Hi All. I'm new to this thread and I'm the market for a second vehicle. We live up in Minnesota, and there's a 2010 Prius with 73,000 miles, as well as another 2011 with 76,000 miles on the market and I'm wondering what red flags I should be looking for in the car. We're looking for something reliable that will last a long time (another 100k miles) as we're about to have our first kid and we drive to family out of state quite a bit. We're deciding between an Outback for storage and AWD (bonus feature for my wife in winter time) or a Prius for the gas mileage. Obviously they're very different vehicles, but just am wondering what thoughts people have/any issues they've had with theirs, etc. Thanks!
An early Gen 3 Prius with those number of miles should last another 100,000 miles without much difficulty
You would be amazed at the storage in the Prius, especially with the seats down and also under floor storage in the back. My BIL has an Outback and I suspect the storage is less.
welcome! some gen 3 prius have oil burning issue's that typically start around 100,000 miles, but it's difficult to test. i would go with the 2011 if you can afford it. even though the miles are the same, it just might be a better bet. all the best!
If condition and test drive meet your expectations then you really only need to ask about maintenance history...And the two big ones are: 1) Ask seller if he/she noticed that they need to add oil in between changes? (They like to burn oil but probably not at that mileage). 2) Check the screen for mpg display....On my 2011 there is a "trip" button on the steering wheel and you toggle through until you get to the screen that displays mpg....I just made a thread about poor gas mileage in a prius I just recently bought but probably rare to be getting as crappy as mileage as mine (under 40mpg).
If you are somewhere near the Twin Cities, consider taking either or both cars to CarSpec ( CARspec - Eden Prairie's Toyota and Lexus Auto Repair Specialist ) for a pre-purchase inspection. It will set you back a whole $20.
Download the sales brochures for 2010 and 2011 so you can see what was standard and what was included in the option packages. Take your typical load of stuff with you when shopping so you can see how it fits in the car. Make sure two working fobs and the retractable cover for the hatch are included in the sale. Pull out the tray under the deck and look for evidence of water leaks. Check the dipstick. Does the oil look thin and clear? Is it up to the full mark? Register the VINs at http://www.totota.com/owners to see the dealer service history.
Thanks for your help everyone. We didn't get a chance to drive the 2011 before it hotness snatched and the 2010 had .... some problems the dealer wasn't willing to deal with. There's another 2010 on the market with 95k which is getting much closer to the 100k line than I'd like but I'll keep searching.
There shouldn't be too many differences between the two (the midlife update was 2012... so 2010 and 2011 models are nearly identical. Early build 2010s were missing a USB/iPod connection as well as optional Safety Connect but otherwise no mechanical differences).
I would prefer to find a used car in the middle of the country, where Winter road salt is not used. You'll generally find that these cars will have no rust damage, so you'll likely get a longer usable life. Our 2011 Prius has reached 90k and has been flawless. We do take it to the dealership for maintenance, the only car that I haven't taken over oil and filter changes mostly for records keeping after warranty period ended. A well maintained Prius is a good buy. I found a 2013 for my sister in law in Florida last year. Luckily it was located only about 250 miles away from her. She went up to see it, drive it and bought it after finding impeccable maintenance records and near new condition inside and out. It was a bargain over a new one, with only about 41,000 miles. They use it as their primary car, and have added about 20k miles to it already. Prius are very durable and reliable vehicles and one that I wouldn't have much trouble buying used.
I love my prius. It's a great daily driver and commuter car. Don't be afraid of 2010's, some do burn oil, mine included but its well within normal spec and I just check it every 1-2k miles and add a bit as needed. Still using 0w20 synthetic and at high speeds (70mph+) its about 1 quart per 5-7k miles, at lower speeds its about 1 quart per 7-10k miles (estimated) 242,000 miles on mine.
Hey all, one more quick question on this. Are low miles (somewhat) also a point of concern? I know these vehicles need to be driven to keep the battery in good shape. There's a couple 2010's with 53k miles on them (so 7,500-8,000 miles per year) that I'm looking at, as well. Is that something that's too low for quality HV battery maintenance or am I ok there? Thanks! -Lance
Try to see how often you hear the brake accumulator come on. That's one thing I should have listened to before I brought mine. It seems like master cylinder/accumulator or any type of brake problems cost $2000-$3000 to repair because the entire brake system in that area is one piece.
