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should i trade? Scion xb vs. Prius...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by TheGREN, Aug 26, 2011.

  1. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    Compared to his Scion or another Japanese or Korean car under $30k that is true, but not compared to European brands - over the years we have had Volvos, VW's and BMW's and all have cost a small fortune to have work done.


     
  2. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    Pessimistic gas numbers say 20000kmi/yr * $3/gallon ( 1/26mpg - 1/40mpg ) = $807.69 savings per year. The savings would be more if gas remains high, you are at the higher end of your annual mileage estimate or you can get the Prius mileage. Over a 5 year period, even if (or when) you have to replace the battery you should save money.

    However, your risk is not knowing the real state of the car and you cash flow. If you knew the Prius was in good shape and if you knew you could get a cheap loan for an expensive repair, should it happen, it would probably still be worth it.

    Do bear in mind that the 2nd Gen Prius battery can be replaced for much less than the dealer price with a rebuilt salvage battery.

    If you had the bankroll to take the risk I'd suggest going for it. But you wouldn't be asking, would you? ;) But given that even pessimistic gas savings look good enough to cover the most likely expensive cost, I'd be leaning towards it.

    So, the issues are whether you can borrow at a reasonable rate to pay for an expensive repair (or repairs if it turns out the Prius is a complete dud).

    Make sure you get a good, long test drive in the Prius. Ideally, you want it to be examined by another Prius technician. (If there's an independent Prius tech in your area it would be ideal). Also, be prepared to spend money on precautionary maintenance if you get it: many people will have fluids changed as soon as they buy, just in case the previous owner didn't look after the car properly.

    Even if you don't get that Prius, you could probably save on gas consumption with your current car by changing driving habits. Hypermiling sites like CleanMPG.com (disclosure: I'm a moderator there) can help you be a more efficient driver. Saving gas on your current car would help you improve your bankroll to give you more ability to take a long-term view and get a Prius in the future.
     
  3. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Hmm, lot of pessimistic opinions here. I've had a 2005 Prius for about 2 years and taken it from 65,000km (as purchased) to 130,000km. Done nothing but change oil (and inspect coolant levels and the one serpentine belt) every six months. Have saved about $3300 in fuel compared to the Camry it replaced. No complaints here.

    I really don't think gas prices are going down any time soon so there is potential under more optimistic assumptions for the OP to save up to $2000 a year.

    The other thing to remember is that although the Prius has some very expensive to repair failures they are also quite rare failures. And many other routine maintenance items on the Prius are far less frequent than most regular cars. The transmission and brakes on the Prius are likely to go a very long time with minimal maintenance. Case in point - I'm not sure if he's had to change them yet (400 kmiles) but as of 300 kmiles 2fast4u was still on his *original brake pads!. That's just mind bending.

    See: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/79235-299-999-mile-club-34.html
     
  4. TheGREN

    TheGREN New Member

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    anyone have access to a car fax report? I was planning on asking the dealer for it, but if someone has access to one now, and wouldn't mind... let me know!

    Thanks so much for the input so far. I'm leaning towards it more and more...but barely. I just keep saying to myself, both cars are out of warranty... so any major repairs are bound to hurt the bank roll... and with salvaged parts available... either way will cost about the same (I hope)... Should be going tomorrow morning to check it out... if not tuesday..

    any advice as to what to listen to or look for (pink fluid i know).. other than that.. keep in mind.. mechanic=NOT me
     
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well the thing about the cash flow worries me. As with any older car (Toyota or not), you need to set money aside for unexpected repairs. The Prius would have 7,400 miles left on its hybrid warranty (it's warranted for 8 years OR 100,000 miles). A new HV battery is $2,100 plus labour (the last time I checked a few years ago so the price of the battery may have come down, esp now that it's being used in more vehicles like the Prius v and probably in the Prius c too).

    Even with the "high" mileage, the engine's barely broken in (You've heard of Toyota engines running well over 200,000 miles and considering that in a Prius, the engine isn't running for all of its 92,000 mile life, it's safe to say it's still pretty new). You may have to get a few maintenance items done per the maintenance schedule (engine/inverter coolant comes to mind and I'm not sure if the transaxle fluid needs changing around then).

    There is no power steering fluid because it's electrically assisted so you save money there. The brakes are also probably new unless the previous owner drove like Schummacher. You probably won't have to replace the brakes til you replace the car.

    You would be wise to use the savings in fuel to save up for repairs. If they don't occur, well then you're up! If they do, then you'll break even but would've consumed less oil and polluted a lot less.
     
  6. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    looking at your avg annual mileage you probably not going to see much benefit from switching to Prius. Besides your car has no problem and as is now prices on Prii are still inflated, you'd better wait, just an opinion.
     
  7. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    Read his post. He's writing about a car swap, an equal value trade from his 2006 xB to a high-mileage 2005 Prius.