?s about a used '07 I took on a test drive

1. There is a coolant tank on the driver's side that stores hot coolant when the car is turned off, and releases it to warm up the engine faster when the car is turn on. It should be more of a whirring, rather than a bubbling/gurgling, though. Check the engine coolant and see if it is pink (Toyota Super Long Life) and if it is at the correct level. If there is a problem, the warranty (powertrain) has already expired.

2. Mileage for short trips varies depending on if the car begins from a cold start or not. It is better to run the car for several minutes, then, from a stop, press the reset button.

3. Certified + extended warranty is a horror in terms of overpayment. The best value is from a private seller.

Mom and pop may not know that the 12V battery in the back can cause issues. Please search here for more information about testing and the consequences of a low 12V.

 

Those are normal, but get it checked out by a competent Prius mechanic.

 

i think 33 is low and might be a potential problem. i agree with all of the above and do your due dilagence if you want to go this route. a longer test drive at least is in order. all the best!

 

If the cars weren't equally warmed up & the display zeroed out before the trips the comparison is not valid. From a cold start the fuel economy is ~25mpg for the 1st 5 minutes. If you get 50mpg for the 2nd 5 minutes over the same distance you now have 37.5mpg over the 10 minutes so your numbers aren't out of line.

If the hybrid battery is "fully charged" at those lower speeds an experienced driver can get high fuel economy by running mostly on the battery. The downside is that when the battery is "low" the engine will run to recharge it so the FE will be low. Overall it averages out but on a short trip or test many variables make all the difference.

If you are in central or western PA & want to see fantastic fuel economy drive it down a mountain.

Go to Toyota Owners - Official Toyota Owners Website & register the VIN to see the dealer service records.

 

I really wouldn't be concerned about the mileage. It's not clear, like Jim says, if the trip mileage had been reset on the other car (probably wasn't), so that's likely all it is.

Take it for a longer test drive. Look more at the mpg bars than the average on such a short trip. By the second five-minute bar you should be in normal mpg territory.

 

I'm an advocate of buying a certified used Prius, If you can find one. If you do find one, you won't need a service contract. Try searching this link Toyota Certified Used Vehicles, and expand your zip code search accordingly.

I definitely would not buy from "Mom/Pop" used car lots or any independent used dealer, except maybe CarMax.

 

One can buy used from other than a Toyota dealer, but you are highly advised to pay a Toyota certified technician (most of them are at dealers) to thoroughly check out the car before you buy. If it turns out clean then it's probably fine.