My parents own Gen II, I am thinking about buying Gen I

I have no idea what your personal financial situation is, but if you have a loaded A6 and a Segway it seems like you could afford better than a high-mileage 2001 Prius with mechanical problems.

Anyway, if you're just looking for gas mileage for low $$, just got a Yaris, Echo, Honda Fit, etc. The Gen 1 Prius's fuel economy isn't that much better than the other cars, and you can get those other cars with much less mileage for the same cost. The emissions won't be as low, but they'll certainly be much better than the A6.

 

I disagree with the statement than the Gen 1 Prius' mileage isn't much better than some of the other cars listed. I looked into getting some of the cars mentioned before I bought my 2002 Prius in early March. While the other cars mentioned get great mileage for gasoline powered cars, my Classic Prius definitely gets better gas mileage (around 50 mpg) than most of those offer.

What sort of price have you been quoted for the car you are thinking of buying? Unless it is bargain basement priced, you might want to keep looking. The 2001s had some glitches, from what I was told, and I was steered by the good folks here into looking at a 2002 or 2003, vs. a 2001. For starters, the 2001 didn't offer cruise control, nor did it come with a side airbag option. Both, in my view, were enough to make me want a 2002 or newer.

I paid around $12K for a 2002 Prius with 65K miles, fully loaded with every option (including navigation) available that year, and in excellent condition. For me, I wanted the mpg the Prius offered, plus the environmentally friendly features. And the Gen 1 Prius was larger inside than most of the other cars mentioned.

Linda

 

Hi Matt,

The power steering is a weak point of Classic Prius. In advanced cases, the steering wheel will shake violently. It is impossible to drive the car safely. The fix is to replace the electric steering gear which will cost ~$2K.

The catalytic converter is another weak point due to the HCAC valve which tends to bind especially in areas of the country that apply salt to roads during the winter. Another ~$2K.

The transaxle is a big potential trouble spot. A minority of Classic Prius owners have had to pay $6K to have their transaxle replaced. It might be possible to obtain a salvage part, but it is a big job to replace this since the engine and transaxle must be removed as a unit from the car.

The traction battery is at or near end of life, at 177K miles. If this fails you will end up paying $4K to the dealer. There are very few salvage batteries currently available.

If you have a limited budget, my suggestion is that you buy an Echo or Corolla; or else continue to drive your current vehicle.

Regarding mpg, I would say that you can expect the Classic to log about 5 - 10% lower mpg compared to the 2G model.

Your msg says that you are concerned about the environment, etc. Just be aware that a Classic Prius with a high odometer reading cannot be counted upon to run forever, and don't be surprised if you are faced with big repair bills.

Good luck.

 

Ditto that. I wouldn't pay $6K for it.

 

Lol I saw that ad the other day on craigslist, "Almost no options", they're really selling that one! It says "keyless entry", but I bet they just lost the fob, I'm dead sure it came standard on the 01...

Definitely not a bargain considering the body damage, and potential repair costs everyone explained above. On the other hand, keep in mind that 177K is not always the end of a gen I Prius, they often last much longer, but buying one that old is a crapshoot.

With proper driving, the Classic Prius can get much better mileage than other econoboxes. It's a nice car too!

I recently paid $11,000 for one with 13000 miles on the clock, with "almost no options" ;-), cruise control, no CD or Nav (but keyless entry, auto climate control, and many standard features). The only options available are CD, CC, and nav.

Definitely hold out for something like mine or Linda's. It's such a great car, you'll love it!

 

I agree with everyone else. Not a good deal. there are other cars that you can get for 6k or less. A brief search on craigs showed up the following for my area:

2000 corolla
119K miles
Automatic
Clean Title / No Accident
Selling price: $5100

Toyota Corolla
Engine: 4-Cyl. 1.8 Liter, VE
Transmission: Automatic
Miles: 89,500
$6000

honda civic 2000 vp
100,000 miles Honda Civic VP with low profile tire and 17" rims.
$6000