Hi all, I would like your opinions about new vs. used, relative to a. total investment and future value...I typically keep my cars for 5 plus years. b. Driving experience....any difference in interior space, comfort/quiet of ride, etc. c. Fuel economy of course...any difference in model years, or any model years one should steer clear of if buying used. Personally, I have more comfort buying from individuals.....no sales agenda, just want to sell their car, often easier to communicate with. I am considering, late model used, and even bargain hunting for vehicles over 100k. But I see the 0% , 60 month offers abound with extra 2013 inventory that must be cleared out at local dealers. We are semi retired and I am knowledgeable about mechanical issues in general...Wondering how used ones stand up over time relative to the normal stuff, i.e. rotors/braking, alternators, electrical systems, water pumps, exhaust systems, front end suspensions... what have been your experiences? All input appreciated, especially from mechanics that may be members of this forum. In my part of the country (w. pa.) ...Prius is still thought of by much of the population as quirky, strictly for those "green thinkers", but I appreciate the 45-50 mpg. , and think over the next five years people will start to come around in my area (still many love their 16 mpg trucks!!) They must drive a lot less.... I am primarily interested in the base model hybrid, that currently sticker around here new for $24, 500 and late model used are $17,500 to $20,000 thanks all
I like new but if on a budget go used get a CARFAX, also used Certified is better you get a great warranty from Toyota
It's ALWAYS smarter financially speaking to roll used if and when you can. PERIOD. However (comma!) you're also ALWAYS rolling the dice, which is why I always buy a new base model, preferably from the previous model year and after an exhaustive search of every dealer within about 1,000 miles. I always per-arrange financing through a CU, and I (almost) never trade an old car in. You'll also want to eschew the warranty and really study the math on those teaser 0.something rates. The trouble with buying used is that unless you go CPO (certified pre-owned) or shop on the used car side of a new car lot---you're not really guaranteed that the (ab)used car wasn't previously wrecked, used for ethanol experiments, short-sticked on maintenance, or many other things that MAY NOT show up in CarFax, and in many cases, you're paying top dollar for the CPO units anyway. It is NOT HARD to obfuscate the title history, and used cars are getting to be VERY expensive relative to new ones....especially Priuses. I put my CFO in a new car and roll her usta-car. That way? If I break down...then I break down. MY problem. If she breaks down? It's the dealer's problem. Good Luck!
Thanks for the quick responses!! I'm sure we will drive 20-25k a year between my wife and I Thanks again!
welcome to priuschat! i prefer new, but they say you get your best deal on a one or two year old vehicle. something with 30 or 40,000 miles is fine. something with over a hundred can start to be costly, depending on how many miles per year you do, as g4 says above. all the best!
In that case, I would buy a new one if your budget allows it. If you buy old, you may get it at a better price but it's always a risk because you don't know how the previous owner treated the car. If I buy used, I would only buy it from someone I know personally.
Also consider that some new models offer 0% financing, which can (in some cases) make them cheaper to buy than a used model. You can easily spend thousands on interest. And free money is, well, free money.
Between the price of the used vehicles you listed, and the new one you are interested in, I would go with the new, just for peace of mind...
OK so far I'm hearing make your best deal on new...so do you think with the extra 2013s that dealers will sell for invoice, which I understand is typically $2000 less than base. KBB says invoice is around $22,600 and base models can be gotten for that amount.
if i had a crystal ball... depends on your location and inventory. if you don't mind driving, you can search a wide are on the net for the best price. some people have flown in for a good deal and driven home!
New, IMO! The problem with 100K mile hybrids: They have zero warranty. The HV battery will die soon and you'll be stuck dealing with it. IT's expensive and time consuming to replace one. Plus, you only get some REFURB battery that most likely have the same problems within a year or two. It's not always about how much you spend for a car. A new one will have 99% fewer problems than a used one. If anything happens to the HV system within 100K miles or 8 years, it's covered under the warranty @ no cost.
Got my 2010 with less than 18000 miles for less than $16,000, purchased from a Hyundai dealership. I did a lot of research and waited weeks for the right car. This extremely low-mileage, excellent condition one was listed for only a day or two before I pounced on it. If you're careful and do your homework, I believe used is ALMOST always the best way to go. (this doesn't take into effect the "thrill" of getting a NEW car, of course...)
with all the high tech things on a Prius I would go NEW, what if you got a smoking hot deal on a used and found out it was a flood damage car................ that would suck
As pointed out, that's a lot of miles per year, which means yes Prius makes sense for you: it can pay for itself. I am from Pgh and when I used to drive back there with my 2006, it seemed I was the only Prius in town...now you see a lot of them (but not as many as here in NoVA). PA is a special case (semi-CARB state)...so I think you get 100,000 mile on batt vs. 150,000 for full CARB. Not sure. Not that it matters too much, hybrid batt failure under 150k is a fairly rare event. If the plug-in PiP appeals to you - really stand out there in west PA - I think PA still has $1000 incentive not to mention $2500 Federal. Last year we had some ultra sweet 4th quarter PiP deals w/ 0% finance. PA folks had to go to MD or NY or NJ (mostly MD) as PA was not a roll-out state. Coming soon perhaps. I am thinking new Prius for you, but you be the judge. If you said VA (which has punitive taxes on Prii) I could still say new Prius in your case, due to so many miles of fuel savings to off-set the taxes. Whereas less miles/year might make used option sound better.
