Thoughts on this 2013 Toyota Prius 4 and if it's a good deal to purchase?

OK...it's up to you.
Sounded shady to me.
Usually when you buy an extended warranty it's all wrapped into the entire purchase price of the vehicle, so you're paying for it with within your monthly payments. If the vehicle is paid off..then the warranty is paid off.
IMO there's a difference between we've belatedly decided the extended warranty adds value to the vehicle therefore we would like to charge you $700 more...and we're asking for $700 to transfer the warranty.

If the warranty is paid off...and you say no? What happens? Can they (original owners) cancel the warranty and get that $700 rebate?

And the story is kind of changing isn't it?
You originally said you were specifically being asked to pay a fee to transfer the warranty. Now it's not a warranty transfer fee, but what they are calculating is the remaining cost they are paying or would have to pay?

Sorry High School friends parents or not, sounds strange at least to me.

 

Just to compare apples to apples, what other cars are you considering and how long/ how many miles do you want to put on it?

Pixel XL ?

 

Car buying is stressful for sure.

Some thoughts.

With the current seller's market for used cars - $12k with such low mileage is probably a good deal. Not sure how much a 2013 Corolla would cost but it probably won't be as well equipped.

True, replacing the hybrid battery can get expensive but look at the positives. Hybrid batteries are trending cheaper each year and they're only a few hours of labor to replace one. Hybrid batteries usually last at least 200k miles on this forum. The engine should be just broken in at the current mileage. Engines are more expensive to replace on a Prius than a hybrid battery. The Prius transmission is bulletproof if you change the fluid before 100k. It should out last the car. This is not true for most cars. The electronics rarely break down compared to the mechanical parts.

Comparing Prius vs. Corolla and gasoline @$3/gal means you'll be $3k ahead at 73k miles. There's also less brake maintenance on a Prius. Use that $3k to save up for another hybrid battery.

Pixel XL ?

 

My preowned '14 that came with an extended warranty (purchased by the original owner). I was charged $50 from Toyota to take it over. That was it.

If you call Toyota North America customer service with the VIN#, they will confirm the transfer price. I'm guessing that the current owners might be able to get $700 back for their unused portion. Maybe the customer service rep can confirm if that is correct.

I would not pay $700- or anything close to it for the remainder of the warranty. I haven't used a penny of my warranty and there's a good chance I won't. I've had to change brake pads, fluids, filters, etc...but none of that is covered under warranty. And if the hybrid battery goes out, the extended warranty doesn't help there, but you still have ~3 years left on the manufacturer warranty. That gives you 3 years of a peace of mind, especially because you'll also have an extended IPM warranty (you can do a search).

If you buy this Prius, follow up with customer service. If the current owners don't follow the proper procedures to get a partial refund, you might have the extended warranty transferred over after all. Good luck.

 

Go to your library and look up the Consumer Reports Used Car reliability reports. The '13 Prius is extremely reliable with most of the components rating as much better than average.

I purchased a hybrid because I wanted high mpg without having to work hard at it (hypermiling, driving slower than usual, etc...), and the car is a perfect fit for me. Others are very green. What's your reason for a hybrid?

 

Some other things to consider. A hybrid engine runs only 50-60% of the time. Tune ups last twice as long. No belts or pulleys on a Prius. Prius has a better A/C system and less maintenance...

Pixel XL ?

 

Me? I would buy this vehicle from what you have described. But that's me.

If I were you, I'd probably pass.

 

It's hard to answer without knowing what you're looking for in a vehicle. But there are other vehicles that have more comfortable seats, a higher driving position, more headroom, more cargo space, smaller blind spots, better handling, and quicker acceleration. Most of what I don't like is what one needs to sacrifice to maximize fuel economy.

But if getting 45-50 mpg doesn't get you excited, it probably won't be worth it. At least you would be covered until '21 for the hybrid battery.

 

jags, how much have you driven this car? Enough to get a feel if you'd like it?

Under warranty, this is a very easy car to own, IMO. But one expensive repair and you'd fall out of love with the car.

 

not, that is just the state of charge. the icon goes from full to two bars and everywhere in between. it's a fun thing for newbies, but uninformative.

auto zone can test the 12v, i wouldn't bother.

the hybrid battery has 3 more years, testing won't help.