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Trying to decide on a used Prius

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by carriebishop, Sep 20, 2018.

  1. carriebishop

    carriebishop New Member

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    Hello,
    I'm hoping I can get some advice on purchasing a used Prius.
    Our plan is to pay cash. We could go as high as $8000, but honestly, it's a little scary, as we've never spent that much on a car before, and we expect to need to replace our family car in the next 6-9 months as well, so we'd be more comfortable keeping it in the $4000-$6000 range. We'll be paying cash, looking on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
    This will be my husband's daily commuter, round trip driving about 75 miles per day. (So we're expecting to put ~18,000 miles per year on it, hoping to be able to keep it for at least 5 years.) He has been driving a 1992 Civic for the last 8 years.
    We live in SW Washington state, halfway between Seattle and Portland. I've noticed, though, that some areas of the country have consistently lower prices, and so I'm considering going out of state - Austin / San Antonio area - to get one.
    So, doing a bunch of reading here, it sounds like some people are more comfortable with a higher mileage, but newer car, than an older, but lower mileage car. Is that right?
    Here are the options I'm seeing today:
    A. Local, 2004, 123K miles for $4800 - One owner, private seller, has Carfax.

    B. Texas, 2010 Prius Four, 111K miles for $7400 - small dealer that only does 2010 and later Prius - has Carfax, says he got it at a dealer auction, was probably a trade-in. Carfax shows 2 owners, water pump was replaced in May 2016

    C.Local, 2011 - can't determine trim level - 133K miles, $7800. Private owner, looks like English isn't first language, so it makes me a bit less confident about being able to get accurate information from seller.

    D. Texas, 2013 Prius Two, 102K, for $9400. Same dealer as B. Really more than we want to spend, but...if it were substantially better than our other options we could stretch to make it happen.

    I'm super grateful for any advice.
     
    #1 carriebishop, Sep 20, 2018
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2018
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  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    HI Carrie, I live 1/2 hour north of you and would be willing to help with yr questions. Paying cash from private seller is the most ideal, but best to make that transaction at a secure space, like at your bank, 'because that's a lot of cash to carry around. Not sure why you're looking Texas? Perhaps you have family there? I have family in Sacramento area, which is where I found my Prius. Of course hotter climates is harder on the hybrid battery pack. Of course wet and snow areas are harder on the chassis/body.

    I'd suggest looking for a 2007-2009 with mostly freeway miles in the under $6K range and set aside the rest of the cash to do preventative maintenance, like hybrid battery pack cleaning and reconditioning, new higher quality 12volt, new tires, etc. I'd be happy to help do some of that work for ya. Just private message me on here.

    Odds are your purchase will go well and very little if any maintenance or repairs will be required. I bought an '07 in 2012 with 100K miles on it and today I'm at 232K miles with zero repair issues other than inverter cooling pump, which was replaced free under recall.

    After the first year I did this post on PriusChat and the comments are incredibly encouraging for first time used Prius buyers: Did you buy a Prius with 100K+ miles? Share your story here! | PriusChat
     
    #2 PriusCamper, Sep 20, 2018
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2018
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  3. carriebishop

    carriebishop New Member

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    Thanks so much for you kind and generous response!
    So, I revised my search based on your recommendations, and found a 2007 - 132K miles, $5000, up in Issaquah. Private owner, doesn't say if he's the first owner, and doesn't mention a Carfax. I've sent a message to ask. So you'd recommend something like this over my Option B?
     
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  4. carriebishop

    carriebishop New Member

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    Actually, never mind, probably. That one in Issaquah suspiciously has the exact same wording in the listing as a different Prius listed in Seattle, by a supposedly different person. Hmmm....I don't trust it. I'm guessing this is actually a dealership.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm loathe to comment here carrie, because most prius will do very well, but if you get a bad one, it can be an expensive fix, and there aren't many private hybrid mechanics, so you might wind up at a rip off dealer, and it sounds like finances are tight.
     
  6. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    She's fortunate to have a Prolong Hybrid Pro system at Auto Tech LLC: Welcome to your #1 Auto Repair Facility in Rochester, WA. We are your family-friendly neighborhood shop! Stop in at Auto Tech LLC and get acquainted! just north of the town she lives. The mechanics there work on hybrids and are eager to find more Prius / Hybrid car owners to justify the $4K they spent on Prolong Pro equiment to recondition hybrid batteries. Plus I'm a 1/2 hour further North and there's other Prius nerds in the area too. So less of a risk in that regard.
     
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  7. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    I will second that the Sacramento valley is a good place to get cars with almost no corrosion. Cars around here never get rust. I have never replaced any part due to rust.
     
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