Prius 2010 II at $10,790: Should I do it?

If you are doing short runs in the city and only one run on the highway a week, I would be concerned about long term health of the battery. One thing that helps keep the battery in good shape is a frrquent run to keep the charge up.

I do 37 miles each way to work. Have 143 k miles on our 2010 Prius II and enjoy the car. It is also our trip car, so there are frrquent runs to charge and keep the battery up. There have been no major repairs or issues and the battery is still running great.

Heat and hills are the usual reasons that batteries fail.

 

I have a 2010 that my wife drives and it still under California warranty for 10yr/150 miles. It has about 90k miles now.

It has been quite reliable except for a steering intermediate shaft issue, that would have set me back a few hundred dollars. But Toyota covered this repair when I complained. It also burns oil at about 1qt every 2500 miles.

The battery however seems very weak now and I don't think I'll make it much longer past this year. I have 7 other prius cars to compare to and this is what I'm experiencing in this car. I'm confident I'll be getting a new battery from Toyota soon.

Michigan doesn't have the same warranty as California, it's 8 yr/100k miles. If it goes beyond that, you would have to pay for the expensive battery.

 

Do it.

 

Look for what you can get for $4000. Your goal is a prius later

 

Just do a search and see what's out there. 10 years old

 

Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe might be in that price range, try to get a manual transmission. The Vibe is basically a Toyota rebadged as a Pontiac.

If you want to go for a prius and want to get a really good deal, try to have your financing already in place, that way it's basically like your have the full amount in cash and can make some serious offers.

You might also want to look into a Prius C, based on the description of your commute it would suite you better than a regular Prius.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Sam, are you looking through cars.com?

I come from a long line of Oldsmobiles. I'm surprised you can still keep yours running. I bought my first Prius in 2006 for the low maintenance and operating costs. In 2009 I had to replace it and bought the 2010.

As cars age they require more maintenance and will need repairs. You need to have an emergency fund so you can cover whatever repairs your car will need as you well know with the Olds. We can't tell you how long any given Prius will run on the original traction battery. There are some early failures in year 9. There are many cars a lot older than 10 years on the original packs. Just because the warranty expires that doesn't mean the part is going to fail.

Just on a monetary basis the overall cheapest car is a POS that is run into the ground and scrapped but that probably isn't going to improve your quality of life. Keep looking for a Prius. If the best deal you can find is the car you are looking at then buy it.

The seller knows what he wants and will accept. The buyer knows what he is willing to pay. Instead of asking "will you take less" the buyer should make a counter-offer. Be patient and don't buy in haste. If the seller can sense your desperation or attachment to the car there's no incentive to lower the price.

 

A couple of points:

1) Being in a rush to buy a car is almost always a recipe for disaster, or at least having to pay more than a car is worth.

2) You should always plan for the worst. What happens if you loose your job? If you're making payments, will you lose your car too? If you have a backup plan, or financial support and/or a place to live rent-free, buying the Prius is a lot less risky.

3) Buying a used car is always a gamble. What car will give you less risk? Also, if something looks to be too good to be true, it probably is. Always get independent inspections.

4) Looking on Craigslist and Cargurus, I saw that there were some Gen 2's for sale in the $5 - $6,000 range. Might be worth a look.

5) Last point - buying a car with a loan from a bank is an excellent way to build credit. Having a good credit score is important. Defaulting on that loan, or even making late payments, is an excellent way to ruin your credit. If you do get the car loan, be absolutely certain that you can guarantee making that payment on time every month.

 

Yes, I found my prius on cars.com

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

As long it's a Toyota, they last forever. I have full service records of my 09, no break downs or repairs what so ever with the past 7 years with the exception of a few recall fixes like the water pump. Toyotas hold thier vaule well. HV Traction battery is a mystery of how long they last since no one really knows as most live up to 10 years or more while some less. Once you replace it, the car can keep going for another 10+ years or more.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

With a Prius....
And someone making a significant investment in relationship to budget, I think one must look at ability to purchase....AND ability to absorb any Hybrid maintenance issues that can arise once outside of warranty.

If the Hybrid battery replacement would SINK the whole ownership experience? Then I have to recommend against it.
And that's NOT to say a 2010 with less than 100,000 miles WOULD have a Hybrid Battery Failure, just that if on a limited budget I think one has to look at worst case scenario's.

No used car comes without risk...but if on a limited budget I think sometimes postponing Prius Ownership can be a good decision.

Plethora of vehicles with good reliability reputations. Corolla's have great reputations. As most all Toyota products. I currently own a Honda Fit...and I like Honda Products as well.

If I'm a fan of anything? I'd say stick with Toyota or Honda....but admittedly I have grown up in a family that have bought and owned a LOT of Toyota and Honda's.

 

I would go say go ahead and buy it I have a 2010 that I bought with 89,000 miles I've had it now for two years it's at 120,000 and no issues whatsoever I paid 7900 for the car mine is three with a solar roof I couldn't be happier this is my third Prius I plan on you until 200000miles