Buy 2008 Prius, sat for 3 years?

welcome!

the big issue is the hybrid battery. i would get some prices on a new battery from toyota dealers, and subtract that from the kbb value of the car.

does it start? have you driven it yet? vermin can also be a huge problem, potentially more expensive than a battery.

 

Watch the hybrid battery indicator while your driving it. It should stay pretty steady. If it goes up and down it should do that fairly smoothly. If it goes up and down wildly it's a sign of a bad battery. You can look up the battery price online very easily.

 

Don't trust what these people tell you.
You've got to be prepared for
1. Aux battery, just in case
2.HV battery, definitely, might need to be replaced. In some cases, just carrying out a charge cycles on em, might give you some "juice" out of it.
3. Rodents infestations in the cabin, and maybe any damages on the wiring harness at the hood.
4. Fluids to be replaced, etc.
All these would come into play before knowing exactly, if its a worth while investment.

 

while it's possible that the car will run, enough damage may have been done to the battery modules that it wouldn't be worth buying it if you can't economically add a new battery.
however, the total value of the car and new battery is higher than a 2008 with a 10 year old healthy battery.

 

As per KBB here, it is a fair price for a Prius in very good condition in Detroit. But we don't know if it's in very good condition. For example, if this vehicle needs a new hybrid battery, that drops it down to below average condition.

Before I purchased my preowned Prius, I did what you're doing now by reading up on this site. Being a hybrid, the rules are changed a bit, compared to traditional ICE vehicles. And I learned that a low mileage Prius is not necessarily a good thing.

Think of the hybrid battery's lifespan being based on years, instead of miles. Plan on ten years. They can last longer, but being dormant for so long, don't count on this one lasting much longer than ten years. Evaluate your repair budget and DIY skills before purchasing a ten year old Prius.

See what the fuel economy is for this vehicle. The tripometer will show what the average mpg has been for the last xxxx miles- record that info (I would just take a cell phone picture). With the owner's permission, set a tripometer to zero. Then it will show you the mpg for the test drive. Make a 5-10 mile trip in city conditions, the longer the better. City driving is where the hybrid battery has a bigger impact on fuel economy. IMO, it would be better if the owner warmed up the car before you drove it because it's so cold in Detroit. Otherwise, set the tripometer to zero after driving long enough to warm up the engine. Fuelly drivers average 43.4 mpg.

A car with only 55k miles should look brand new on the inside. If garaged, the outside should be nice, too. Make sure you invest in a carfax that will list the accident history, number of owners, and the mileage. Sometimes, very low mileage cars are salvaged and not presented as such to buyers. I would steer away from those. Good luck.

 

If you are thinking about buying a Prius you could invest ahead of time in some diagnostic tools. That way you can read codes and see battery data live.
Cost you under $75