1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

From Rolla to Prius

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Chris Papaya, Dec 4, 2016.

  1. Chris Papaya

    Chris Papaya Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    48
    27
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hello. My name is Chris and this is my first post. I live in South Florida and for the past 16 years I've been driving my 2001 Toyota Corolla CE (manual). This has been my car (pics below) since high school. It has been very good to me, which surprised me a lot of the time because of the craziness I've put it through. Driving up hills, dirt 4-wheeler track jumps, doughnuts in empty parking lots, reverse 180s, painted ricer inside and then replaced it back to normal paint; lots of abuse (back in high schoo). It has 153K miles. I've kept up with the maintenance (just replaced 5yo battery, and in 3 weeks replacing rear wheel bearing hubs, drums, and breaks on rear) on it but no matter what the car still chuggs along and hasn't taken a dump. Which is why I think Toyota manufactures some of the best cars/engines in the world. I don't think I will ever buy anything other than Toyota. I think I could possibly drive this car another 200K miles before I need some serious maintenance.

    However over Thanksgiving weekend I went with my gf up to see her family and her sister just got a 2009 Prius and I fell in love with it. I loved how you sink into the leather and the center console felt so good to rest my arm on! In my corolla I feel naked without one. There's bluetooth (I'm still using 1/8" to cassette tape adapter), AUX, and so much legroom in the back. And the thing I really really like about it is you can fold down the back seats, put down a pad and blanket, and basically go camping in the car. Looking up out the rear window at the night sky was so cool.

    So now I want to buy one. I was looking at one from this guy in St Petersburg and almost purchased it. Thank god I didn't though. I pulled the carfax report which showed me there was a serious collision on it and suspected odometer fraud. I would like to get a 2010 or above.

    So other than than pulling a carfax what should I do to make sure I don't get screwed over?
     

    Attached Files:

    RCO and Burna J like this.
  2. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,605
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Welcome !!
    Carfax & regular maintenance logs - that's about the best you can do. Good luck on your quest ... history shows with just a little bit of care and maintenance - they'll easily go a quarter-million miles.
    .
     
    RCO likes this.
  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
  4. PriusNeckBeard

    PriusNeckBeard Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2016
    376
    211
    0
    Location:
    Cincinnati
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    One
    Have Toyota dealership or prius mechanic check it out. $50-150. Sure has saved my butt a few times.
    That and a carfax is a good start. Seller interview of course, if you're buying private. Why are you selling? Are you the original owner? How often did you change the oil? Have you had any work done on the car? (but Prius' should have little or none for that last one, but always good to ask). etc. Classic questions - google has a list, I'm sure.

    IF I remember, spinning the tires of a Prius can be very bad for the electric motor generators? You may want to check into the threads about this before buying a Prius, to see if it's a good fit with what you like doing with a car. Unless you're giving all that up of course, or have some other outlet for that.

    The gas mileage and ability to camp in are terrific. Including great heat and a/c when the car's standing still with very low gas consumption while doing that. (the engine only turns on as needed). I'm guessing you looked into the 'camp in a prius' threads!

    I actually like the 2013's best. I forget the exact details, but some previous bugs were worked out for this mid-generation refresh.
    It's also old enough to be in the sweet spot for cost of ownership per year (and past the first 2-3 years, in which the drop in value because of depreciation issues makes those cars more expensive to own).

    Other wise, it sounds like you're on the right track !
    PNB
     
    RCO and Prodigyplace like this.
  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    For an eyeopener on an abused (Gen 2) Prius, check out this thread. Too good to be true? | PriusChat
     
  6. Neohippy

    Neohippy Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2016
    220
    201
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater,Fl
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I would check out Tampa hybrids. Todd is a real standup guy and all he sells are Prius and Leafs. He has a great selection and sells clean cars. He has nothing but 5 star reviews. I bought from him and know if 2 others that did as well.
     
    RCO and Prodigyplace like this.
  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
  8. Got2bHam

    Got2bHam Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2016
    155
    51
    0
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Hi! I'd say carfax and making sure it has been taken care of. Always check the bumper edges, always a good indicator of how they have driven them.
     
    RCO likes this.
  9. Chris Papaya

    Chris Papaya Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    48
    27
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Thank you for all the heads up. I know I haven't responded in a year. Damn I can't believe a year has passed already. I was out of work for a while and had to put the Prius plans on hold but am doing better now. I want to get a Prius because you can basically car camp in it. I would like to drive across the U.S. from South Florida to Alaska and back on my next vacation. Unfortunately I cannot car camp in the 01 Corolla because the seats don't fold down and even if they did, the chassis opening is very small. I also want to invest in a car that a) will last me for the next 15 years with regular maintenance and b) is big enough to accommodate me. I feel so cramped in the Corolla.
     
    RCO likes this.
  10. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2011
    2,732
    1,703
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I would rather have a 2001 Corolla that I can't car camp in but is perfectly reliable and cheap to maintain. If I was out of work there is no worry about car payments with the Corolla. I used to have a 1998 Corolla, same model generation as yours. Those things are built like a tank. They refuse to break. My aunt is still driving mine with 250k miles.
     
  11. Chris Papaya

    Chris Papaya Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    48
    27
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I know its unbelievable how resilient the Corolla is. I am no longer out of work. Got a job with steady income. I would like to purchase a Prius in the near future and sell off the Corolla. I would possibly keep it. Not sure yet. I just want to get the right Prius for the right price and go car camping. Additionally, during my lunch break I sleep for an hour in my Corolla in the back seat. Let me tell you that I am cramped back there curled up in the fetal position and it gets hot. Owning a Prius would help with this. I guess one of the big questions I have is about the maintenance and battery. I have heard that you have to replace the battery on the Prius every 6 years because it goes bad and that the battery costs $4000? Is this true?

     
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,768
    16,017
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    No and yes.

    First of all, the battery is warranted for 8 years and 100,000 miles so you're good til then as far as out of pocket expenses. But the $4,000 is pretty close to the price (including labour.... maybe taxes depending how much your sales taxes are). I think the wholesale price is around the low $2,000s so it'll be near the high $2,000s at retail plus labour costs and taxes.

    Depending on how you treat your car, the rest of your car could still be in very good condition. (If I showed you the interior my 8+ year 2010 Prius, you'd think it was 2-3 years old) so a $4,000 expense, while not cheap, will essentially give you a "new" car in terms of actual operation of the vehicle.


    Our old 2005 Prius lasted 11.5 years and 245,000km (153,000 miles). A bit low in Toyota terms but it served us well and we opted to use the battery replacement money as downpayment for a 2016.

    Others on PriusChat have had higher mileage.
     
    RCO likes this.
  13. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2011
    2,732
    1,703
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I used to do courier work in my Corolla. I also slept in the car during lunch or down time. It was very unbearable in summer heat. I had a steady job and dreamt of getting a Prius all the time. I would save so much gas and money. The Prius would cycle its engine on and off so that I could sleep at lunch with the AC on and not worry about wasting gas. However, reality set in. It doesn't matter how reliable my job was, If I couldn't work. I would not be able to keep up with the Prius payments. I chose to keep the Corolla that was already paid off. I didn't buy my Prius until I saved up the entire cost of it. And guess what? The Corolla is still running.

    Good luck in whatever you choose to do. :cool: I can just tell you I sleep more soundly knowing if I can't work, I don't have to worry about a car payment.
     
    Prodigyplace, Mark57 and RCO like this.