Looking to buy have 12000 to 14000 to spend

14k will get you a nice basic 08 with 25k miles. you should get between 40 and 60 mpg depending on how and where you drive. prices are going up with the average cost of gas, not veggie oil. there is no major maintenance for the first 100k.

 

While many of us are getting over 50, average is a bit lower.

The latest generation is rated 50 mpg combined, but only 48 mpg on the highway. User reports at fueleconomy.gov average 48.6 combined.

Your budget will put you into the previous generation. The 2008 is rated 45 highway, with user reports averaging 46.3 combined. The middle 80% of users are between 42 and 51 mpg.

In either generation, mpg will go down for higher speeds, shorter trips, or colder weather.

 

50,000 miles is a good point. You get to take advantage of a lot of depreciation, but the car still has 10,000 miles on the 5/60 powertrain warranty.

2008, 2009 have had the most wrinkles ironed out. There might be an '08 out there with 50K miles for $14K or so, depending on the options. SmartKey is really nice.

Regardless of mileage, it is important to change the transaxle fluid as soon as possible.

 

The Prius has no timing belt, it uses a timing chain.

Since the OP is in CT, which is a CARB emission states, I highly recommend you get one that was bought and registered solely in CT or other CARB states. You will get the benefit of the 10 year/150K mile HV battery warranty, 15 year/150K mile emissions warranty, and a few others over the basic warranty (Toyota Prius Warranty and Coverage, this is is for the 3rd gen, but appears unchanged from the 2nd gen).

My lifetime average is ~45 mpg (used to be ~46 mpg) and falling because of my short city drives now. YMMV and can vary a lot depending on your commute, type of drive (city vs. highway), trip length, temps. I could achieve >50 mpg on a "tank" in my old commute if I kept my speeds <70 mph.

If you have expectations based on EPA mileage, please read http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html. Also see Most fuel-efficient cars.

These other links might help:
http://priuschat.com/forums/dealers-pricing/88518-18-000-please-help-me.html#post1241833
http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...andard-optional-equipment-some-countries.html
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ed-prius-need-help-what-look.html#post1215778
http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/88979-used-prius-buyer-best-model-year.html

The inverter water pump mentioned is now covered by:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ump-dealer-letter-technical-instructions.html
The problem (optional) HID headlights on some years has an extended warranty now: Toyota finally forced to pay for 2006-2009 Prius headlight repairs | PriusChat. FWIW, my 06 Prius w/HIDs started experiencing one light going out yesterday. I'm 1.5 months past the 5 years and ~800 miles past the 50K miles. :/ I've gathered that http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/compatibility-chart/B00480J4J6/ref=au_pf_dp_chart is a suitable replacement and people here have done it themselves w/paying exorbitant charges at a dealer.

The problem MFD on some 04-05 models is due to a broken connection (http://www.techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/). I hear re-manufactured ones can be had for $500 but IIRC, pEEf can fix them for less.

There is also a problem "combination meter" (it's your speedo and odo) that has seemingly mostly afflicted high mileage 2nd gens (like taxis). TSB at http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-...9-combination-meter-intermittent-display.html. pEEf can fix those too.

Data points: My inverter hasn't ever overheated so my inverter pump probably hasn't failed, but I'll get the free LSC done on it. My MFD and combination meter have never failed. I do have the problem at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ne-wild-then-stops-working-6.html#post1123505, intermittently. I think pEEf knows how to fix that as well.

Don't let this list scare you. http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...ery-reliable-vancouver-yellow-cab-update.html should be a bit more reassuring.

 

Other than oil and oil filter changes, tire rotations and cabin air filter cleaning consensus here is that the GenII doesn't need any sort of maintenance for the first 3 and 30,000 miles.

At that point some will change their transaxle fluid (you can diy or my dealer charged $144 for it but that's cheap) despite Toyota's claims of it being a 100,000 mile product. There are oil analyses indicating that's a really good idea.

At that point you need to start thinking about the 12V battery. That's the battery that powers the computer and there are many horror stories of bizarre car behavior with a low 12V battery. The battery exchange cost was about $120 at my dealer, but again they're usually more expensive. There are way to check the battery voltage by accessing the car's MFD service menu. There are plenty of threads about that too.

You might also want to check tire pressures. People here run their tires at 42/40 psi (I have mine at 44) and have increased life, even tread ware and better traction. At 44 psi my integrities have lasted 46 months and I will look to exchange them in the next 6-8 months.

These three items indicate an aware and caring owner.

Finally, some here believe that low mileage is not a good thing for the HV battery. The argument is that low mileage suggests a car that was not frequently used and that such use leads to premature problems. This isn't very well documented, but it does make sense.

As far as fuel economy, yes 50 mpg and higher is attainable. I recently managed to drive 190 miles back and forth from Baltimore to Philly at 58.8 indicated mpg (real mpg is about 5% lower by most people's calculations). As you will be driving on the highway, be sure to check the super highway mode for driving between 50-55 mph or hobbit's 66-68 mph article here. Sweet spot refinement

You will need to understand the car's engine stages and how to optimally feather the gas pedal when going downhill so that you maintain a decent speed but use no gas while doing so. You will also need to use the Prius's engine at its optimal power, which in crude terms is when your MPH = instant MPG as indicated in the MFD. Scangauge instrumentation would help you by on this front by providing information on your RPM, injection timings and a few other useful parameters.

 

If an 08 or 09 is too much, perhaps go with an 06 or newer. There were a # of significant changes starting that model year. People claim the traction control is better/less overly sensitive on newer ones. The 06 marked the beginning of the optional audio input jack (in the center cubby, if equipped) and backup camera.

If you don't want gadgets/options and lower cost of replaceable items, don't get one w/HID lights. I called my dealer and they want ~$160 for the bulb and ~$80 for labor. No thanks.

I think I'll DIY w/the above ~$50 HID bulb. Halogen bulbs (for non-HID equipped vehicles), will no doubt be cheaper.

((Luscious Garage | Blog | Prius headlight problem, D4R HID bulbs *still overpriced, not covered under warranty* does it for less than the dealer, but I'm nowhere near CA now.)

 

That's a good deal, congratulations! Change your trans fluid asap, everything else should be all good. If your headlights flicker/go out, you know it is a problem with the HID bulbs, that can be replaced for $100 +/- per pair via ebay or amazon. You can register at toyota.com/owners to see the maintenance history, if any, on your car.

 

:welcome::cheer2:Yay! (My 06 is a package NL which has the JBL "premium" stereo and nav as well.)

I checked the weather for your area and it doesn't look like there will be any snow in the next 10 days. If you anticipate any, I would definitely get a set of good snow tires for your Prius.

People complain about the TCS but well, if their tires don't give them traction, spinning the wheels doesn't help that much either. Many complainers about snow performance don't have snow tires...