Hey guys, this is a Prius I’m looking at, I’m interested and I’ve been reading a bit on the dos and donts that you guys have mentioned. I saw you guys say that 2004 is the best generation but what about 2002? I’m going in blind here but I want to be well informed before I dive in. thanks guys!
No. This car is 25 years old and the way you are asking this implies you are not a "wrench". You will not save money...or headaches...if you purchase this vehicle for reliable daily transportation.
Welcome! You've read this thread, right? Who should and should NOT buy a 2001-03 Prius | PriusChat I had one of those first-gens and I remember it fondly. But: It was a sedan, with a trunk and fixed rear seat, so less versatile/practical than the later generations, all hatchbacks. It had belt-driven air conditioning, so if you were sitting in traffic with the A/C cycling on and off, that meant the whole engine was cycling on and off. Annoying. All the later generations have electric A/C compressors so that doesn't happen. At a certain age, replacement parts start showing up as NLA (no longer available) and then instead of easy repairs you start having treasure hunts. The car you showed in your second post was from the second generation, so it's got the hatchback and the electric A/C and various other improvements and can probably make you happier. It's still quite an old car though. Here in Indiana, I'm within a couple driving hours of a business that has a specialty in keeping those second-generation Prii going. Is there any resource like that near you?
You can wind up spending a lot of money trying to save a little gas in an old Prius... What's your actual goal here?
