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2014 Plug in Advanced vs 2012 IV purchase

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by joeynickels, Dec 16, 2020.

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  1. joeynickels

    joeynickels Junior Member

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    Cross post from Gen 3 forum bc i didn't get any feedback there.

    So i'm on the search for a Gen 3 Prius, it'll be my first, and my first car in about 15 years. Between the following two, which seems the better deal? Or should I pass on both? Before I give the car deets, I should say that in my area (Northern California), prices are high and seem to be on the rise in general because pandemic. I had set my budget at $10k before taxes/fees, but can stretch it a bit.

    Well I tried to include links to the cars, especially since they include carfax reports, but it looks like I'm not allowed to post links as this is my first post.

    Car #1 is a 2012, Prius IV (mistakenly advertised as a V, but those didn't have the solar package option), with 111,377 miles, for $9,862 (recently reduced from $10,500). I like that it has the moonroof and solar package despite the limitations. I plan to do a lot of camping so the moonroof will be nice and the extra ventilation is gravy. It's also got the tech package with larger touch screen, premium sound (which i was hoping for), HUD etc. I also like the black rims under the caps, which i'd remove. The carfax shows very regular serving.

    Car #2 in a 2014 Prius Plug-in Advanced, with 99,008 miles for $10,957. It's the advanced plug in so it's got features i don't even know about, along with the premium sound and HUD etc, and of course the extended electric only range which for much of the time will come in very handy for around town use, although I've read it has a smaller gas tank which would mean more refueling on long trips, which I plan on doing regularly. It's two years newer and has about 10k miles less than car #1, but no moon roof/solar and not my preferred rims. Oh and it has a hitch and roof rails. The carfax on this doesn't detail the services.

    Are these a wash? As far as I can tell both are a decent price for my area if not bargains. Both are from an Autonation dealer and are listed as "1price" and "no haggle" so I wouldn't be able to negotiate a lower price, or so I'm led to believe.

    Or is neither worth pursuing? I know opinions vary on how many miles is too many for a used Prius. I'd prefer one with fewer miles but the price really jumps. Cars with 50k miles are more like $15k. I've seen one being sold by private party for $13k that had 45k but otherwise it wasn't appealing. I'm not interested in a Gen 4 as there will be a price jump and i happen to find them butt ugly. Don't judge me for wanting a car i find attractive!

    Any advice and opinions appreciated.
     
    #1 joeynickels, Dec 16, 2020
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they both look fine, and it's really personal preference of options.

    plug in has no spare, and no storage under the hatch floor. the good news is no one has replaced a battery yet.
    keep in mind, they are both potentially going to need a head gasket, if not entire engine.
     
    #2 bisco, Dec 16, 2020
  3. Yea Right

    Yea Right Active Member

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    I like the PIP a little better, newer and less miles. I disagree with Bisco a little on the head gasket. Both are less than 120K miles, so a proper EGR cleaning/servicing should be in order and that should take care of head gasket concerns for a long time.
     
    #3 Yea Right, Dec 16, 2020
    nesoccer and bisco like this.
  4. ThatOddMan

    ThatOddMan Junior Member

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    Try checking the Toyota Owners website for the service history.

    The 2014 PiP Advance has already been used for towing for an unknown weight and for an unknown number of times... check wheel bearing probably.

    Any accidents on those two?

    Based on your post, everything will depend and boils down on your personal preferences and priorities.

    If bells and whistles are not your priority, then check the gen4 standard Prius.

    But if you can up your budget to probably $17k or $18k, then get the Prius Prime Prium trim level instead. And if you are willing to drive for around 150 miles one way.

    Mine is a 2014 PiP Base (S-Grade according to Toyota Owners website). Has around 159k miles on it but it has around 143k miles (or 146k miles.. I dont remember which one) when I bought it. So far it has been great. Only big thing I replaced are the 4 tires since purchasing the car. The rest are on Toyota's recommended maintenance schedule. Still uses the original HV battery and 12v battery. Wheel bearings will be next on scheduled replacement though.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #4 ThatOddMan, Dec 20, 2020
  5. ThatOddMan

    ThatOddMan Junior Member

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    Gen4 and the Prius Prime can have a "butt ugly" exterior, depending on who you ask, but has way better interior and features than the gen3 and gen1 plugin.

    Gen4 and Prius Prime is pretty much much worth it if you can find a good deal.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 ThatOddMan, Dec 20, 2020
  6. joeynickels

    joeynickels Junior Member

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    Oh right, I hadn't considered that. The 2012 carfax does list a minor accident. But otherwise it had very consistent service history and only one owner, whereas the 2014 PiP doesn't have any detail about service history and 3 owners.

    I didn't know about the Toyota owners website, i'll check it out. I assume it'll let me search vehicle history?

    Right now i'm leaning towards the 2012 as it's within my budget and i like the 1 owner, service history and options. But I'm also taking my time and looking at listings for used Priuses daily in case a good deal shows up. Now that I'm actively looking, i'm not finding any but when i wasn't yet ready/able to purchase i'd come across all sorts of tasty deals, go figure.
     
    #6 joeynickels, Dec 20, 2020
  7. Sarge

    Sarge Senior Member

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    I actually have a 2014 PiP "Technology", which is the Canadian equivalent of Advanced in the US. It is a great car, and as others have mentioned, the decisions seems very close based on what you describe. I do agree that lack of moonroof availability is disappointing for me (as I miss having one in one of my prior vehicles), but the plug-in capability was more important to me. Another factor not mentioned here is whether the PiP still gets HOV lane privileges (not sure if CA still allows that?), but that was a BIG factor for me in Toronto. I think the cost difference will close somewhat with the PiP if you plug in very often, but of course it is a very small battery.

    As someone mentioned above, the hitch is intriguing if you are an outdoorsy type as it would be handy for a bike rack, but there is the risk of unknown on whether a prior owner towed heavy things with it. I would certainly try to have the PiP inspected by a different hybrid specialist if you can. Also the lack of spare is a consideration with the PiP, if you plan to go to remote areas.

    I think it basically comes down to how important the moonroof and rims are to you vs having plugin capability. Personally, I would lean toward the PiP as long as there are no mechanical surprises with an inspection (but that's me), I think you should be good with either one.

    That being said though, the Prime is also quite a leap forward over either Gen 3 if you have the budget to step up to that, you could probably find a used 2017 or 2018 vehicle for a decent price, particularly if you are willing to concede higher mileage (which is generally not as hard on a newer vehicle, since it was likely a high ratio of highway miles...)

    Good luck with your decision!
     
    #7 Sarge, Dec 22, 2020
    M M likes this.
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