How much do you like/love your options?

You can get a pretty good price 2006-2008 for about $6000-$8000. I say just pay cash and get one with lower mileage.

Those options are over-rated. GPS would be outdated, leather is no big deal, JBL still doesn't sound good. Basically if you have a smart phone, you don't need GPS.

Cash is King! Who needs credit?

 

Well if your going to buy a house or another big ticket item, it is good to pay a little to pump up that credit rating, but there comes a point. for me it was retirement, when having no debt and paying off every credit card every month was the way to go, never did like banks, learned that from my depression era Dad.

 

I have a package 2 (base) and a package 6 (fully loaded). Here are some of my observations.

On Gen 2's, I find most of the upgrades to be minimally useful. Bluetooth calling is the only thing I regularly use on my package 6 that my package 2 does not have. However, I have a plug-in Bluetooth mic for my package 2 that adds all that functionality AND musical capabilities that only cost me $25. So, even the Bluetooth advantage of the package 6 is minimal.

The only upgrade I believe truly separates the package 6 from the package 2 is the leather. I love leather. I hate cloth. However, my wife is exactly the opposite. It's just a matter of personal preference. And if you intend to get clazzio's at some point anyway, I'd say you might as well go with the cloth seats and save yourself some money. Why cover leather with leather?

Backup cam, never use.

GPS, never use.

Voice commands, never use (except occasionally to set the temperature, but that's very rare).

SKS, it's kind of nice, I guess, but it's really not that hard to press lock/unlock and put your keyfob in its slot when you want to drive.

Now, for your options 1-4. If I were you, and I was trying to reestablish credit, I would use this as an opportunity to do so only if I NEEDED the credit soon. For instance, if you want to buy a house within the next year, I would finance the car. If you just want to reestablish your credit for the sake of it, I would reestablish it using other methods. There are plenty of ways to establish credit without paying interest. So, if reestablishing your credit is not time-sensitive, it would be more prudent to avoid burning money on interest payments.

Whether you choose financing or cash, I would recommend base rather than fully loaded if the price difference is greater than $1k. Within $1k, it's a toss up.

 

I consider this 2007 package 1 to be very nicely loaded...SKS, backup cam, side airbags, heated mirrors, audio input... I even think the audio system is pretty great (some find the JBL system to sound too midrangey). I'm glad I don't have HID headlights (less reliable) and navigation (outdated). The only thing that might be nice is the Bluetooth phone, but I probably shouldn't be talking on the phone in the car anyway. VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) could be a helpful addition, depending on how comfortable you are in slides. I don't miss it, but some won't go without it (For 2007, package 2 got VSC). It's pretty difficult to find a Gen 2 without SKS (smart key) and backup cam--they almost all have those (incidentally, the back up cam isn't as common in the Gen 3). I don't like leather seats: sticky and cold (or hot). This one has cloth covers (side-airbag compatible) from Exact Fit.

The option packages changed almost every model year, so you can't compare packages across model years. I look them up in the brochures here: Toyota Prius Touchup Paint Codes, Image Galleries, Brochure and TV Commercial Archives

 

I have a 2008 Prius (not sure what package level) but it appears to be fully loaded. It has leather, which I like. I have nothing against fabric, but I do know that some people have had issues with the fabric showing wear more easily. I REALLY like having an aux port, but what's nice, and I'm pretty sure is standard, is that CD player can play MP3 files off CD-RW discs. Since there is no USB port, I frequently use that too. Auto-dimming rearview mirror is not important to me, but I have it. Backup camera is nice since I parallel park a lot. Bluetooth calling is not important to me, HID headlights are not important to me, nor are the fog lights. Have never used the intermittent rear wiper either. SKS is very nice. I'm spoiled now. All in all, I would have been happy with the most stripped down Prius as well.

 

I had a 2007, package 3. The JBL was fine, not anything to get excited about, but then again I haven't cared much about radio quality for a few years now. Although I didn't use bluetooth a lot, I was glad I had it and I can't live without the 3 door sks. It also had homelink which I have always used. In fact, I think I purposely bought the lowest trim I could that offered the homelink. I didn't have leather or nav and that was fine with me. I never wanted anything else on it or wished I had gotten a different trim.

 

i have never financed anything except my first house. at 61, it's worked out pretty well. i was happy with my '08 pkg 2, and now with base pip. it came with gps and heated seats, i could live without either. all the best with your decision!

 

I've got a 2007 package 6 and I do find the GPS mostly useless, I like leather seats over cloth, as well as the Bluetooth and Aux Input to the radio since the GEN2 doesn't stream music, only phone calls, the SKS is nice as well, since I never have to take the keys out of my pocket all day (less chance of loosing them).

As to your purchase outright or finance it questions, I think JohnnyB hit it pretty well.

dave

 

I have generally thought to stay away from 04 and 05 for several reasons. They are earlier in the model year, which could mean more potential for issues. Also, if the HV hasn't been replaced, it could be in need of replacement fairly soon. I also liked the 2006 and up because they improved the interior quality a little bit, and made side curtain airbags as standard. (I believe) That said, if I saw an 04-05 with a new HV battery and low miles, I would definitely consider it. Safety features don't exactly woo me since I don't intend on testing those features.

 

I choose 1. An 8 year old GPS is outdated and will lead you wrong. 8 year old leather = vinyl. JBL audio can be easily surpassed by cheap aftermarket stereos.

As to building credit, that's just a waste of money. You're going to spend money to borrow money you already have? That doesn't make sense to me. Credit history is established when you open any utilities account or cell phone plan. If your bank is too stupid to understand that a customer that owns their home is low risk, there are plenty of other banks that will work with you. Citibank gave me a credit card with a ridiculous $200 limit when I was 16 and just started working at McDonald's part time for minimum wage. A year after using it just for getting gas and paying it off every month, they automatically increased my limit. That's when I started getting into trouble actually as a $200 limit part time was easy to pay off. The $600 limit was significantly tougher.

Anyway, don't pay money to establish credit. There are many other ways to do it. Worst case scenario is you get a card that requires a security deposit. After a year of on time payments, you get your deposit back.

 

If it's a Toyota battery and the car has a good maintenance history, I would feel comfortable buying it. If it's a refurb battery, they likely don't last as long, but it kind of depends on how long you want to keep the car to justify it. Might want to ask the seller why he's getting rid of the car with a one year old battery, and make sure he is referring to the hybrid battery.