Most of the cars I'm seeing listed online from private sellers are pretty high mileage, though with a lot of variation. Most are 2016s and 2017s. Trim varies quite a lot. Prices are in the same general region of $10k-$11k. So all things being equal as far as condition, clean title, and VIN report go, what's the best way of deciding? Here are a few currently available to illustrate what I mean: 2017 Prius Four (listed as "LE" but seems to be an error), 176k miles: $10,900 2017 Prius Two, 164k miles: $10,900 2016 Prius Four Touring, 195k miles: $10,800 2016 Prius Three, 267k miles: $8,500 2021 Prius LE, 223k miles, $9,500 A couple of these are out of town and I'm not sure I can get to them, but I included as examples.
I'd keep it for as long as it runs (depending on possibly moving and life events). I wont be doing daily driving or commuting, but will be taking a few longer trips a year. Probably no more than 8,000 miles altogether.
any particular options you definitely want? it's interesting that the 2021 is so inexpensive despite a small amount of miles over the others. maybe the 2017 two, if you don't mind the heat exchanger/head gasket concern
I've never had all the fancy safety features, but considering I'd mostly be using the car for road trips maybe they're a good idea. I wouldn't mind a sunroof, too, now that I think of it. So the 2017 Four might be a good option -- not too many more miles than than the 2017 Two, and the same price. I have an appointment to see it today. And yes, I was surprised about the 2021 price. It's from a dealer, too. That just seems like an awful lot of miles to me, though. I'm curious what your opinion on these would be @Leadfoot J. McCoalroller ? I know you said in another thread that it's often best to prioritize year over mileage.
Well, those are the ones I'd look at first anyway. With miles like that on something that new I'd generally expect it was a taxi or rideshare vehicle, so I'd expect a lot of interior cabin wear and tear. Unreported minor accidents (self repaired, never claimed, never shows up on carfax) would be par for the course. The good news is that there hasn't been enough time to age out the battery, and the body won't have corrosion. A lot less sun damage to paint & interior due to less age. When there's that much usage you can't really trust it to be the exact specs and stats Toyota published. Instead it is a "used car" featuring... whatever it is. You'd want to get somebody to inspect it, and pay attention to what they say and write. I would make a plan to not buy it, and go check it out. Finding a decent used car on short money is a full-contact sport, you're not going to get much done over the internet other than lining up viewing appointments. Plan to go see a bunch of cars in person before the money comes out.
Thanks, and good point about the high mileage. There are lots of Prii used as Ubers/Lyfts here so I bet you're right. The fact that a dealer has priced it that low makes me even more suspicious! But if it's in great shape, would you think it's a better choice than the 2017s with 50k-60k fewer miles?
I would get the 2021 assuming it was clean and had a good carfax. The dealer is likely to give a warranty of some kind which you will never get from a private seller. With that said, you have to look for signs of flood damage in any car since you are close to Texas and their massive Kerrville and Austin area floods last month.
IIRC the Two ant Three have space saver spare tires instead of the gunk kit. Personally I would say the ride on the Two ie too harsh. I quickly regretted buying my 2017 Prius Two because of that,
Forgot to update my profile -- I'm in San Francisco now, but will be driving to NM fairly regularly. A warranty would be nice, yes. I'll call the dealer tomorrow and get more info. They put the Carfax in the ad 2021 Toyota Prius hybrid for sale - Sunnyvale, CA - craigslist The interior does look a little scuffed and stained, making think it was a rideshare car.
I think you're trying too hard to make a determination based on the very limited information available on your screen. Go look at both cars. You'll probably notice something within 5 minutes that makes one far more appealing than the other. Moreover, get yourself used to going out and looking at cars. You'll need to do a lot of that to win a decent one on a budget.
I tested the 2017 Four and it seems like a good car and generally well cared for, but the windshield needs to be replaced. It also has very dark tinted windows that actually make it hard to see at twilight. So that's two issues I'd have to deal with right off the bat. He said he'd take $300 off, but I feel like I don't need hassles. He also drives it in Power mode all the time and his mpg on the display is 48, which is what I used to get on my Gen2. Overall, though, I really liked the car and it reassured in my choice of getting a Prius. I might end up increasing my budget a bit, though, if I start feeling like my only choices aren't great ones.
Sounds like a good first date. One of the fundamental differences between new car shopping and used car shopping is that with new cars you can read the specs on a website, and what you see there is very much what you get. With used cars, you need to go out and see the actual cars to spot things that matter to you one way or another, because their prior usage has made them very individuated.
