I'm considering a Prius but...

they are expensive repairs compared to a regular car. unless you can find used parts and diy, or have a god mechanic, they can be several thousands of dollars. prius has a number of systems that are expensive to repair, and it's not a good idea to drive an old one, unless you're prepared to deal with any potential issues.

 

unfortunately, no. they can be working one day, and bad the next. you can have a car checked out by a dealer, but they can only tell you whats working and what isn't at the moment.
it's not a large percentage, but still something anyone with a 10 year old, high mileage vehicle should be prepared for.

 

I suggest you find out what is wrong with your current car first.

If it does not cost too much to repair, I would just keep it since you know the history of your car and I assume you have taken care of it.

Your insurance will be cheaper, you won't have any car payments and have $5k sitting in the bank earning you interest minus the cost to repair your current car.

With a budget of $5k for another person's used car, I say forget it. Very hard to find a reliable and well taken care of car.


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all the best!

 

While I am a huge fan of the 2nd-gen Pri, I would also suggest waiting until you are able to spend more on one. For $5,000, you'll likely end up with something near the end of its design life. From what I've absorbed, the high-voltage battery isn't that much of a concern. There are other components (the transaxle, multi-function display, inverter, various ECUs, etc) that can go bad and be prohibitively expensive to take care of.

If I were to spend $5k on a car today, I'd probably opt for something simpler, with fewer miles on the odometer, like a manual-transmission Scion xA or Mazda2.

 

With only $5k to spend, I'd also advise against an older and higher mileage Prius, simply because if anything breaks on it, it'll likely cost more to repair due to having two powertrains to look at, the gas and electric components.

If your current car costs a lot more to fix than you're comfortable with, I would recommend doubling the amount you're willing to spend on another car, so that you broaden the range of cars you can afford.

If money isn't extremely tight, considering getting a loan, save as much of that $5k as you can, then do the minimum monthly payments until you saved enough to pay off the rest of the loan after a year or so. So long as there's no early prepayment penalty, this would be a good way to also build your credit. Try to get a loan at a credit union rather than a national bank if possible, as their interest rates tend to be lower.

If you have a garage, want to cut your gas usage even more, and your round trip work commute isn't 60+ miles, you should consider a used Chevy Volt too. You can do the first 30-50 miles on electric, depending on temps and your driving habits. It does take premium gas, but it gets about 37 mpg when running on gas. Used ones can be had for $9-15k, so a bit over your budget range unless you can increase it. But keep in mind it cost $35-40k when it was new, so it'll be a lot more comfy than an econocar will be.

The cost is due to a variety of factors, the plug-in tax credit, the Gen 2 Volt coming out, "low" gas prices driving demand down for hybrids/plug-ins, and people just misunderstanding the car. But this works very well in your favor as a used car buyer in the form of lower prices.

It is a compact 4 seater, so if you have a big family that takes trips regularly, it may not work out. But if you're looking for a 1 person commuter car, it's great and will save you more money overall.

If you don't do any long distance trips, or can just rent a gas car when you do need to do one, a used Nissan Leaf might be worth looking into as well. They have no gas engine at all, so that's less maintenance, but you can also get stranded if you drive too far without charging it up or finding reliable charging stations. But if all you plan to do with it is do a say, 40 mile round trip work commute, it should handle fine.

Just keep an eye on the number of bars it has to see if the battery suffered range degradation due to hot climate use. The Volt doesn't have this problem because its battery is liquid cooled, compared to the air-cooled design of the Leaf.

Just other options you can look into.

 

The truecar site is a good place to shop. Companies like AAA & USAA license their car buying services. I haven't compared the AAA & truecar prices or the recommended dealers. They can also be used as a bargaining chip at a nonparticipating dealer.

 

Fine.
But as has now been told to you by multiple posters, a used $5000 dollar Prius may not be the best solution for you.

That price range just doesn't put you in a Prius with the best chances for reliability. And if you're budgeted down to that price range, I'm assuming you don't have a lot set aside for maintenance or repair.

Just in general about the ONLY time I really recommend that someone might buy a Prius in the lower end of the used car pricing market, is if they are really experienced, confident or actually just want, a DIY project. If you want, or feel you can handle some potentially complicated and expensive repair work? Then the investment might be worth it. Otherwise, I'd pass.

Because the real risk is investing $5000 into a vehicle that is going to break down and leave you with a repair you cannot afford.
On the age of Prius that probably has you looking at? I'd want $3000-$5000 set aside for possible Hybrid Battery replacement and other issues that might arise.

They are reliable vehicles, but like all machines they become vulnerable as they age. And again as pointed out, Prius have some expensive things that can go wrong.

 

I recommend finding a Gen 2 with less than 125k mi but more than 75k. On occasion one of those can be found for $6k. Preferably with Toyota service records. If the records looks good it should be ok. They are pretty reliable cars.


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I can't help but to weigh in here. As all of you know it kills me to see someone come here interested in buying a Prius only to be told buy a Corolla or Civic. Once again, I say buy a Prius but, I do agree with the chorus of $5000 is just not enough for a good one. Of course I am only one data point but, I've owned 4 Toyota Hybrids and 3 out of 4 had over 100k miles on them. My current 05 is 11 yrs old w/ 175+k miles and still running great on the original battery.

My recommendation is to buy a Prius but spend the extra money to get a well maintained 06 or above with around 100k miles. Corollas and Civics don't compare to the Prius in my view. I can't stand a car that doesn't shut off when I release the accelerator. That's just a waste.

A cursory look on AutoTrader in your area turns up this one that I think is worth looking at.

Cars for Sale: 2006 Toyota Prius in Portland, OR 97214: Hatchback Details - 417783694 - Autotrader

It's pretty much fully loaded w/ the exception of Leather. As a general rule, people who buy a fully loaded car tend to take better care of them. There are exceptions but, this one appears to have been well cared for. There are no noticeable dents and the paint appears in great shape.

I'd go there and offer them $7000 out the door. This is a fly by night dealer so watch the "documentation fees". That's where they make most of their money.

 

herb, you sound like an intelligent young man. this is a difficult road, and i applaude your diligence. all the best with your decision.

 

Dont buy a civic hybrid they are good below 100k but money pit as they age I know I just get rid of mine. I got rid of my 2008 it was 110k never put a dim since I own it but both batteries were cook 3k, transmission slipping 4k, air con was cook, and need another miscellaneous of 800$. dealer give me 4000$ I was lucky!