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Should I buy this Prius V

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by frametown, Feb 25, 2021.

  1. frametown

    frametown New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Sorry in advance if this is the wrong place to post this. If so, let me know and I'll move it.

    I live in Mississippi. There aren't many Prius Vs for sale around here, and the ones that do pop up for sale are usually older than I want. I'm not in a huge hurry to buy a car right now, but I've been looking for a while and this one seems like a good deal. It would require me flying or taking a train up to Chicago and driving it back (12 hours).

    I don't mind doing that at all, if it's the right car.

    I plugged in the VIN on the Toyota Owners page, and it seems to have been regularly maintained with no issues. What do y'all think?

    The VIN is - JTDZN3EU2HJ073026

    It's a 2017 Prius V Five with 52K miles for $17,000. I found it on truecar.
     
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    I would be concerned about rust and the possibilities for undisclosed problems with little recourse because you are far away.
     
    #2 rjparker, Feb 26, 2021
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2021
  3. frametown

    frametown New Member

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    Five
    Thanks. Yeah, that's my big worry, too. I just don't feel great buying a used car without having seen it or driven it. I think I'll just wait until I find something closer.
     
  4. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    ^ That.

    A 2017 is going to pretty much as is/where is.
    Take advantage of the most valuable asset you have: Time.
    OTOH you're looking for a niche car in the V.
    Used V's are rare because they didn't build all that many of them, and their owners keep them longer.
    Since there are not many of them you're going to have to pay a premium for that.

    Why the V?
    Gas is relatively inexpensive in Jackson, MS and while the V is an exceptionally reliable car and only adults tend to buy station wagons, which make them good used cars.....you may want to re-examine your car choice.

    If you're especially price sensitive (trying to save gas money) then a used hybrid might not be 'your' best car.
    Even the V.

    If it's a brand loyalty thing then another Yota might serve, but be warned!!!
    Car dealers have a poor reputation for pretty much the same reason that politicians and journalists do.....and the SE Toyota dealers are part of a network that do not even meet THOSE humble standards!!

    If you're driving a V to save gas money....they WILL do that, but you may have to pay it all back when you get the car fixed....OR WORSE....get ripped off for preventative maintenance that you do not need, and sometimes that they did not even DO!!

    Good Luck!
     
  5. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    I got my 2012 v nine years, ago. It has only 24.765 miles on it. It's probably the best car I've ever own. I will keep it for as long as I can. $3k for a new battery, a new brake booster or anything else is nothing compared to $40k plus for the average new vehicle.

    Another advantage is low personal property tax and insurance cost.
     
  6. frametown

    frametown New Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    Five
    So, I definitely am going to be a low-mileage driver. Probably 8-10k miles per year. If I were to buy a V, I would buy it with the understanding that the fuel savings over the next 10 years or so wouldn't be so much that it makes a huge difference. But there will be savings there.

    The reasons why I'm drawn to it are the low cost of maintenance, the general reliability, and the amount of space it has. I've been driving a 2002 Subaru Forester for the last 15 years. The maintenance on that car was very high whenever anything needed to be fixed. I had several years where I'd spend $2k+ on it. I kept investing that into the car, because I assumed it would last a long time, and it was cheaper to do that than buy a new car. Eventually, that calculation flipped and I wasn't willing to pay for repairs on it again.

    I considered a RAV4 (hybrid or regular engine), but they cost about $5k more for the same year and mileage that a Prius V is, and I'm not sure they'd be as enjoyable to own. They don't seem to be as comfortable or as low maintenance.

    The Prius is just a cheaper car to buy, and has a great history of reliability. The V has the extra space, so I'm sold. ETC, talk me out of it, or what other options do you think would be comparable value and reliability?
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the head gasket problem includes all early gen3 prius. it mayy be too soon to know about later since they updated pistons and rings in 2014 and 15. not sure if the v got updates, or if they even solve the problem.
     
  8. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    You're starting out with a 4-year-old car at the high end of the sedan/station-wagon price range. A Sienna would be cheaper, and a CUV would be more expensive simply based on style points.
    BUT.....you're planning on keeping this car for the next 10 years, which is a good plan!

    PRESUMMING you get a car that hasn't been brine soaked like last year's Thanksgiving Turkey, wrecked, stolen and recovered, neglected, or abused during those early formative years - you may expect about another 100,000 miles of relatively trouble free driving based on your OP .....plus or minus a traction battery replacement or a funky wild-card event like a regenerative brake system failure or inverter pump/electrical failure, or transaxle stator winding failure.

    Then?
    After that?
    You're going to have to attend to all of the normal age-related problems of a 14-15 year old car.
    With good maintenance habits, and a dash of good luck almost certainly, none of the wild-card events will occur....but there's a better than even chance that you will be replacing the traction battery, which will be about $1500 if you DIY the repair or perhaps double that if you pay it done.
    One of the aforementioned "wild card events" WILL knock a pretty good dent in your JIC savings account.
    Aux (normal) batteries are very weak in these cars and will fail without the least warning, and you're going to want to make sure that you have a spare keyfob but this is true of most newer cars these days.

    So.....
    I can't speak to value, since cars look different to you and I, but as far as reliability?
    Well....that's going to be a coin toss.

    If you get a well-taken-care-of "V" - a car you seem not to have driven very much, IT WILL (probably) be as reliable as political discord.
    However (comma!)

    People don't plan to fail......but they do fail to plan.
    Can you write a check with a comma in it?
    Twice?
    Are you a DIY'er or do you pay your work done?
    Do you have a spare car?
    If you are still in your working years, how flexible is your job?
    What do you need the extra space for....kids that need rides to/from school and/or daycare?

    The "V" is a DANG GOOD CAR.
    I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I needed that particular type, so I will not try to talk you out of it at all, but rather I just want you to be a little more clear-eyed about WHAT IT IS that you're buying.
    If your maintenance plan is to put your trust and faith in the crossed ovals on the hood and take it to the dealer every 10,000 miles for maintenance whether it needs it or not.....then I would not get a used hybrid with 50,000 miles on the odometer.
    You don't drive enough, and gas isn't expensive enough where you live ($2.10 a gallon today according to the Googles) to justify the hybrid premium.

    IHMO...


    GOOD LUCK!
     
    #8 ETC(SS), Feb 26, 2021
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2021
  9. DRMcNutt

    DRMcNutt New Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    I just bought a 17 Prius V-3 one owner, with 27000 miles on it for 16800, about 1 month ago. So far I've put 1500 miles on it, averaging 44.2mpg combined.
    If you're still interested, look in my area, Central Fla. there are a few 15-17 models available, One that I've seen & driven here in Daytona.
    I got lucky on mine, as it was sold new with ToyotaCare that had never been used, I went to local dealer that I use, and ran numbers & found out I have 6 oil changes & 3 rotations good until 7/27.
    Good luck, a good deal is out there! Gas prices are rising here, currently $2.61 & projected to continue!
    BTW, I was looking for something to eventually replace my 16 Tacoma that I barely drive, but occasionally do need to haul things, so I went with the V,
     
    Georgina Rudkus and bisco like this.
  10. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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