2007 Prius with 200,000 miles and new battery pack, good deal?

If you've never owned a hybrid before, I would recommend a car with less miles. A brand new replacement hv battery will cost more than$2500, they probably got a rebuilt battery, which is not very reliable. You can ask where they bought the battery from, if it's Toyota and they have a receipt, then it would be new

 

Did the hybrid battery come with a warranty? High mileage shouldn't be too much of a worry if the car has been regularly maintained (oil & filter changed), my last Toyota had 292,000 on the odometer, but failed inspection as the rocker-panels had corroded, but the engine and transmission were still running fine! My current (2009) Toyota Prius had 88k when I bought it in Jan 2014, and recently the odometer clicked just over 103,000. I purchased the extended warranty (bumper to bumper) - hope this helps - Wil

 

What other cars in SLC are selling for $5500? If all you have is $5500 for the car I suggest looking for less expensive conventional cars with less mileage. Around here there are Camrys & Corollas with lower miles and lower asking prices. Granted, they won't have the bells & whistles and will cost more to operate. However, if that Prius is running on a rebuilt pack figure on buying another replacement in a year or so. A rebuilt pack is only as good as the rebuilder and you get what you pay for.

IMO, the best case is that you'll get two low cost years out of the car. The worst case is that you'll be spending as much on repairs as you did on the car. That's fine if you can afford it and are willing to live with a project car but it does not make economic sense.

When buying a car, decide up front how much you are willing to spend for repairs. Go that far but no further so the car doesn't become a money pit.

 

prius resale value tends to be based on gas prices. but you can only get whatever the market will bare. sounds like there aren't many in your area?

as far as maintenance, it's pretty cheap, and unless you hit the 'unlucky lottery' or the car has been abused in some way, 200k without major work is not unrealistic.

but be aware that there are several systems in the car that can be quite pricey to repair, compared to a gasser.

 

My 2010 bought December 2009 now with almost 100,000 miles has needed:
oil & filter changes (10000 mile interval)
transmission fluid drain & fill
brake fluid & inverter coolant topped off
a set of tires & 2 patches
wiper blades
the right rear wheel well shield was replaced under warranty because the clip broke (would not have replaced out of warranty)
12v battery replaced
--
original spark plugs, brakes, computer programming

Prius demand & prices track the price of gas. When gas was "high" a used Prius would sell for almost as much as a new one--or more. Don't like the price? Try to find another. When the tsunami shut down Prius production the used market was the only game in town. Again, don't like the price? Good luck finding another. Gas prices are "low" now so Prius pricing is soft. I believe it is an opportunity to get better value.

I don't understand the concern over resale value when buying in the used market. At least the Prius has the potential to increase in value that I don't see in a Civic or Corolla.