Back to thinking about a Prius... Around here, $15k will buy me a '11 with 30k miles or a '13 with 50k. Now, if I was buying an ICE car, that would be a no-brainer - I'd take the car with lower miles 10 times out of 10. (of course, this assumes features didn't change much. Same for Prius.) But for Prius, one must factor in the age of the battery, which I can't speak to. So, all else being (approximately) equal, would you pick an '11 with 30k or a '13 with 50k? And why do you make the choice you made?
Actually, I think with a used car...nearly any used car, including a Prius, 20K difference can be nearly an imperceptible difference. I wouldn't spend too much time factoring in any difference. The 30K vehicle if not maintained well, or ignored for 4 years, might be in worse shape than the 50K vehicle, if maintained well. With a Prius driving it, and keeping the Hybrid Battery active, can be a good thing. If I was looking at each vehicle? I'd throw that mileage difference out, and just evaluate which vehicle I liked best, in terms of amenities, and how I felt the condition of the each vehicle was as a whole. In other words? I'd get the one I liked best. But I don't necessarily see either as a trump over the other.
For me, it would depend on how many miles a year I drove. At the same price, same equipment, I'd go with the 13 unless you drive a ton of miles per year, then the lower mile one looks better. Also, the 11, for me, would have lower personal property tax, lower insurance cost, so it would cost a couple hundred less per year to own. But the previous poster on what one seemed better to you would be the highest priority to me.
It depends. The 2011 could've been sitting for a while vs. the 2013 which has been driven like it's supposed to be driven. Low mileage is nice but really low mileage can be just as bad as really high mileage especially if the owner of the lower mileage decided to go with mileage-based oil changes rather than time based (even though it's time OR distance so you have to change it regularly). I'd ask to see the maintenance history for both and see the frequency of fluid changes.
You shouldn't be worried about battery failure, because Prius cars sold and kept in California have ten-year, 150,000 mile warranties on those batteries.
