considering to get a Prius Classic

Yes, one nice thing about Prius is that you can drive at slow speed under electric power as long as the traction battery has sufficient charge to power the vehicle. This is very nice when you are in heavy traffic.

The asking price is in line with US Kelley Blue Book private party valuations, converting AUD to USD and assuming 78K miles on the odometer. The photos look nice.

However, the electric steering gear, the traction battery, and the engine ECU are potentially troublesome and expensive failure areas. I suggest that you inquire into the service history of the vehicle.

I understand that very few Classic Prius were shipped into Australia. Hence my guess is that it will be very hard to obtain salvage parts for this model, and you will have to rely on your Toyota dealer to supply new parts.

Since you've recently bought another vehicle and only drive 6K miles per year, I surmise that you are thinking about buying the Prius for fun. Would you still think this was a fun purchase if the car experienced a failure that cost several thousand $s to repair?

Further, if you keep the Civic and buy the Prius, my guess is that you might drive the Prius ~3K miles per year. You may have problems with the 12V auxiliary battery wearing out prematurely due to the low use. This low usage might also cause problems with the main traction battery if the car is not driven enough to keep the battery charged.

In the G1 Prius subforum, I have a poll going on that might give you some indication of problems that owners have faced. Unfortunately only 16 have responded to the poll so far, so this represents a very small sample size.

Good luck with your decision.

 

I would also strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible about the service history of this candidate. But it may be that I am more optimistic about the general prospects of Prius than is Patrick.

Assuming that the HV battery has been resealed, crankshaft position sensor and the troublesome ECU replaced, and that the build date late enough that the steering is 'probably OK', then several of the risks are probably swept away.

As this appears not to be a critical purchase decision for you, you are in what Americans call the catbird seat. Take the position that you are aware that the transaxle fluid may very well be full of metal chips. However, if it passes chemical testing, you are willing to offer XXX (some amount less).

Just between us, I'd say there is a high probability that it will give you a lot of good service. Leave the rest of your fleet parked and drive it enough to keep the batteries happy. But let's talk about the Prius' history first. This might reveal volumes about the seller, which under the circumstances is the most important thing to know.

 

Just to chime in from an economic perspective: there is absolutely no monetary reason to switch to the Prius. Yes, it'll get better mileage than your Civic, but the overall cost of ownership will be higher. "The cheapest car is the one you already have."