New member here but I've been looking for a prius for a while now that's in my price range. I will be checking out my first prius today. It's a 2010 Prius III with 33k miles for $8.5k. I've never seen one with that low miles below $10k. Single owner who is about 70yrs old and he said the car was serviced regularly at a local shop that specializes in hybrids. I've read about the oil burn issues with the 2010 but I shouldnt have that problem for a while, right? Also am I right thinking that this is a good deal and should get it, if it looks okay? Currently I have a 1996 Corolla 192k miles (daily driver) and a 2003 Corvette Z06 (Garage Queen). If I do get the prius, it will be replacing my Corolla.
That seems like a too good to be true deal.. Be aware of odometer tampering/dash replacement. But if it’s coming from a seemingly nice older person , it could just be a steal. Usually deals like this from a used dealership are what raise red flags for me. But I would still get a pre-purchase inspection (if you are willing to pay it). Also, is this clean title?
welcome! low miles is bad for the hybrid battery. 33,000/9 years = 3,600 miles/year. figure in the cost of a new battery down the road. all the best!
use kbb.com to determine the value in your zip code. i know hawaii is expensive. and call for battery pricing, i can't imagine what they cost there.
My hunch is that this could be a very good buy. Make sure you invest in a carfax report. I love low mileage cars, but some of the extremely low mile vehicles are because the car was in an accident and off the road for a long period of time. As bisco wrote, have a fund ready for a replacement battery. Many here believe that the life of the hybrid battery is based on years, more so than miles. Ten years is a conservative estimate for its lifespan, and this car is approaching it's 10th birthday. Good luck.
Kbb in very good condition is $11,800 New Toyota oem battery $3750 So would an offer of $8k be good or too low?
i would start there, and see what they say. you can always come up. and the battery isn't likely to need replacing right away if someone has been driving it. i must say, that is a very reasonable battery price for an island. even if you just want to give him the 8.5 k, i don't have a problem with it
the good news is that you're getting a car that you should be able to control the egr circuit on right from the get go. whereas most here found out late. or too late. clean it, install catch can, change the oil every 5k with synthetic, and watch the level every week to keep it topped up all the best!
I agree with @bisco . Great deal, and you can stay diligently on top of all the maintenence to keep that car in great shape for a long time, even accounting for a potential new battery. I'd add that after 50K miles maybe start doing BG EPR, MOA, and 44K with your oil changes and you may be able to mitigate oil burning once the miles start adding up.
Thanks. I ended up settling on his asking price. The car was in very good condition. It had minor scratches and dings but overall it was well taken care of. When I called toyota, I was expecting 5k for a battery but that price was including the core charge. But I think I will look into newpriusbatteries when the time comes. I pick the car up tomorrow. I plan to call the auto shop today to see if they have service history on file.
I just seen a new ad for a 2010 Prius V (leather, nav, etc.) with 66k miles for $8600. Looks to be in very good condition as well. Kbb for the III I'm buying is $11.8k while the V is $10k which is pretty surprising. Assuming the condition of the cars are equal, which is the better buy?
I think the V looks a little fishy. That person has 2 vehicles for sale. A tacoma and a prius. Could be a used car dealer posting in the owners section.
Unless you have a very strong desire for the bells and whistles that come with a V, stick with the III - it's a better deal, particularly if the maintenance records check out. Keep in mind that the KBB values seem to be about 1K - 2K on the optimistic side, at least here in GA. May be different for you. I'm always bothered by paying asking price, though. It feels like you're leaving money on the table. Check out this other car, maybe you can re-negotiate with the original seller if you have 2 cars available that you are equally happy with.
Look into hyper-mile (hyper-mill;not sure of exact spelling). I wasn’t aware of this type of driving until I started really looking around this forum. I literally improved my mpg by 10mpg in a few days ( just as video said it would improve). My car is a 2010 as well and I had a hybrid certified mechanic do a “superficial” hybrid battery check for free while he was doing something else to car. All the cells turned out fine. If you want to get an in-depth hybrid battery check, I believe the dealer offers it (in the ~$100 range).
