Hi there first I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this you Rock! Now that I have said that here is a little bit about me. I am a recent college grad that is a operating system developer. I am hoping that it will take off in the next 2 years. As of right now I am a head lifeguard at a indoor pool that I get paid 9hr and work 40 + hrs a week. I also clean peoples apartments on the side and bring in about 700 usd a month from that. But once again I am hoping that the OS will take off in the future. there are three prius that I have picked out that I like. the first one that I drove was nice and the car fax is outstanding Code: Date: Mileage: Source: Comments: Not Reported NICB Vehicle manufactured and shipped to original dealer 07/11/2006 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Vehicle offered for sale 07/24/2006 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Oil and filter changed chassis lubricated 07/24/2006 5 New York Inspection Station Emissions inspection performed Dealer had vehicle inspected to prepare it for sale Passed safety inspection 07/24/2006 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Vehicle sold 07/24/2006 New York Motor Vehicle Dept. Rochester, NY Registered as personal vehicle 08/02/2006 183 Inspection Co. New York Inspection performed 08/25/2006 New York Motor Vehicle Dept. Rochester, NY Title issued or updated First owner reported Loan or lien reported 10/10/2006 5,148 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Tires rotated Oil and filter changed chassis lubricated 12/07/2006 10,321 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Vehicle serviced 01/23/2007 11,786 Inspection Co. New York Inspection performed 05/31/2007 14,582 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Tire condition and pressure checked Brakes checked Recommended maintenance performed 07/26/2007 16,071 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 State safety inspection completed 09/19/2007 20,267 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Brakes checked Tire condition and pressure checked Recommended maintenance performed 01/28/2008 26,209 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Tire condition and pressure checked Brakes checked Recommended maintenance performed 03/24/2008 New York Motor Vehicle Dept. Rochester, NY Title issued or updated Registration issued or renewed Registered as personal vehicle Loan or lien reported Passed safety inspection 06/27/2008 31,415 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Recommended maintenance performed Tire condition and pressure checked 08/12/2008 34,427 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Brakes checked Recommended maintenance performed Tire condition and pressure checked 08/12/2008 39,427 New York Inspection Station Passed safety inspection Passed emissions inspection 12/19/2008 39,768 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Tire condition and pressure checked Brakes checked 07/08/2009 45,122 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Tire condition and pressure checked Recommended maintenance performed Brakes checked Front wiper blades/refills replaced Safety inspection performed Emissions inspection performed 07/24/2009 47,039 New York Inspection Station Passed safety inspection Passed emissions inspection 11/18/2009 50,378 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Tire condition and pressure checked Brakes checked Oil and filter changed chassis lubricated 02/18/2010 New York Motor Vehicle Dept. Rochester, NY Title issued or updated Registration issued or renewed Registered as personal vehicle Loan or lien reported Passed safety inspection 06/16/2010 55,849 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Brakes checked Tire condition and pressure checked 07/30/2010 56,968 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Vehicle serviced 07/30/2010 New York Inspection Station Passed safety inspection Passed emissions inspection 11/09/2010 60,221 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Brakes checked Recommended maintenance performed Tire condition and pressure checked Brake pads and rotors replaced 01/03/2011 62,475 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Vehicle serviced 03/25/2011 64,670 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Cabin air filter replaced Brakes checked Tire condition and pressure checked Air filter replaced 06/06/2011 66,799 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Four wheel alignment performed 07/15/2011 67,973 Vanderstyne Toyota Rochester, NY 585-225-6600 Vehicle serviced 07/15/2011 New York Inspection Station Passed safety inspection Passed emissions inspection 08/10/2011 68,696 Dealer Inventory Rochester, NY Vehicle offered for sale As you can see that the car has 68k on it and that there is no warranty. I have taked them down to 13,999 for this car. the next one that I went to look at was from the toyota dealership and they where not pushy like the other salesman at the other place. the first one that I looked at there is real nice it is a used 2011 with only 3k on it for 22,999 It will not let me post links until I have 5 posts http://www.dorschel.com/VehicleDetails/certified-2011-Toyota-Prius-II-Rochester-NY/1313519443 I like this one and think that it. I also looked at the carfax for this one and it is impressive also. (would post but the dealership has it) The third one that I am looking at is a It will not let me post links until I have 5 posts http://www.dorschel.com/VehicleDetails/certified-2008-Toyota-Prius--Rochester-NY/1236867353 this one is also nice but not as new as the one above. It also has a great carfax report. As you can guess that I am not rich as I work two jobs and dev the OS on the side. But I can afford any one of these. The last last two come with the 3yr 30,000 bumper to bumper and a 10year 100k power-train. the first one that has 68k on it comes with no warranty at all. but I have read here on the forums that i get one for a fair price. this is the 3rd car that I am going to buy. And it is going to be some sort of hybrid no matter what. I have a great co-signer that has GREAT credit. as mine is good but not great. So for the last two cars that I posted about they said that at the highest that it would be 4.99 % APR with a 72 month long contract or a 60 month contract with 2.99% APR which seems to me good. I know if I can afford the 60 month one but you never know what could happen in the future. So here is what it boils down to car one 68k 250 month car two 3 k 300-350 month car three 30k 275-300 month what one would you choose? thanks again for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing from you
why doesnt the first one come with warranty? I thought all Priuses are covered for 10yrs/150,000miles (in CA, less in other states)? you could buy a brand new 2011 for the price of the second one (I did) right now. So unless you have them take the price down by a few more grands, I wouldnt consider it to be a great deal especially since the new ones are about to roll out soon and most dealers are looking to clear out their lots to bring the newer ones in. As for which one *I* personally think you should get (im going to assume you are pretty young since you mention you are fresh out of college and starting to get yourself established) I would say to go with the cheapest monthly payments. 68K on a car is not bad, and frme what I can see from PC here, priuses/toyotas are absolutely reliable cars, enough so that Toyota even backs them up up to 10yrs. and you are young so lets say you have this car for 5 years and things are starting to look up for you financially. by then you will have paid off the car, probably ready for a new/difffernt car and can afford to buy a brand new one if you want then. the difference between a $250 and $350 a month could be the difference between not paying for cable tv or being able to buy the underwhelming new iphone 4. lol! not to mention it would be a shame to take all the money you are saving on gas and use it to pay for the car every month... Colorwise, I would go with the red one bc that is the color I had originally wanted (but they would have to bring that price down significantly.) whichever way you end up going, good luck and congrats on your soon to be purchase. I've had my prius for 3 weeks now and I am loving it.
For your situation I would consider a much cheaper new car, such as a Versa or a Hyundai, that way for the next 3 years all your car expenses are known and manageable (the car payment and standard service costs and insurance). Then when the career takes off, get what you want, you should be able to afford it.:rockon:
You may be considering other factors, but I would agree with Gurple's logic and for your situation even perhaps consider a Pre-Owned cheaper car with very low mileage - less than 10K miles. Like Gurple stated, it would be best to keep your future costs predictable so that you are not hit with an unexpected, high mechanic bill. Risks are higher with a high mileage car. There will likely be better deals with other models and you can save on the upfront costs. (examples: Fit or Yaris, etc. ) Unless you drive an exceptional number of miles, the savings on fuel costs will not be significant compared to purchase price differences. I understand that these decisions are not always about the bottom line. Regardless, and for what it is worth, I have spent much time this last week researching new and pre-owned prices for Prius' here in central Texas. Unfortunately, I am not finding good deals like Sophia and others have stated on the West coast. The $23K with 3K miles seems like good potential. I would negotiate $500 lower. Do you have the option to defer the purchase for 4-6 weeks? If so, then there will be many things working for you: 1) improved supply 2) new Prius V model will dilute the market 3) 2012 model on the way and will have some cosmetic changes 4) end of year clearance incentives
Only the HV battery is warranted for 10 years/150K miles in CA and CARB emission states (there are about 10 total). Some hybrid components and emissions are warranted for 15 years/150K miles in those states. The rest of the car is NOT warranted that long. Please see Toyota Prius Warranty and Coverage and your warranty booklet for more details.
