I'm looking for a used Prius, preferably 2013, 2014, or 2015. I'm wondering if it's more important to have lower mileage or a newer model. For example, I can get a 2012 Prius II with 28,000 miles or a 2015 Prius IV with 44,000 miles for about the same price. ... The 2015 is a rental though. But that means it's had regular service. And, after all, who rents a Prius to go crazy with it?!
I think 2012 to 2015 is almost identical except the trim level.So if you don't care for trim level then definitely low milage . Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
When I was shopping the rental places had many a Prius 3 and 4 listed as well as twos ...but the interior and exterior pics all showed cloth interior and 15 inch wheels . So pull the specifications/options pdf and confirm Model 4 line items to compare apples even dealers will paste a 'feature set' to their ad that may or may not match the vehicle. Gen 3 is a solid car .. 16k mileage difference maybe less than a year of driving .. not a factor for me .. I like the Model 4 as it may be covered under mfg warranty. If you live in a CARB state I would double check where each vehicle originated from ..that extra CARB battery warranty you can't buy . Also in my opinion 90 percent of Prius' sold have cloth interior .. the SofTex is worth holding out for .. The only thing I didn't care for with the Gen 3 is that most came with wheel covers instead of allow wheels like the Gen2 .. but that can be changed after purchase . Kenny
Both gen 2 and gen 3 15" are alloy with wheel covers. The wheels themselves are very similar, but at least the gen 2 covers were less intrusive, more like rings? I would make the opposite assumptions about a rental, that it's more likely to be abused/neglected. Ultimately, you need to give any prospect a GOOD lookover, talk to the owner if possible, pop the hood and check things, look over the tires, inside the wheel wells, the underside, under the hatch floor, the spare condition, and on and on. We have a 2010 cream puff, for what it's worth. Had it since day one, oil changed every 6 months, around 4~5000 km's between changes, transaxle fluid changed three times, brakes done twice, brake fluid changed, undercarriage cleaned and rust-proofed a couple of times, tires rotated with snows, waxed twice a year. Pristine interior. 67,000 km's. Garage stored. Someone else might have a 2012 that's been driven into the ground. The years and miles are not as important. Dealership maintenance means squat too.
Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, there's no way for me to know how the car was treated. All I can do is go by the carfax. So I suppose I'm wondering if there's wear that occurs just with the passage of time such that a newer vehicle might be best even if it has more mileage? Is it an issue if a 2012 has only 24,000 miles on it, meaning it may have been sitting around for long periods without being driven? ... So many unknowables. I've only ever bought new cars before, so that's why I'm having such a hard time with this.
Same here. You aren't able to see the prospective cars in person? I would never touch a used car without a thorough look-over. You'd be suprised what you can pick up, just from looking around the car, test-driving, and last-but-not-least talking to the owner (if possible). But yeah, so far, I've just stuck to buying new, lol.
Yes, I am looking at these cars in person and will have my mechanic check the car out before I buy it. But that still leaves a lot of unknowables in terms of how the car was driven and treated. Prices seem to be all over the place too. ... maybe as a result of how long the car has been sitting on the lot?
