Hello, all! I'm kinda new here, and i've been doing enough reading to know that people ask similar questions to this one a lot on this forum, but here i go joining the bandwagon anyways. I currently have an 04' Corolla with almost 190k miles on it. I am considering buying a Prius on a budget that is under $6000. (i'm about to start college, and money is a lil tight) Most of the cars i can find in this price range tend to be 2005-2007 and within the 120k-150k range. I think i would be comfortable attempting to replace failed battery modules if the issue were to arise, and if worse, i know a good hybrid repair shop in my city. I also mocked up a financial plan that includes savings towards a battery repair, knowing that at some point it will probably go bad. My question is, would it be worth it to sell my Corolla and buy a lower mileage 05'-07' Prius, knowing i might have to do some battery work in the future, or would it be a better idea to just stick with the Corolla? (feel free to passive aggressively post at me if this is a dumb question)
I would not buy a used Prius if money was tight. While most Prius are trouble free, trouble can easily cost $3000 to $5000 I would ONLY consider a Prius if you drive a great deal. (24,000 miles a year?) A fuel efficient car that sits there is not saving money,
Welcome to Prius Chat. I agree with Jimbo, it is quite a risk that you'd be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. You might be really lucky, but when money's tight, it has to be safety first.
When I was shopping for my Prius, I did what you are doing now- which was to read the info on this board. And I learned that many board members believe battery life is more a function of years, not miles (like I thought). If you're looking at a Prius at or beyond the 10 year mark, you should anticipate the battery being near the end. While many batteries last longer, I believe many owners quickly sell/trade in their Prius when they see signs of a weakening battery. Many times, these are signs that a prospective buyer won't notice. And if the battery has been replaced, you'll want a car with an OEM battery, and not a rebuilt hybrid battery with some modules replaced. Speaking from experience, you don't want to deal with car problems while at school.
The 06 has a number of "possible" generic problems (1) HV Batt (2) Brake actuator issue (3) Combo Meter (front display) And it always seems used Prii have it more for some darn reason.
Key words: About to start college..... Money is tight..... Sorry, but you cannot afford to "save money" by adopting a Prius that's already more than half way through it's service life. Pass.
Safe to assume the operating cost of the Corolla for 4 yrs and 30k miles (7.5k miles per year) would be a lot lower than $6k purchase price, plus interest and operating cost of Prius for same period and mileage. (Major repairs aside for both vehicles.)
