2008 Prius vs 2003 Prius?

you're kind of iffy with either, but if you're happy with the service you are getting on the 03, i would stick with it.
usually the biggest challenge is finding qualified echs.
08 is ore common and a great vehicle, but reliability cannot be guaranteed as it heads into the back nine.
in either case, used cars are quite valuable, and you or your in laws should look into selling one of them.

 

Because used cars are selling for a high price right now you could do really well on selling your 2003, especially if you replaced the hybrid battery with new rather rebuilt. Just do the transaction with a private buyer in the parking lot of their bank where's there's lots of security and cameras around. Hold out for the highest price too!

And the 2008 will be a really enjoyable upgrade for you... And if your inlaws still have the original catalytic converter on the 2008 and odds are replacing the 02 sensor won't fix it but replacing the catalytic converter will, then you can by a cheap $200 aftermarket cat and sell the old clogged cat to a precious metal scrapper for $1500 cash.

It's pretty rare that buying and selling cars in the 13-18 year age range could actually be a money making opportunity, but if you can get a family discount on the 2008 you could be very pleased at how it all works out in terms of the numbers.

 

The cat on that Prius will cover your shipping costs... And if you can find a friend who's great at driving and needs to travel from west coast out east you can lower the cost of shipping to the cost of gas at 50mpg.

 

Do you prefer a sedan or a hatch?

I was very fond of the Gen 1. But it did have a couple of sensors built with potentiometers (the steering torque sensor and the go pedal sensor) that can eventually give you headaches if they haven't already, which were replaced with non-contact sensor types in Gen 2.

 

Almost certainly the evaporator drain line. Most likely it is blocked near the exit under the car, remote chance there is a hole in it under the carpet. If it is in the same place as other Prius models if you pull up the carpet in front of the passenger seat you will see a clear tube with a junction. Pull it apart at the junction and blow out the distal part from the inside (so you don't push crud up into the evaporator).

Regarding which is a better car, since one is in NY and the other in CA I would investigate the rust situation. It is highly likely that there is a lot of rust on the bottom of a car which was driven on salted roads every winter. (You don't drive it much now, but some of those 92K miles were under those conditions.) Conversely, the CA car, assuming it was always there, probably has at most a bit of surface rust on the bottom.

 

The 2003, from what I remember (owned one for a couple of years way back when), is much more uncomfortable.

There is no middle armrest (or it is in an awkward position, again, if I remember right).

It is more like low 30s in miles per gallon department (vs. the gen 2 getting low 40s).

It looks old and it is not a hatchback.

Both are reliable but it's more about comfort/looks/space between the 2 and I would say the gen 2 is the winner.

I drive mine every day and it has 272k miles. Really haven't done any maintenance since I hit 200k and did struts.

 

Also, Gen 1 had belt-driven A/C. If you're stopped with the A/C turned on, the engine will cycle on and off really often (and you'll notice the air warming up every time it's off).