Help! Choosing among various prius model

i wouldn't purchase a used car that i couldn't take a good hard look at and a long test drive under many conditions. all the best!

 

The solar/moon roof is very nice to have. You can buy any factory or aftermarket part and bolt it on a Prius to get options you either couldn't find or afford initially. As Bisco said, best to be able to get a hands on test drive and see for yourself exactly what you are buying. Dianne at Carson Toyota in Southern California is a good person/dealer to purchase remotely and ship the car across the country. I'd say no more than a grand to haul a car on a transport rig across the country. Less if closer to the pick up location. Prius is a awesome long distance car so a one way flight and a drive home is practical

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

 

The Prius is a relatively high-volume car and you should be able to find a good assortment of used units for sale within a couple hundred miles unless you live someplace very remote. Heck, even here in Michigan, ground zero for anti-Prius sentiment, I see 32 used units (2011-2013, under 60K miles) within 100 miles of home.

 

I always purchase remotely. You sometimes have to do a little noodle work with taxes, and if you live in an oppressed state that does not allow cars from "ferign" states to be imported (TX isn't one of those) it can be a bit more of a pain...but competition is a wonderful thing!
I usually look local first.....but nearly always wind up expanding my search grid.
The last 2-3 times I bought out of state, I made it a weekend getaway with my wife, so my transportation costs were gas and a nice hotel room.
YMMV.

It depends on what you mean by "fair" and whether you're buying from a dealer or a private seller.
OEM dealers always shaft people on their trade in's. It's not unusual at all for them to make more money on the left (used) side of the lot than they do on the right.
If I were to buy from a dealer I would start negotiating at the KBB trade-in price, since that's probably a little more than they have in the car.
Usually the OEM dealers will keep their good trade-ins and auction off the high mileage, abused, previously wrecked trade-ins. These are the ones that wind up on the 436 "Buy Here - Pay Here" lots that your city probably has.
There are good deals to be had in some of these lots, but remember that they were kicked to the curb by their previous owners, and then it happened AGAIN after they traded it in.
There are exceptions to this rule.
Any used car salesperson with a three digit IQ and a little bit of a work ethic (they do exist!) will be doing the same thing that you are doing.......looking for a killer deal. Sometimes they find a private sale with a good clean one owner cream-puff that they'll bolt a 2000 dollar profit margin onto and try to gig you with.
Obviously YOU want to be the one who gets the 1-owner cream puff from the one owner.....and it can be done easily if you do the noodle dance.
Get pre-approved from a CU or regional bank....FIRST.
Now.
Then?
Start hunting.
Even if you wind up at a weaselly, thieving dealership you'll just get ripped off for the car, and not the car AND the financing.

I'm the wrong person to ask. I typically buy base models....but at least you're not buying a NEW car with a lot of options.
The next time you have KBB spooled up, play with it a little bit and determine what THEY think that the different option levels are worth.
You might be surprised. OEMs make a LOT of money on options...and these suffer depreciation more acutely than the rest of the car does, AND it's just another doo-dad that will have to be eventually repaired or explained away when it's time for YOU to sell the car.
Base is better----financially.
YMMV.

I believe it's possible. Just don't do what all of the goofy kids are doing and plug "HID Wanna-be" blue bulbs into a 4.



Good Luck!

 

I just put down a deposit on a used 2012 Series 5 that I am be buying remote. It has under 10k miles for a price under $23,000. The car is also certified used. My wife and I are going to fly out and take a long weekend to drive it home.

This is the second time I will be buying a car this way. I just sold my 2004 Acura TSX that I bought back in 2005 I bought remote.

My process:
1) Research to identify the exact car I want.
2) Test drive that exact car locally
3) Watch internet for certified used at a good price.
4) Fly out, use some of the savings for a mini-vacation, drive it home

It took several months in each case to get a price I was comfortable.

In both cases I have saved about $4,000 versus buying local.

Both cars are certified used and being sold by dealers.

The certification extends the warranty for added piece of mind.

Both dealers picked me up from the airport free of charge.

 

How many miles to drive home? Hope it turns out to be perfect and you 2 have an awesome vacation. Road trips are tons of fun ;-)

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

 

Our drive is from Denver to Milwaukee, so about 17 hours. We plan on hitting up a bunch of breweries while we are out there. We got lucky with plane tickets. They are $69 a piece.

The Prius is the base five and does not have the AT. The only thing we comprised on was the color. In a perfect world we would have gotten a Winter Grey or Blizzard Pearl. It is Nautical Blue which is fine. I am glad it is not Sea Glass Pearl.

If the AT is a must have for you, that does not change how I would go about remote shopping. Test drive the exact car you want locally, and wait for a great deal to become available on-line.

 

That'll be a fun road trip Safe travels.

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

 

That is the one I am buying out of Fort Morgan.

 

They have it listed as a four, but it has the five upgrades.

 

Hope the experts chime in. The warranty is up to you but you can buy extended factory warranty's on this forum for a lot less than dealers charge.

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

 

I am always dubious about anything being pushed on me by anyone, especially with a large purchase such as a car. His excuse that the car is electronic and thus prone to breaking down is crap. I personally would move onto another option if a salesperson were making me uncomfortable with their pressure tactics.

Are you buying from a Toyota dealer?

Did he explain why the car has not already been certified used?

How many miles are on the car?

Does it have a Carfax report? That report should tell you approximately how many miles/time are left on the original warranty.

 

Find out what that $400 certified covers and for how long. Does the car come with factory floor mats and a rear cargo mat? If not then you could say yes to the certified but throw in factory mats including the cargo mat or something else to sweeten the deal. I have never had GAP insurance. Hope some others chime in soon. How soon until your flight?

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

 

According to their website 36,000 or 3 years seems like bumper to bumper to me. They do not list any exclusions other than normal wear. Does the certification warranty run congruent with the existing warranty? Do you have 2 years 19,000 miles left and the additional certification warranty is used up in the same time frame? Does the certification warranty kick in after your existing one ends meaning you have a 3 year, 31,000 mile limit?

I do not even know what Gap insurance is. Seems like another way for the sales guy to suck money out of you for no other reason than pure profit.