I'm about to come into a bit of money. Not quite enough to buy a new Prius. But enough for a used. Ideally I would like to spend under 15k. But I want one with smart key, which I see is pretty common. I'm so used to having nothing in the way of bells and whistles, I don't even know where to start. I live in Eugene, OR I'm definitely thinking gen 3 What should I look for? I've been browsing but know that the cars currently available won't be what I end up getting as it'll be a couple of months before I can buy one. I just want to go in with an educated opinion on what I want.
I would scan your local Craigs list, just to see whats available and at what price. Prius comes in 4 variants, Prius 2,3,4,5. The higher the number the more goodies. Somewhere on this site you can find a list of what options go with what numbers. It seems that dealers both new and used seldom know what thy have (I'm talking non Toyota dealers) So you have to look at the cars yourself and know what should be on each model. In the Gen 3 their was a mid cycle refresh between 11 and 12, probably better off with a 12 or newer. Good luck. PS Smart key is on all models 2 thru 5. There is a model one, but only for fleet and taxi sales, no smart key on those.
welcome! and there is one door, or 3 door sks, depending on package and year. i don't think you can go wrong with 2012 and newer.
Thank you! I was curious, I'd see pictures of these Prius cars and was like, why does it look like it has keys in an ignition. So those would be pictures of a Prius 1?
Prius 1 is pretty rare. It may have been a 2nd generation (2004-2009) without smart key that you saw pictured. With those, you actually slip the remote into a slot where the ignition key would be on older cars and then push the start button. Have fun exploring the countless combinations of features over the models and years.
I have seen some Prius one for sale as used from a car rental company. I have also seen people here with Prius One. When you find a Prius if a certain year, you can use Google to search for the sales brochure for that year. It has a chart showing what features were on what trim level and what optional packages were available.
I'm going to look at a 2009 Prius tomorrow, no matter how many times I told the guy that I won't have money for a different car for a few months. At least I'll get to look at one. My parents have a 2013 Prius V and one of my sisters has a 2011 Prius. My cousin has a 2012 prius c.
Yeah they say 8995... But I'm seeing some 2012 and up for cheaper than 10k I'm curious about those as they seem too good to be true. I'm thinking they must be salvage titles, some of them outright say that. I know I read something about that on here somewhere. It recommends stay away from flood damage...why is that?
Cars that have been in floods can have all sorts of hidden water damage like rusty wheel bearings, mildew in the hvac system, electical corrosion, and so on. How Stuff Works has some tips. Should you ever buy a flood-damaged car? | HowStuffWorks As for getting something under $15k, there should be plenty of 3rd gen available in that range. 2nd gen batteries are famous for durability, but so are 3rd gen and the younger the battery, the better your odds, everything else being equal. A shop near me has a couple 2015s for $14k.
Many people here are cautious of salvage titles too. The condition varies greatly on the skill, ingenuity and workmanship of the person who repaired it. There could be some issues with insurance. Remember, some insurance company determined that proper car repairs were too expensive. Unless somebody got some good, inexpensive used parts, the salvage title car has not likely been repaired properly.
if you have 15k, and are in it for the long haul, i would spend as much of it as necessary to get the newest, lowest mile, best condition car you can find. i wouldn't fiddle around with cars that don't have owner and service histories. you should be able to find a one owner car with complete service records. after all, there's nothing but oil and filters with the mileage you're looking at.
Thank you everyone for the advice. I'm still going to look at the 2009 Prius because, well I'm bored. I'll continue researching I still have at least 2 months before everything plays out. Maybe a too good to refuse deal will materialize at that time. I don't have the credit or down payment to finance anything. Hence the wait. I've decided I want the newest car that I can afford with a solar sunroof/moonroof. I've always wanted a car with a sunroof after my Honda prelude. Also it implies (in all the brochures) that it would include navigation and some other bells and whistles I've had my current car for about 10 years, I would want my Prius to at least last that long. The 2009 Prius was nice but it didn't have anything special. No navigation, no entune, no screen really. And had 120k miles
A 2009 should have a screen. All 2004-2009 (Gen 2) had a 7" LCD MFD (with or without navigation). The 2010-2011 models have no screen if you get one without nav. Navigation adds a 7" LCD monitor. 2012-2015 models have a 6.1" Display Audio unit (with or without navigation) as standard equipment. Four and Five models with Deluxe Solar Roof or Advanced Technology packages have a 7" high resolution LCD with HDD-based navigation. For 2010/2011, you can get the solar roof with a III/Three and IV/Four model. The major difference is that a IV/Four has leather seats, heated front seats and a power lumbar support. 2012-2015 models, the reason why it's called "deluxe" solar roof package on the Four is because it adds a HUD and the 7" high resolution LCD in addition to the solar roof (compared to the Three where it's just the solar roof option)
Entune's no biggie. Nav is never as good as good ole smart phone. Imo, don't get the newest you can afford. Why overspend?! Anything 2 years old or newer is overpriced due to paying to much on depreciation. Instead, 2012-2014 is the way to go for your situation imo: - got the mid-gen refresh - cheaper per- year cost if owner ship - aren't paying for new-ish car smell that 2015-16 would cost you. - dangerous floor mat situation from 2010 gen is already fixed with the mid-gen refresh The C is annoyingly small. Btw I have the solar roof/a/c thing. Kinda nice on a hot day. Make sure you drive it in power mode. So much more responsive, but shouldn't have a mpg hit.
Did you really mean a solar sunroof or did you mean a moonroof that is like a window on the roof that opens? The Prius had a solar roof option to power a fan to help keep the interior cooler when parked in the sun. It had solar panels on the roof to produce electricity for the fan.
I thought that the solar sunroof option included the moonroof... The one they showed me didn't have a screen it had an oversized CD player thing. Yeah I'm thinking 2012 definitely which is about the newest that I can afford in my price range.
You might be correct. I see the option package varied depending on trim level. Here is the brochure for 2012 that lists the details. https://www.toyotacertified.com/assets/ebrochures/en/2012_prius_ebrochure.pdf
The large button radio unit is a 2010 or 2011. Yes, all SR models had both the glass moonroof and the solar panel. Watch for wear and tear on the moonroof mouldings. There's a bunch of owners in Canada that have experienced excessive wear (the mouldings were either coming off of the glass or they were disintegrated and required replacement). Mine are ok and are still attached to the glass. (though there's obvious signs of wear but it *seems* normal at this time).
Really? It didn't look natural so I'm guessing it was some aftermarket thing it did look well mounted though so I assumed it was normal
