Finally decided any help would be greatful

i would start with a test drive of a new one, preferably gen 3 if you can find one, to get a feel for the car. then, when you find one you're interested in, reset trip a or b, and take a good long drive under various conditions, putting the car through its paces. the average mpg at the end is a good indicator of current health. and make sure you get 2 fobs. all the best!

 

Fobs are the car's "key" btw. Replacing one through the dealership will cost around $200~400.

If you're buying a used gen 3, things I can think of:

Just look it over: try to get a feel for how it was treated. Look in the corners, around the door and hatch hinges, door sills, floor mats, pedals. Any sticky zones on the dash? Upholstery fairly clean? Try applying/releasing the parking brake pedal. Check the hatch (boot?) opening/closing action. Are the door/hatch hinges thick with grease? This can be indicative of a dealership serviced car that never sees much owner attention.

Look the tires over. Are they all the same brand/name? Anything untowards?

Pop the hood (bonnet?) and look things over. Is it ridiculously clean? The latter likely means it was steam cleaned. This doesn't mean much, except it indicates a service department more interested in cosmetics. Slathering the tires with tire shine is a similar ploy, just food for thought.

Bring along (or ask for) a paper towel. Pull the engine oil dipstick, and lay it down for about 5 minutes, then reinsert, pull out, and check the oil. While waiting you could pop the engine air filter snaps, pull up the cover and have a peek at the filter.

Look under, from the front. The car has a plastic underpanel. Does it look complete, intact? A little bit of chew-up is invariable, but it shouldn't be too serious or extensive.

In the hatch area: lift out the floor panel, then the underfloor tray. Check that the spare tire is there, looks relatively clean/new. Also take a look at the 12 volt battery, and it's cables, in the right-rear corner. Verify also that the jack equipment, lug wrench and locking nut socket (if equipped) are all present.

Take it for a test drive. Try the air conditioning. Listen for unusual sounds, brake feel, what not. When you get back, get the salesman to run through the exterior lights, make sure they're all ok.

 

I'm helping a friend look for a used 3rd gen Prius, but finding the used market to be stronger than I expected, considering the deals that I've been seeing on new Prius's over the past year or 2. I'm in California, so my comment won't reflect the OP's situation in the UK, but it still surprises me.

 

You might also consider a used Plug-In Prius if avail in UK.
As far as Gen3, if it was US I'd say get one new enough to have some time left on the 8-yr warranty but not sure UK situation.

 

I may be obsessive, but if a Prius passed Mendel's excellent list, I would then get a Prius-knowledgeable independent mechanic put it on a lift and then check everything underneath while you watch and ask questions. That check should include removing the plastic undershield and checking eCVT fluid level and condition, check for any frame rust, damage, or other abnormalities. I would also ask that the mechanic evaluate the status of the high voltage battery while under load using a mini-VCI and computer during a test drive. A compression check would also be nice. I would expect to pay $200 for such an evaluation, but I would consider it money well spent.
Good luck!

 

its 10 years in California

 

Most important thing is making sure the oil has been changed at the 10,000 mile mark, if not sooner, and that Toyota Oil has been used.

 

Yeah oil is oil That said, Toyota oil's (by a landslide) the cheapest option for me, and it's got a good reputation.

 

I don't know if UK models are the same as US, but some minor issues were addressed in the 2012 model year concerning rattles and squeaks. They also included more standard features, Bluetooth being one of them, I believe on the base (package 2) Prius. You can tell if a car has Bluetooth by looking at the steering wheel and seeing if it has the phone controls.

Toyota oil doesn't matter. All oil these days are good. I run Mobil 1 and change once a year, or about 14,000 miles, but it probably doesn't really matter. Blackstone Labs oil analysis says particulates and TBN are great.

 

Oil is not Oil, Toyota and Mobil designed the oil for the Prius, it has its own unique additive package.

 

Uh huh. That's what the salesman told you. Tell me, why is Toyota oil required? Do you think Toyota is in the oil formulation business? Why would they design an engine that requires proprietary lubrication?

You can't tell me what's unique about the additive package because it's proprietary info...

 

No, its been stated by Toyota, just like Honda oil is produced with their own additives as well. You don't think each oil on the market has their own additives that they think is best.

 

I'm using bulk Toyota 0W20 in a Honda too. It doesn't mind.

 

Kinda like gasoline. Does the local Qwik Serv have engineers behind the scenes specially formulating gas? Or their own oil platform and refinery distilling their special blend?

 

Our usage has slowed a lot, the car has a bit over 60,000 km's. No surprises, still feels very solid.