My husband no longer wishes to be married to me and it appears he is claiming the Prius. That leaves me with a ten-year-old Saturn SL2 with over 100,000 miles and some engine and cosmetic problems. Ideally, I would like to get myself a Prius 2004, but my funds are not in a great state right now. Does anyone know of a used or repo'd 2004 at a reasonable price? I don't care what colour or package number. I just want a car that will be dependable and ecconomical to drive long distances for housesitting assignments in the US and Canada. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
unfortunately it seems, judging from the few used ones on ebay, that even those are going for premiums over list. good luck with everything
Would a Prius Classic (2001-2003) model be an alternative? I don't know if they're going for significantly lower (though there's another thread where dealers were selling some with <15K miles on them at top dollar). I'm afraid it's not a great time to be the buyer for a Prius. Good luck!
hikeeba- Glad you found the website after our meeting the other day at Publix! I, too, would suggest a prior model year. There are a few around town, I think, for sale. Additionally, there's a Civic Hybrid or two at the Honda dealer, and if you want the best mileage possible, an Insight. I hate it, but the 04 Prius is mired in a severe seller's market right now. I'm glad I got mine before the prices went through the roof; I wouldn't buy one at the prices I'm seeing. Still, I'll keep my eyes open for you. Michael
Thank you, everyone Yes, I guess there is no Prius in my future. At this point, I feel like I will never have enough money to afford a decent car. Or place to live, for that matter. It was so kind of you all to take the time to answer my post. And thank you, Michael, for thinking of me. Every little bit of support helps right now. Hugs. Lisa
Hikeeba, I'd say you should take'im to court and get your Prius back--after all, according to your post, he's the one who has decided to bolt...... Sounds like a custody battle in the brewing.....best of luck to you.
Thank you! You aren't the first to suggest that, but every bit of support helps. I don't want to take our Prius away from him; I just want to have a good, dependable car, too. One with a warranty, because he won't be around to help me fix or pay for problems.
So sorry to hear about your impending divorce! I don't know your price range, but it is possible to find a reasonably priced "classic" Prius if you are ok with buying a car with over 36,000 miles on it.
It is almost always cheaper to fix up your current car than to buy a new one. The Saturn should be good for over 150,000 miles with a little maintenance.
Sorry to hear about your pending divorce. I am walking in those same shoes also. Please take some time to think through your current situation. You need to take the time and invest the energy necessary to take care of yourself. If you have a fair claim to the new Prius, then don't just cede it to your husband. Make your case and let a judge decide.
I agree. While my worst "know him personally example" of divorce shafted the man horribly, I think you should make sure both sides get a fair shake. Making the rash assumption that he does not have a case based on horrid behavior on your part while he was a good guy, don't be nice, just fair. The car should be included at fair market value with all the other assets, you get half and hopefully can afford a decent replacement car if you don't get the Prius, as well as a decent place to live. Whjo knows, the judge could decide to make him sell it if you can't come to agreement on who gets it. Don't throw your financial future away in a tramatized state as my friend did.
I, too, offer you my best wishes. I knew a woman once who "didn't want to make a fuss" over the division of property in a divorce. She still really liked the guy and didn't want to hurt him. She also didn't want to take stuff that she viewed as "his" because she had a very low self-image and placed no value on her own (non-monetary) contributions to their relationship. As a result, she was left with nothing, and eventually regretted it very deeply. Don't let that happen to you. Fight tooth and claw for your fair share. Don't let your husband "claim" anything. At best, it should be a matter of negotiation for a fair split, where you get something of equal value; at worst, a judge should decide. As for cars, a late-model used car may be cheaper overall to buy and operate than a Prius. The high demand means that a used '04 may cost as much as a new one. A used Classic will be less expensive if you can find one. Or something like a 5-year-old Civic should be very reliable, and so much cheaper than any used Prius that even with the difference in mpg you'd be spending less. While a Prius is an excellent value for the money, if you cannot afford it you may have to wait until supply catches up to demand and the first ones are old enough before the used ones are comparable in price to other used cars.
Thank you, Daniel. Your letter could well be describing my own situation. It is only now that I am starting to assert myself in this mess. At first, I just accepted that I was going to be left penniless and homeless -- now I know that I deserve a fair share of what we own.
