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Advice on Buying a Used 2007 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Trevorange, Mar 6, 2018.

  1. Trevorange

    Trevorange New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2018
    3
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    Location:
    NYC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hi all,

    I'm hoping to buy a relatively inexpensive used Prius that will mostly be used to drive from NYC to CT on the weekends. I'm just beginning my search but was told that this forum was a great starting point.

    These are the cars I'm currently considering (unfortunately since I haven't posted 4 times yet I cannot share the links, but will do so once I meet that threshold):
    • 2007 for $4k w/ 128k miles.
    • 2009 for $4k w/ 201k miles (like the color, year, and price, but concerned about the miles).
    • 2008 for $6k w/ 97k miles.
    In addition to checking the accident history and full-service record of the cars, is there anything else I should consider before moving forward? I imagine battery life (if these are all the original batteries) will be the biggest concern?

    Thanks for any help and advice!
     
  2. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2017
    1,148
    1,171
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    Location:
    Western Massachusetts
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Welcome to PC.

    I just bought a 2007 with 175K for $3400. It was a one (meticulous) owner car in very good shape. It took me a long time to find it. Most other cars were either in bad shape or way more money. I would say that miles are less important than the condition of the car and the traction battery. Drive all three cars and see which drives smoother, quieter and just feels better to you. It's really hard to recommend a choice. You need to figure out how much you are willing to spend. I would go with the plan that includes having $2500 in savings after buying the car to pay for a new battery if and when it becomes necessary.
     
    k1ngn0thing, dolj and Aaron Vitolins like this.
  3. Trevorange

    Trevorange New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2018
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    Location:
    NYC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Great, thanks for the info! Is there anything I should be checking with the battery before I buy? Or is it just a crapshoot after a certain amount of years? I'm planning on test driving a few this weekend.
     
  4. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2017
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    Location:
    Western Massachusetts
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    It's kind of a crapshoot, but the ones with more miles tend to have better batteries (if the battery is still original). Definitely, the gas mileage tells a big part of the story. In colder weather the mileage drops a good bit, but with current temps around NYC you should be seeing mid-40's without much effort and more if driven with certain techniques (described elsewhere on this forum in great detail). If the owner is honest and tells you they've been getting mid 30's, that may very well be the battery. Not 100% of the time, but a good chance of it. The best way to buy a Gen 2 Prius at this point in time is to really be financially ready to replace the battery. It may be a few years in the future, but it's probably going to become necessary soon. The good news is that these cars are very reliable and with a new battery you may get another 10 years out of it at mid-high 40's MPG. Some other maintenance and wear and tear items do go on them, but in general these are very well built vehicles.

    Good luck!

    P.S. The battery replacement is also dropping in cost somewhat. I believe Toyota dropped the prices of a new battery this year and also there is a very good third party option offered by a member here on PC for about $1800 and you keep your old battery. In case of Toyota original you need to return the old modules for a core charge. If you keep the old modules you can sell them on a used market and recover some of that $1800. There is also a method of replacing Just the bad modules in your old pack, but that is becoming less and less cost effective as the used modules are getting older. The longevity of such repair is not great, usually.
     
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  5. Tommy needs a car

    Tommy needs a car New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2018
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    Location:
    Luton, UK
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I am in a vaguely similar situation myself - am intending to test drive a couple of 2007 Prii tomorrow. I have never driven a hybrid before so would value any tips on what to look out for in a test drive. Anything particular on the screen that would be good to note? It will probably be a fairly short test in an urban environment - maybe not ideal but there's not much I can do about that.

    Naturally I'm keen for any indication of the state of the battery. Someone mentioned comparing to see which drives quieter - so is that a case of how much the petrol engine needs to come on indicating how much 'help' the battery needs?

    Both cars are advertised with (part or full) Toyota dealership service history - I guess I would err on the side of paying slightly more for the full dealer history. Is there anything particular I should ask said dealers - e.g. has 'xxx' been done?

    Thanks
     
  6. Trevorange

    Trevorange New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2018
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    Location:
    NYC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    This is all incredibly helpful information, thanks again!