Market for a Prius C

The two cars are not that different, remember you are buying unused miles, the more the merrier. I mean you should consider the lower mileage car all else being equal.

 

Same model car, just a little gap months in when they were made. Do the math 73k/3yrs = 24k m/yr OR 24k/4yrs = 6k m/yr...somebody is doing some crazy uber'ing/delivering/ or just whatever with their 3yr old car

take the one that has less wear and tear (not to mention its color attracts less heat = more efficient in summer) even if it's almost $2k more, it's probably more peace of mind and almost 50k miles less that is yet to be driven

 

first, i would test drive a new one to get a feel and make sure you like it. all other things being equal, i would go for the '12, but they both look like good cars.

 

I'd go with the 2012 with the lower mileage. SwhitePC pointed out that the previous owner put in 73k miles in 3 years time, imo that car has already been through the ringer.

 

Joshua, what's wrong with the Corolla? Why sell a car to buy one with 20000 more miles on it?

 

Of course over the internet, without actually seeing or physically checking either out, who knows?

But in general I'd be much more interested in the vehicle with nearly 50,000 less miles.

 

Going simply by what you tell us of the two vehicles, I would first consider the one with 24k miles on it.

Big deal if the black one is one model year newer. It has a ~50,000 more miles on it. Think about it.

 

Lesser miles always.....and black cars look bad with age....

 

I would stick with the 2013 Toyota Corolla unless you need a second car for your family or something.
No reason to sell the 2013 Toyota Corolla to buy a 2012 or 2013 Toyota Prius C. But if you're keeping the Corolla and buying a Prius C in addition to it, I would go with the car with the lower mileage. You really don't want to have to pay for repairs or replacement on the hybrid system, and if someone put 73k miles on a 2013 already, the hybrid system may need to be replaced much sooner than it would on the 2012 car.

 

let's figure what the whole transaction is going to cost you, and how much you'll save each year in gas.

 

In my opinion, the first thing you need to do is go try a Prius C if you haven't done that yet to see if you like it. It's a fun little car but it's more of a city car than a long distance highway cruiser and it's certainly underpowered compared to most cars on the road (that said, we have one and we love it). Second, I would fix the Corolla before selling it, and if you want to maximize your return, try selling it to a private party as this can make a difference of over $1000. (Not that I would personally do this as it's more trouble) and yes, definitely go with the lower mileage car if you do go through with it.

Good luck,
Daniel

P.S. EPA ratings are not promises, if you want to get those numbers, you'll need to learn to drive a hybrid the "right" way. If you just stomp it and drive in the left lane on the highway, you might not get those numbers.

 

If you drive "normal" you will still get better than a car EPA rated less. Driving a new Prius c won't help much either because they changed the vehicle since to two examples you are considering. Regular Prius and especially the "c" model is selling cheap right now so I would consider a new purchase if budget allows.