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Which Prius V should I buy?

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by Jaya Love, Jun 15, 2018.

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  1. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    0FE265CA-0A09-4C4D-B6F4-DE173838179C.jpeg Silver 2012 Prius V3 126k miles for $9,500 or 2014 Red Prius V3 136k for $10k? Both might be a little bit negotiable.

    Both private original owner sale. Both maintained well w receipts. Silver one has a few small pea sized dings from vandalism.

    I think I remember it’s better to get newer in years for hybrid battery life?
     

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  2. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    See attached file for red prius
     
  3. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    2014 for sure including better crash test results. I would have Toyota check out your choice prior to signing. I would want to keep it under 200k miles for the expected ownership period. Or else get a signicantly lower mileage car.
     
    #3 rjparker, Jun 15, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2018
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  4. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    Interesting! When I read on Edmunds’s website they said that the bodies are exactly the same from 2012 to 2014?
     
  5. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    A lot of my nonhybrid driving friends of course are discouraging me from getting a Prius because of high repair costs and hybrid battery replacement also. The other two I am looking at are in a Toyota matrix and Honda fit. I like the Prius gas mileage and cargo capacity though because I am a single mom with one child and also a musician that sometimes carries gear to gigs.
     
  6. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    I’m thinking because both of these cars are in the bay area California where the weather is very mild that the hybrid batteries are probably in pretty darn good shape though. Any tips for what to look for for a close to dying battery would be greatly appreciated.
     
  7. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Only a dealer or a hybrid shop like Luscious Garage in SF gcould give you an educated opinion on the battery condition. Rule of thumb, expect to buy a rebuilt or new battery sometime after 200 k.
     
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  8. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    So are the bodies actually different from 2012 to 2014 on the Prius V? Edmunds reviews say they are the same. (Referring to your crash test comment)
     
  9. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Personally I do like the Silver color.
     
    #9 rjparker, Jun 15, 2018
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  10. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Check iihs.org and safercar.gov for crash test ratings. Of interest is the small overlap test result which provided a challenge to vehicle manufacturers...
     
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  11. lostinheadguy

    lostinheadguy Junior Member

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    Yes. The changes to the crash structure were made for the 2015 model year along with the styling / instrument panel refresh.

    I personally would go with that 2014, even though it has more miles, because these batteries tend to degrade more with age than they do miles on the odometer, and because I don't like to purchase the first model year of a car. You'll probably get 9 months to a year out of the rest of the hybrid system warranty in case of problems. You'll want to have the condition of the car checked out at a mechanic before you buy it. If the seller won't play ball, you shouldn't buy it.

    As for the other cars? They're perfectly fine. If you had to choose between them I'd get the Matrix because the cargo area is a bit larger and it's covered in tough plastic. EDIT: The Pontiac Vibe is also a good choice, it's a Matrix with a different body.
     
    #11 lostinheadguy, Jun 15, 2018
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  12. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    Yes Pontiac vibe is on the list for sure! I just drove a Prius V and then a matrix The matrix felt like a little turd car compared to the Prius V, and even compared to the Prius that I drive normally. It’s amazing how much suspension and build quality there is in the Prius compared to a really cheap car like the matrix. I’m going to check out the 2015 Honda fit and a 2011 one and then will make up my mind which car I want. Definitely leaning towards the Prius V and the 2014
     
  13. li le

    li le Junior Member

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    The V has a lot of luggage space , did you know rear seats moves forward to gain more space and tilt 15 degrees
     
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  14. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    Yep. Def the best for space. And awesome for my 6 year old in the back seats
     
  15. taxibuddy

    taxibuddy Member

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    If it's an economic decision, listen to your friends and get the Fit, Matrix, or Vibe. If it's about love, then do what your heart tells you, but get the prices down. The Prius v is a weird car to fall in love with. It's not particularly pleasant to drive, and it's hard to work on. Things that are simple in other cars like flashers are not so simple in the highly-integrated v.

    In addition to the potential cost of a replace traction battery, there are other high cost repairs on the Prius for things you wouldn't expect like the brake system. The engine also has some well known weaknesses that you can read about on these forums and its working pretty hard as compared to, say, the Camry hybrid which gets similar fuel economy and is far more refined though lacks the cargo space of the v.

    I bought a 2014 this year with about 160k miles (about 65k on the traction battery) but I paid less than half of the prices you listed. The tradeoff was my car had seen harsh duty as a cab. I'm hoping to get about 50k on it to make it a worthy purchase. I had hoped to only pay about $2500 for it but there was too much competition at the auction. Not because people wanted them to drive, but because other taxi operators needed them for parts.

    If you have "car fever", just try to delay as long as you can. The prices will probably improve during you delay and if the fever passes you might find the other options look more attractive.
     
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  16. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    Thanks for all this info! The things you said about the v being hard to work on, is that the case with the c and liftback also? Similarly, the second paragraph where you talked about the weakness of the engine, is that for al Priis?
     
  17. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    All Prius have a tight under hood area, to provide more passenger/cargo room. The 1.8 liter engine in the Liftback has had some head gasket issues. Some suspect the EGR system, which is slightly different in the v.
     
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  18. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    ok thanks. and the 1.8 liter in the liftback is the same engine as in the c?
     
  19. lostinheadguy

    lostinheadguy Junior Member

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    The liftback and the v wagon use the 1.8L. The c hatchback uses a 1.5L engine that is of a similar design to that found in the first- and second-gen Prius models, as well as the Yaris.

    The reason why the v wagon comes across as "unpleasant" is because it's the 1.8L liftback powertrain in a larger vehicle, so it has to work harder than the liftback to accelerate and maintain speed.
     
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  20. Jaya Love

    Jaya Love Junior Member

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    thanks so much!