mpg:  http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civic/1998
The average for a 2004 Prius is 45.8mpg:  http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/prius/2004

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #25 on: August 12, 2013, 11:16:25 AM »
Good points. You can always buy used batteries or refurbed ones. I'm sure even new ones are made by 3rd party manufactures.

About the Civic. Mine is a hatch. I modified it some, but I do 90% city driving and my last 2 tanks I averaged: 38 and 34. If I did a tank of 100% highway I would get 42-45 tops. Still, not bad for a cheap little car. If you have the cash in your budget, sounds like the Prius is not a bad choice either.

moostachio

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #26 on: August 14, 2013, 10:45:07 AM »
Even if one assumes the real mileage for mixed driving is 31.4 for a Civic and 45.8 for a Prius.  Assuming you drive it for 100,000 miles:

100,000/45.8= 3184 gallons of gas for the Civic vs 2183 gallons for the Prius at $3.50/gallon that is $3500 in fuel savings. 

This savings is offset by:
1) The purchase price of the Prius is likely higher
2) If the batteries were to be replaced at say 150,000 miles and they cost between 1000 and 5000 dollars
3) If you are driving out of the highway most of the time the gas savings differential will be less.
4) If it takes you 5 years + to put on the 100,000 miles gas will go up giving more points to the Prius side of things.

It is not overwhelmingly clear that the Prius presents better value.  A small diesel would be even more competition for the Prius.

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #27 on: August 14, 2013, 11:13:52 AM »

The carfax checked out. Turns out he is a car sales person and he says he wants something sportier. I stalked him on FB and he does appear to be a sporty twenty something. We'll see.

How'd it go? We have a 2006 Prius and absolutely love it. We've had it since 2009 (bought it when Toyota was having PR troubles, so we got a good deal!) and it has just over 100k miles on it now. When I drove 60 miles/day on the highway for work, I consistently got 40 MPGs. It was such a savior when I had that long commute, and I love how it drives compared to our 99 Corolla -- much higher off the ground and the seats are more comfortable. I love the amount of space it has, too -- both leg room and in the trunk.

When we bought ours, the dealership was giving us a rigamarole about having an outside mechanic look at it because it's electric and they didn't want the mechanic hurting himself. What a load of crap! Just be sure to have your mechanic check it out before you buy it.

Good luck!

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #28 on: August 14, 2013, 11:18:11 AM »

The carfax checked out. Turns out he is a car sales person and he says he wants something sportier. I stalked him on FB and he does appear to be a sporty twenty something. We'll see.

How'd it go? We have a 2006 Prius and absolutely love it. We've had it since 2009 (bought it when Toyota was having PR troubles, so we got a good deal!) and it has just over 100k miles on it now. When I drove 60 miles/day on the highway for work, I consistently got 40 MPGs. It was such a savior when I had that long commute, and I love how it drives compared to our 99 Corolla -- much higher off the ground and the seats are more comfortable. I love the amount of space it has, too -- both leg room and in the trunk.

When we bought ours, the dealership was giving us a rigamarole about having an outside mechanic look at it because it's electric and they didn't want the mechanic hurting himself. What a load of crap! Just be sure to have your mechanic check it out before you buy it.

Good luck!

I got skittish about why he was selling it after only driving it for three months. And I'm not in a hurry. But, I am pretty sold on a Prius, so it's just a matter of time. It really helps that my back isn't up against a wall. I don't need a car right now (we're functioning just fine with only one). However, when school starts back up for the kids it will get logistically more annoying since I'll have to take the Hubs to work after we drop the kids off from school then I'll have to pick him back up again. We could also investigate public transportation options for him to get home at night until its cool enough for him to consider biking. We'll see. Point being, I'm in no hurry. :)

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #29 on: September 14, 2013, 10:27:39 PM »
Thanks everyone who commented on this thread. I drove home my new-to-me Prius today. I ended up getting a 2007 with 98k miles for $11.4k. One owner, with a most excellent service history. Plus, the previous owner left some CDs in the car. So I also now own music by Eric Clapton, Norah Jones and Michael Buble.

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #30 on: September 16, 2013, 11:45:38 AM »
Thanks everyone who commented on this thread. I drove home my new-to-me Prius today. I ended up getting a 2007 with 98k miles for $11.4k. One owner, with a most excellent service history. Plus, the previous owner left some CDs in the car. So I also now own music by Eric Clapton, Norah Jones and Michael Buble.

Congrats. I hope you return those CD's..... I've done that before and the new owners seem to just keep them, even though I wanted them back.

kendallf

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #31 on: September 16, 2013, 12:23:03 PM »
Thanks everyone who commented on this thread. I drove home my new-to-me Prius today. I ended up getting a 2007 with 98k miles for $11.4k. One owner, with a most excellent service history. Plus, the previous owner left some CDs in the car. So I also now own music by Eric Clapton, Norah Jones and Michael Buble.

Congrats. I hope you return those CD's..... I've done that before and the new owners seem to just keep them, even though I wanted them back.

That Michael Buble might've been a deal killer for me.

We have one 2007 Prius, bought for my wife at the beginning of this year.  I paid $14k if I recall correctly; probably a bit much but it was a very low mile car (58k) with good service records.  We've been super happy with it so far.

My daughter just graduated from college (yes!) and got a job (yes again!) but it's 30 miles from home (not so great...)  We are going to look for a Prius for her this week.

kkbmustang

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #32 on: September 16, 2013, 05:15:36 PM »
Thanks everyone who commented on this thread. I drove home my new-to-me Prius today. I ended up getting a 2007 with 98k miles for $11.4k. One owner, with a most excellent service history. Plus, the previous owner left some CDs in the car. So I also now own music by Eric Clapton, Norah Jones and Michael Buble.

Congrats. I hope you return those CD's..... I've done that before and the new owners seem to just keep them, even though I wanted them back.

You know I didn't even think about that because we got the car from a stealership, but you are absolutely right. I will email them. Because, Dave Matthews Band got discovered today too.

madmax

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #33 on: September 16, 2013, 09:49:45 PM »
Congratulations! I did some research about preventative maintenance for the Gen 2 online and found this:

http://lusciousgarage.com/blog/comments/prius_battery_cooling_fan_cleaning/

Quote
Nevertheless these two events spawned a shop conscience on battery fan cleaning, since the fan is the only service item that can affect pack life.  After speaking with other Prius techs in the field, and based on our experience with taxis, a 60,000 mile interval was chosen.  We are therefore changing our “Every 30k Mile Service” to a 30/90k, and combining battery fan cleaning with the regular 30k to make a 60/120k Mile Service.

Getting it done next week. :)

Mr.Macinstache

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #34 on: September 17, 2013, 07:26:45 AM »
Thanks everyone who commented on this thread. I drove home my new-to-me Prius today. I ended up getting a 2007 with 98k miles for $11.4k. One owner, with a most excellent service history. Plus, the previous owner left some CDs in the car. So I also now own music by Eric Clapton, Norah Jones and Michael Buble.

Congrats. I hope you return those CD's..... I've done that before and the new owners seem to just keep them, even though I wanted them back.

You know I didn't even think about that because we got the car from a stealership, but you are absolutely right. I will email them. Because, Dave Matthews Band got discovered today too.

Oh, doubtful the dealer would go through the trouble of finding the old owner.... I thought you bought from a private seller.

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: Prius Questions
« Reply #35 on: September 17, 2013, 12:44:40 PM »
Thanks everyone who commented on this thread. I drove home my new-to-me Prius today. I ended up getting a 2007 with 98k miles for $11.4k. One owner, with a most excellent service history. Plus, the previous owner left some CDs in the car. So I also now own music by Eric Clapton, Norah Jones and Michael Buble.

Congratulations!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!