Buying advice used Prius

I think 2012 to 2015 is almost identical except the trim level.So if you don't care for trim level then definitely low milage .

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

i'm not a rental fan, even a prius. i'd go for it otherwise. 2012 is a great year.

 

When I was shopping the rental places had many a Prius 3 and 4 listed as well as twos ...but the interior and exterior pics all showed cloth interior and 15 inch wheels . So pull the specifications/options pdf and confirm Model 4 line items to compare apples even dealers will paste a 'feature set' to their ad that may or may not match the vehicle.

Gen 3 is a solid car .. 16k mileage difference maybe less than a year of driving .. not a factor for me .. I like the Model 4 as it may be covered under mfg warranty. If you live in a CARB state I would double check where each vehicle originated from ..that extra CARB battery warranty you can't buy .

Also in my opinion 90 percent of Prius' sold have cloth interior .. the SofTex is worth holding out for .. The only thing I didn't care for with the Gen 3 is that most came with wheel covers instead of allow wheels like the Gen2 .. but that can be changed after purchase .

Kenny

 

Both gen 2 and gen 3 15" are alloy with wheel covers. The wheels themselves are very similar, but at least the gen 2 covers were less intrusive, more like rings?

I would make the opposite assumptions about a rental, that it's more likely to be abused/neglected. Ultimately, you need to give any prospect a GOOD lookover, talk to the owner if possible, pop the hood and check things, look over the tires, inside the wheel wells, the underside, under the hatch floor, the spare condition, and on and on.

We have a 2010 cream puff, for what it's worth. Had it since day one, oil changed every 6 months, around 4~5000 km's between changes, transaxle fluid changed three times, brakes done twice, brake fluid changed, undercarriage cleaned and rust-proofed a couple of times, tires rotated with snows, waxed twice a year. Pristine interior. 67,000 km's. Garage stored.

Someone else might have a 2012 that's been driven into the ground. The years and miles are not as important. Dealership maintenance means squat too.

 

Same here.

You aren't able to see the prospective cars in person? I would never touch a used car without a thorough look-over. You'd be suprised what you can pick up, just from looking around the car, test-driving, and last-but-not-least talking to the owner (if possible).

But yeah, so far, I've just stuck to buying new, lol.

 

I'd always take a used car to my mechanic to go over thoroughly. Walk away otherwise.