I have never owned anything other than vehicles that run on gasoline. I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, but I want to buy something that doesn't have any current problems. I'm considering 3 different Priuses, and I wanted some opinions. All of these are on Market Place and do not come with a warranty. Which one should I consider and why? 2009 Toyota Prius Touring - $4,999 - Green paint. Approximately 120k miles Looks like it has leather interior. This one looks pretty good, but it does have some slight damage on one of the doors. If I bought it I would take it to a local body shop and see if they could make it look better. 2007 Toyota Prius Hatchback 4D - $3,700 - Red paint. Approximately 201k miles Looks like it has leather interior. Body looks to be in good shape. 2007 Toyota Prius Hatchback 4D - $2,800 - Black paint. Approximately 175k miles Looks like it has cloth interior. The body looks a little rough. Mostly it looks like it has some chips in the paint. If I bought it I would replace the front bumper cover, because it looks a little cracked.
I wouldn't buy a Prius without first checking it for codes and the state of the battery. If it needs a new pack, and you are paying somebody else to install it, that could be $4k or more. The dongle has to be able to read all the computers on the car, many cannot. If the seller is nice they would also let you run the HV pack test in the Dr. Prius app - there is a list of dongles on its web page which are known to work with it. There might also be mechanical issues, so rather than doing those tests yourself, it is is probably worth it to pay a mechanic to do so, and also put it up on a lift and do a general inspection. The Autel MaxiAP AP200 is a common choice here for a dongle to check the car, but it may not work with the Dr. Prius app, only its own app. Rust is a problem for cars from certain parts of the country. Unless you can prove it has spent its whole life in Texas, minimally get down on the ground with a light and look for rust on the bottom. Flood cars are also a problem. Look for signs of that. Which to buy? For me, a big plus is when the owner can hand over the service records for the life of the car, or at least as long as they have owned it. 120k miles is low for a 2009. Suspiciously low unless there is a good reason to explain it (like it was a grandma car). Rolled back odometers are unfortunately still a thing, so that 170k could really be 290k. If they won't give you the VIN before you go to see it, that is a red flag. Definitely pull the CarFax (or equivalent) to confirm the odometer (at least rule out major roll backs).
