Should my friend buy

It depends how much it is asked. Also check mpg stats. At this point refab can be better than original one as it was used quite a lot.

 

if she's in california, they are still under warranty. why would they be refurbished?

 

Back up a little bit. Gen 3 started selling in 2010. Those are Gen 2s, right?

Mike

 

i would stay away from them.

 

I'd wait just a little bit longer for the Gen IV to come out, and then buy a 2007 or newer for cheap. My preference is to draw the line at 2007 since that was a mid-model refresh year where they started including more options as standard. CARB states will still have a year left on the warranty for the battery.

Before recommending a car though, we would need to know more about your friends needs and typical commuting practices to have an idea of what would best suit her.

 

I would stay away from this 2 deals, it could be to much mechanical wear and tear on these two vehicles.
Now if the price is about $700.00 each, i would take a chance...................

 

My advice to you is no!

 

Stay friends and don't recommend. You'll be held responsible if things turn out negative.

 

Are people saying no because of the referb battery? Because there's nothing wrong with a gen 2 with some miles.

 

You claim to live is So Cal so the hybrid battery warranty is 10 years or 150,000 miles which ever happens first. This is NOT prorated so the battery is 100% covered until the first happens.
Mind you the Hybrid battery is not the most expensive repair a Prius can have. (Transaxle $5000) nor is it in second (Inverter $4000).

Here is my 'who should not own a Prius' post : considering a Prius | PriusChat

 

The way the car is designed the battery is being managed to operate in it's optimum comfort zone. There are scores of Gen ll Prii out there that are no where near their battery life limits. I would say that a Gen ll is going to be as reliable as a Corolla given around the same year and mileage. Sure, the battery is going to give up the ghost somewhere along the line but so is the Corolla's engine and/or transmission. The Prius has been on the road for more than 15 years and so has the stigma related to battery longevity.

 

For MY 2006 the MFD was upgraded and the interior finish changed. 2006-2009 is basically the same car. Some packages were eliminated and the contents of the packages shifted around. All are Gen2.

Better to ask for advice on specific cars. Generalized answers aren't going to cover the particular car she's looking at.

 

Gen II is a fine idea. People that are scared to buy one are the type that buy new cars from the Stealership because they are more comfortable knowing they are getting ripped off rather than potentially getting ripped off.

Here is the feature list for the various Gen II models. As you can see from this list, most options are included in the 2007+ trim 3 Prius.

 

Never mind.
Good Luck to your friend!

 

Based on the stories here I put the life of a traction battery at 8-15 years. The Southwest US and Athens, Greece seem to be toward the lower end. How long any particular pack lasts is anyone's guess. In CA the warranty is 10 years/150000 miles so if it fails within that period it is Toyota's problem.

 

To my mind a Pruis should be purchased by people who intend to drive 12k a year or more, if your friend drives less, she should look elsewhere....