05' or 08' Prius. Im buying one and need advice...

If it were me i think it would be the 05 -both lower miles and lower price would win out. I do not care about leather and almost never use the camera in my 09. I do not have nav, but the one friend I have with Prius nav refuses to use it since it is so bad.

 

I'd say go for the '08 given the small price difference.

Why?

1. Side curtain air bags. The '08 almost certainly has them (but check on that) and the '05 almost certainly doesn't. With side air bags you can walk away from many side-impact collisions that would otherwise be fatal. Check out the iihs.org website and compare the '05 and '08 side impact ratings.

2. '08 is a less-old car, and it's not all about mileage, it's also age.

3. NAV is nice, if you like that kind of thing. Given the value of side airbags, consider the nav as a bonus.

4. Higher-res MFD. I Think '06+ has the higher-res screens... not sure how much better it looks (I've got an '09).

5. Backup Cam. I was sure it was dorky and useless, but now I've become used to it, and I enjoy backing up to within an inch of cars behind me when parallel parking... what used to take skill is now easy with the cam.

6. VSC. The '08 probably has it (but check!), and again, like airbags, a good safety feature to have. Reduces car rollovers by about 25%, I think it's now mandatory as of 2012.


Other than that, it's all about the colour you choose!

 

I'd agree with this (though my 2005 Prius does have side airbags), and encourage you to think a little about re-sell value when you're through with the vehicle. Chances are, depending on your driving habits, that when you've had enough of the vehicle, the 15,000 miles difference will be less of a factor in its' resell value than the three year more recent model year. Try plugging in both models into the Kelly blue book calculator, or similar engine, to see the value you're getting and how different mileage or model year alters that value.

Another thing to think about, perhaps, is how soon you'd like to deal with dealers pushing the 100,000 mile replacements at you. Generally, you'll have to spend a few hundred dollars on a new water pump for the gasoline engine around that point [there are 2 water pumps in a prius - one for the gasoline engine and one for the electric engine which for the 2004 -2007 Prius is under recall (free replacement)]. This is more true of the 2005 Prius than the 2008, so it might be a wash in terms of miles versus newness.

Also, consider this (if you're in California, it's 10yr/150k):
Hybrid-related components for hybrid vehicles are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. The HV battery may have longer coverage under emissions warranty.

Finally, I'd add that having a 3-year newer battery is worth a price premium.

PS - blue is nicer than tan

 

I'd normally go for the newer one, esp. since 06+ Priuses had an aux input jack as an option.

Another factor is the 10 year/150K mile HV battery warranty, assuming the cars have been bought, registered and operated in CARB states (check their history). I would suggest confirming via the warranty booklets in each whether NY (or the other states where the car was registered) is mentioned in the warranty booklet for 10 year/150K mile HV battery warranty. For some states, it started later. See http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...attery-warranty-carb-state-2.html#post1402132. I don't know if seilerts' years are accurate.

 

Even on my 2010, the factory nav is, umm, lackluster to say the least and unless they bought the expensive upgrade DVD's both cars are years out of date. You could use the savings on the 05 and invest in a MUCH nicer nav/sound system with backup cam, bluetooth, etc. You can also get aftermarket leather seat covers that according to reviews here are quite nice but getting both would most likely push you over the savings limit.

edit: good point on the warranty Cwerdna