Help me decide which Prius to buy?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014.

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  1. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    Hey so I'm 21 years old and I'll be buying my very first car!! I want it to be a Prius - for sure. I have already test driven two vehicles and talked about their pricing. The first is at a big dealership - 2006 Prius with 69k miles on it, $10k, 3 owners, clean carfax. The second is at a small dealership - 2007 Prius with 89k miles on it, 1 owner, clean carfax, some scratches/one stain on an arm rest, $9k.

    Which would you choose?
    Also consider, I live in MA so the battery is covered 150k/10 years so the 07 has a leg up on the 06 in that regard. Thanks guys!!
     
    #1 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome to prius chat! how many miles per year do you reckon you'll drive?
     
    #2 bisco, Jun 14, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2014
  3. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    Around 10k or so I reckon.
     
    #3 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    thanks, i was wondering how to spell that.;)
     
    #4 bisco, Jun 14, 2014
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    so, you're gonna reach the years before the miles. i think it's a crapshoot, test drive each and see which one you like better. reset the odo and pay close attention to the mpg's. all the best!(y)
     
    #5 bisco, Jun 14, 2014
  6. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    Yeah, the 07 is good to 17 and the 06 is good to 16 so I figured I'd be safest with the 07. It is also cheaper unless I can haggle some on the 06 (which is in a little bit better condition... mint I'd say)
     
    #6 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    buying your first car is a big deal. hybrids can be even trickier than regular cars. do you have anyone to advise you? a mistake can cost thousands.
     
    #7 bisco, Jun 14, 2014
  8. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    No, I've mostly done my own research on the vehicle and brand. What is your advice? My heart is pretty set on the prius tho :cool:
     
    #8 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The 10 year warranty starts on the day the car is put into service. A 2006 can be purchased in September 2005. Keep that in mind, best to get the vin number and check when was the first day of service.

    The 3 owner low mileage car seems fishy, but go with what you like and have it inspected at a toyota dealer before purchase. Car fax doesn't tell you the whole story

    SM-N900P ?
     
    #9 JC91006, Jun 14, 2014
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    learn everything you can about the issues people sometimes run into. study the warranty. the hybrid system is 10/150, but the transaxle and the rest of the components are 3/36. some things are 5/50 like pollution control, i think. if you read through the issues posted here, you'll see some of the things people with cars that age run into. prius is pretty bulletproof, but nothing is perfect. best to be prepared and go in with your eyes open.
     
    #10 bisco, Jun 14, 2014
  11. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    Hmmm okay thanks guys! Before I buy my prius I'm going to have Firestone do a complete inspection
     
    #11 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  12. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    firestone knows nothing about a prius. You need a toyota dealer to properly inspect the hybrid systems

    SM-N900P ?
     
    #12 JC91006, Jun 14, 2014
  13. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    Ok thanks! I will bring it to them. Can a toyota inspection check out a transaxle to see if it is good shape, or is it something that just suddenly goes? I am not a car person!!
     
    #13 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  14. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    Also, while driving the Prius is their a way to tell whether a transaxle is going?
     
    #14 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no, not unless something seemed wrong. but you still wouldn't know if it's the transaxle. you'd probably get a dash light if it was bad. the best thing to do is take a new one for a test drive. then, at least you have something to compare the used one's to.
     
    #15 bisco, Jun 14, 2014
  16. Nate Byrne

    Nate Byrne New Member

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    I just scheduled a 27-point inspection with them. Can I ask the mechanic to test drive the vehicle? He should know more about how it SHOULD be running? Now I'm paranoid about the transaxle issue lol.
     
    #16 Nate Byrne, Jun 14, 2014
  17. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    Don't be paranoid about the transaxle. Gen II transaxles have an excellent reliability record.
     
    #17 usnavystgc, Jun 17, 2014
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sorry, i didn't mean to make you paranoid. it's a very rare occurrence, just a little fatherly advise. i believe everyone buying a used prius (or any car, house or other large purchase) should have the wherewithal for an emergency repair. unfortunately, every now and again, we get someone posting that their prius broke. and they are broke. and i thought these cars were supposed to last forever. and how am i gonna get to work. and i hate to see that happen to anyone.:)
     
    #18 bisco, Jun 17, 2014
  19. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    whereithal = the money or other means needed for a particular purpose.
     
    #19 JC91006, Jun 17, 2014
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    thank you.(y)
     
    #20 bisco, Jun 17, 2014
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