We finally replaced our totaled '02 with a 2013 Prius 2, an ex-Hertz rental with about 24,500 miles. We picked it up from a small reseller in Portland, Columbia Motors. It appeared nearly new, drove beautifully, and the only issue I spotted was with the air conditioning- no cold. They had the system recharged and it was up again. (Hope that doesn't suggest a leak.) They also had only one key fob, a bit of a pain. The price we eventually negotiated was $17,600 (they started at $18,500... marked down from $19,950). The dealer had advertised it on their website (I found it on Cars.com) as having 20,500 miles... they somehow put an additional 4000 since picking it up at auction. After purchase we've found a problem with the windshield washers; they spray too low to hit most of the window. Shouldn't be hard to fix. We think it was a pretty good deal in spite of these relatively minor issues. First visit to Toyota, for Safety Recall E0E and 25000 mil service, is next week. We'll see what they have to say.
Incidentally, has anyone else noticed how often independent (non-Toyoya) dealers seem to list Prius 2's as Prius 3's? After 2011 (I think) the 3 always includes Nav & back-up camera. Quite often I found listings on Cars.com, Autotrader and dealer websites listing 2011 and 2012 Prius 3's that did not show the Nav package in the accessories (or options) lists. Invariably, when they checked, these were actually Prius 2's . The Portland Hertz Auto Sales lot had three of these listed at tempting prices (for 3's) and the cars even had window sheets listing them as Prius 3's, but they were 2's. I think whatever VIN translator they're using to print up the accessories lists in mis-programmed.
To finish this tale, Toyota dealer inspection determined that my Prius had been in a minor accident, probably a parking lot fender bender. The right front fender had been replaced and the accident had cracked the windshield washer reservoir. The belly pan had also been reinstalled in a sloppy manner using sheet metal screws (thanks, Hertz!). I went back to the selling dealer and they were actually most cooperative! They investigated and found that Hertz claimed the damage was less than $700 and so didn't have to be reported. Rather than claiming that 'as is- no warranty' means it's my problem now (legally most likely true) my seller offered to refund my purchase price, or pay Toyota to do the repairs, or instead to fix the identified issues and give me a 3 yr. 36k aftermarket warranty. I accepted their in-house repair offer (these were pretty simple fixes), accepted the wholesale cost of the warranty in cash, and am now a satisfied customer!
