Had my 2001 Mitsu Mirage in the shop for an oil change/smog check when my mechanic told me it was "time to let this one go." Wouldn't pass emissions without about $3k worth of work. So I retired her with 210,000 on the odometer (I drove it off the lot new with 4 miles on it). My mech gave me the oil change for free as a parting gift. Ended up getting a 2010 Prius III w/ Nav package. 21k miles on it, clean record, $19k OTD and got the dealer to give me $1k for the trade-in. Still getting used to the new driving style, but managed to get 48 mpg out of my first tank (it filled up so quickly that I thought the pump had shut off prematurely). Doing about 85 miles a day over a wide variety of terrain. Loving the car so far.
Good part is that hybrids are still currently exempt from smog checks. Smog Information Frequently Asked Questions (Part 1) Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Exempted From Initial Smog Check
