Had a 2010 and drove that thing til the wheels fell off and looking to get into a Plug in Prius. I am in the Los Angeles area and see many 2012 Base PiP going for 18+ with 65K+ miles on them. When I bluebook it, they are in the 14K range with excellent condition. Our gas is around 2.70, which is pretty damn good for us, so is it just the carpool access that is keeping the price high? I'd like to hop into one since I am driving my truck right now everyday and I drive ~110 miles a day and it's so bulky for where I work. Is the extra 4K that I am seeing worth the carpool stickers? Not to me since I can just pay fastrac and it would take years before it paid for itself.
I do not live in CA but yes the HOV is potential large cost factor. Especially now the HOV stickers have run out, and the new Prius Plug-In is not made anymore. You could get a used one out of state or maybe find one without HOV sticker it should be cheaper. I would say earlier in 2015, the 2012 was going for $20k everywhere and has dropped a whole lot lately. The value of used PiP in CA without HOV stickers should fall now, as we just heard the stickers are gone. Up to last week, a used PiP without HOV could be converted to HOV by application. Now you cannot. If you do not need the HOV stickers, that would be a good reason to go with regular Prius no plugs. EDIT: Just the green (PHEV) HOV stickers are gone
Thanks for the reply. Well I would love to have them to so I can bypass having to pay each time I am in the express lane, but not if that is what is causing them to be much more than what bluebook is claiming.
how can bluebook claim 14k, if they are selling for 18? do they just make up numbers? i thought they were based on sales history.
No idea. I went on Bluebook to see about what they are and shocked to find that it was on average ~4K less than what I have been seeing.
i don't trust it, it is what it is. you pay what the market will bare, not what bluebook says. same when you sell.
The carpool access ends in 2019, it's not forever. If you don't need the carpool stickers, just get a regular Prius (in CA it really doesn't speed you up much). The cost of the Plug In battery is also more expensive when it comes time to replace it.
That last sentence sounds like something you would hear from a large SUV driver. Seems to smell a bit of fear mongering. You get the part right that it would cost more IF you had to replace the battery. But you use the word WHEN. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and guess you just chose a word quick and didn't think it through well.
To be fair, eventually the pack will fail. It's a question of when in the lifetime of the car it fails, and whether the rest of the car failed before that. I had a 2005 with a failed battery pack at 202K miles. But that was due to the engine seizing at the same time. Had the engine not seized, the battery pack would've lasted a lot longer. We chose to spend the 6 grand to fix engine and battery pack and nearly 2 years later, the car is still on the road.
Sounds like OP really wants PiP mainly if it has HOV sticker and if it is lower cost. But timing is off, at this exact moment the green HOV are gone, potentially putting used PiP w/ stickers on high demand in CA. He would need to closely follow HOV quota to see what is going on...I am anticipating maybe they give more green stickers, but that's conjecture on my part. Potentially could import a cheaper Maryland used PiP and get stickers but that assumes there's still a chance at getting stickers. I saw Ca. green HOV stickers on a Volt driving around here with Va. plates...maybe if I could catch him...he was fast Eligible Vehicles - Single Occupant Carpool Lane Use Stickers Interesting only 3 more years of free HOV until 1/1/2019...I am anticipating the program will continue somehow.
Exactly this. I would prefer it if I can get but that's why I came here to see if that was possibly what was driving up the cost of them. I too am guessing they will get more green stickers but I still have been browsing around for any steal of a deal type things.
The plug-in main battery will lose capacity over time. Mine has lost approximately 10% of it's EV range in 18 months. As a Plug-in owner, it's nice to know you can take advantage of free or low-cost electrical power, but in the scheme of things, the benefit of a full plug-in charge amounts to about a quart (litre) of fuel, most times. Half of that if you are paying for the power. Not really worth the extra cost in any scenario I can imagine.
My predicted EV range changes depending upon the weather, time of year, and my driving habits. I've seen it go from 11.3 when new down to 10.3, and all the way back up to 11.3 again. This cycle has repeated itself multiple times over the last 3+ years. I doubt you've actually lost 10% of your EV range. More than likely the computer has better learned your driving habits to make a more accurate prediction. And it's just that, a prediction. Could be less, could be more. All depends upon what your commute was like that day.
For me, I have have lost about 10% of charging capacity (3.0KWh to 2.7KWh, per ChargePoint records) since March 2012. This is from drained to where EV mode is disabled, to charging complete.This is a more meaningful number than the EV miles number from the guess-o-meter.
That was my situation, I just could not pass the deal up. A 2013 plugin Advanced technology with 26,100 miles for $16,500. I hadn't planned on purchasing for probably another year, however, when you get a "steal of a deal" grab it. Be patient something will com up. Good luck!
