Can you please give me advice? Should I buy this Prius?

If you don't drive it much, then it may not make sense financially.

I would try to find more information about the condition of the vehicle, like exactly what type of damage it sustained in the "minor accident" and how good the owner cared for it (maintenance).

You could also just buy any sort of decent used car for like $4k.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy it if I drive very little - since I think more about the return on investment.

I may consider buying it, assuming the car is in very good condition and well-maintained.

Also, if the majority of your trips are short trips (less then 5 miles), you may not get the mileage that you are expecting.

 

Bob64 is correct about the stort distance trips = low MPG, but if you want one because you like the hybrid technology, go for it. As for the asking price, every dealer marks up every used car to the price they 'hope' they can get from an non-savy car buyer. Go to edmunds.com and kbb.com (Kelley Blue Book) and get the private party price as well as the trade in values. I would never concider paying even private party price to a dealer because A: I'll have to pay tax for a car from a dealer (at least in my state) and B: I know he has thousands less in the car than 'asking' price. If you want to find out about what your dealer paid for it, call them and tell them you have a 2007 Prius with about 80,000 miles on it and want to know about how much it's worth towards purchasing a new Prius AND how much under sticker price they are willing to sell the new car for. KBB trade in value on that car in my area in 'good' condition is $9,650 and private party price in 'good' condition is $11,600. So priced at $12,888, the dealership looks to have plenty of room for negotiation. (Prices in your area may be differant)

 

I think I have to agree with Bob, that if you won't be driving it much, there's no bang-for-the-buck return. It's probably a great car. But only 2-4k miles per year? I seriously think I'd consider a used full-size SUV like a Sequoia or Suburban or some such animal. You will get much more vehicle for your $$, and won't see the R.O.I. for the premium you will be paying for the Hybrid. If you like smaller cars, I have seen 2007 Corollas with under 10k miles for that same money, just gotta look around a bit. You will still get great MPG but your car will be much less "used". Anyway, best of luck with your decision!

 

Alternatively, since you're low mileage, you could also get something a little more interesting to drive (like a Miata, or a WRX since you live in Michigan)

 

Look around a bit more. You should be able to find one for a similar price without the accident damage if you're worried about it.

The mileage on the car isn't anything to worry about - with the amount of driving you do anything less than 100k miles will be fine. Could even get one with more miles - just means they were mostly highway miles which are easy on the car.

If you're crazy about hybrid tech, you'll love the Prius.

 

I would not recommend the used Prius. If you want long term reliability and cheap operating expenses, look for a 1-3 year old Corolla or Camry. You could easily go into your local Toyota dealer and test drive a new one (or a used one) in order to see which you prefer.

After the test drive, go home, do some research on the cars and prices --- then you can start to formulate a good decision.

 

You keep mentioning high mileage. Actually, that isn't high mileage for a Prius. Many commercial operators we hear from on the board are seeing 300,000 miles (taxi services). The taxi guys like them because of low total life cycle cost. Not only do they save gas, but they are one of the most reliable cars on the road.

At around 80K miles the traction battery, for instance, is still under warranty (to 100K, I believe). The hybrid parts have proven to be very reliable, including the battery. The most common issues are the 12V battery (very small, only used to boot up the system and might need replacement more often than a "normal" 12V battery) and the water pump for the traction battery (it's water cooled) - at least from what I've seen on the board.

With the car you are looking at, I'd be more interested in how well the damage was repaired than the current mileage. You didn't mention the package level. The Prius came in "levels" indicating the options. I believe most were level II like mine. Do you know what the car has in the way of options? The level has an affect on pricing.

 

.... ahhhh, Waterford..... my old stomping grounds where I grew up and lived for many years.
Just from what you've mentioned in previous posts, I'd steer clear of the local one that was in the accident. That's not to say it may not be a great and trouble-free car, but you will always have that doubt in the back of your mind, and probably some buyer's remorse as well. Just wait until you find the "right" one, and you will be more confident and happy in your purchase.

Just be sure to check KBB for a guidline in pricing used ones you look at. I would also highly recommend getting a CarFax or AutoCheck account (unless you already got one), which for around $35 will let you run any VIN for a complete background check. I used AutoCheck last time, because I think I got 60 days unlimited checks, and at the time a CarFax account was only 30 days.

 

Best of luck in your patient search, I'm sure you will find just the right one.

 

There are 2 batteries - the "traction" battery is the one that runs the electric motors to assist the ICE (internal combustion engine) or to run the car by itself if the ICE isn't on (when in EV, or Electric Vehicle mode). There is also a small 12V battery that is used to bring up the computers and to switch on the main or traction battery.

The "big" battery is a little over 200 volts DC. It runs through an inverter that brings the current up to a little over 500 volts AC. It is this voltage that runs the drive motors. Also, the inverter drops current from the 200 VDC to 12 VDC to run the "normal" car components (lights, stereo, etc.).

The air conditioner is run by electricity like one in a house (kinda like a window unit). It will, therefore, work with the ICE off since it doesn't use the spinning gasoline engine to turn its compressor like in a conventional car.

Heat is still provided by engine coolant heated by the ICE as in a conventional car. However, the Gen II Prius uses a thermos to store engine coolant when it is heated to help start the engine later in a warm state to reduce emissions. I believe it also makes the heater work faster here in Colorado (where it was 2 degrees F when I came to work this AM). :smow:

 

Go to http://www.toyotaownersonline.com/index.html where, after you register, you can add a VIN & see service history. Toyota did lower the price to compete with the Insight. Once they found it wasn't any competition the price was increased & it will increase again in February. There isn't much correlation between a new car's price & a used car price. For some time a used Prius would cost as much or more than a new one. Personally, I disagree about the rental. Renters tend to have no regard for the car compared to an owner so I would expect more abuse & high mileage. Again, what is the package? I suspect a fleet vehicle would be a lower package. Personally, sheet metal or cosmetic damage would bother me less than irregular or no maintenance. Option packages for 2008 with notable differences:

1--no backup camera
2--single CD player
3-6--autodimming mirror, 6 disc CD
4-6--fog lights & HID headlights
5-6--NAV unit
6--leather

The 2 sounds like a low end package but it is a well equipped car as higher end options from prior years migrated down. The camera is useful so I wouldn't get a car without one. You can't bundle 2 cars together. What is the price of the 2008 & what are they offering for your trade? You may also need to read www.carbuyingtips.com.