Help with used prius

In the USA, the Prius has been sold in three generations. There were big improvements between the Gen I and Gen II. The Gen II went through some mid generation improvements, so if it were me, I would limit my search to 2006 and newer. The mileage differences between the Gen II and Gen III are minor. As you would expect, the Gen III gets a bit better mileage, and has a tad bit more power, but both generations are good cars.

The traction battery normally lasts for years and years, with some taxi cabs having been driven for over 200,000 miles on the same battery. The batteries last longer than an automatic transmission, and are cheaper to replace. It's not a big worry. If you do have replace one, they are a few thousand dollars from the dealer, but the few owners who have purchased replacements usually buy a salvaged or rebuilt battery, which can get the cost down to a few hundred. You don't need to worry about the battery.

Tom

 

2009 will give you the best reliability. It had all the bugs worked out after 6 years of production. 2010 was the start of a brand new model and thus has more issues, some of which have been worked out in 2011 cars, but gets a small improvement in mileage. We are talking maybe 50 mpg in 04-09 vs. 55 mpg in 10-11, however. Plan on the HV battery lasting as long as your typical major component (engine, transmission), typically 150,000+ miles AND 8+ years. The transmission (transaxle) should last the life of the car with regular fluid changes.

Test drive a few cars of the two different model types and buy the one that feels the best. Look for smart key in 04-09 cars, that is a must-have.

Tell your friend to advertise his insight on insightcentral.net, rather than trading it in. Is the transmission the manual or CVT?

 

Gen 2 Prius 2004 to 2009 are reliable cars, there was a 2006 refresh, so 2006 to 2009 are slightly better.
EPA figures for the Gen 2 Prius: 48 mpg city driving, 45 mpg highway driving, 46 mpg combined

Gen 3 Prius are faster with better Gas Mileage 2010 Model year and beyond, there will be a refresh in 2012.
EPA figures for the Gen 3 Prius: 51 mpg city driving, 48 mpg highway driving, 50 mpg combined.

The more you use the car, the longer the battery lasts. In your state, it has a 100,000 mile warranty. Full retail is about $2500 but bad dealers have been known to charge much more, get a quote before you commit. Rebuilt can be under $1800, used starts about $500.

Remanufactured Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs

prius battery -control -inverter -block -wir | eBay

 

No, I don't mention the transmission. The Prius does not have an automatic transmission in the normal sense. I was comparing the risk and cost of a battery failure to the risk and cost of an automatic transmission in a normal car. My point was that people worry about battery failure in a Prius, but generally don't worry about the automatic in a normal car, even though the risk of an expensive failure is larger. It comes down to fear of the unknown.

Tom

 

The Prius does not have a CVT transmission. Toyota calls it a eCVT in some sales literature as it appears to the driver to be a CVT.
The actual transmission has only one gear, has no clutch you can operate, and all 'shifting' is just software. (Even reverse and neutral are just software) So far as I know, the main way to break the transmission is to use the wrong fluid, as the electric motors react badly to a conducting fluid. Change the fluid when scheduled (or before, if you are paranoid like me) for the same reason, to keep it non conductive.

Here is a simulator of an early Prius transmission, later engines and transmissions have higher redlines.
http://www.wind.sannet.ne.jp/m_matsu/prius/ThsSimu/index_i18n.html?Language=en?Country=US

Should you really want to worry, if you use jumper cables badly you can do multiple thousands of dollars of damage to the inverter. So paranoids like me :

1) never jump start another car.
2) own non gender specific jumper cables that refuse to have a 'wrong way'
3) should you ever need a jump, even once, replace your 12 volt battery, so you have another 4 years before risking it again

http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-5100-Jumper-Cables-Protection/dp/B002RRZX06

 

Yes, the Honda CVT is a problem, because the part that goes bad, the intermediate plate assembly, costs just slightly less than a brand new transmission. Even a DIY repair with a new one is over $2000. Salvage is no help because there just aren't any out there. If pulled from a running car, it is at least $1000. Seriously though, have your friend put it up for sale at insightcentral.net when the time comes.

As Jimbo said, the Prius transmission behaves in a way similar to a CVT, in that a constant engine speed corresponds to varying ground speed, but it is a combination of two electric motors and the engine. Failures are rare in 2004-2009, and, as far as I know, all have in common the fact that the transmission fluid (synthetic ATF WS) was never changed. Because of this, there are plenty of transaxles available on the salvage market for prices in the mid to high hundreds.

 

SilentShooter,

For what it's worth...I just went through some of the same analyses as you earlier this year--I have right around 100 mile commute round trip each day. Back in April, I ended up going with an '05 Prius that was in really good shape.

I went from a Mazda 6, which I averaged just under 32mpgs to my Prius, which I'm averaging just under 55 mpgs. On average so far, I'm saving about $23/fill-up with the Prius compared to the Mazda and I'm just shy of $600 gas savings so far.

I love my Prius and always find myself trying to learn the car, driving habits, etc. a little more each day so I can try to get a little bit more mpgs.

For me the '05 made sense as my car payment remained the same and I could pay it off on the same schedule as my Mazda 6. Therefore, my savings is real.

 

The major expense comes from lack of expertise amongst independent shops that force you to seek dealership help. For example, the transaxle. If it goes bad, and you take it to a dealer, they will want to install a new one, to the tune of $5000. The engine water pump, a standard repair that should only cost $325, is frequently charged $600+.

One issue that we will see a lot more of as time goes by are blown A/C compressors. No A/C system remains sealed and fully charged forever. Most cars, fixing the compressor + condenser is $1000. On a Prius, it is upwards of $2000. Make sure your car blows COLD air, like 45F+/-.

The vast majority of cars, especially 2008-2009, will not have a single problem in the first 8 years/100,000 miles.

 

For reference, one can lookup EPA estimates at Side-by-Side Comparison.

Here are some Consumer Reports mileage test results:
Most fuel-efficient cars - has 3rd gen
Most fuel-efficient cars - has 2nd gen
Best & worst cars review, fuel-efficient vehicles

(Their city test is pretty harsh.)