1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Best mileage to buy used Prius at?

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by 50mpginME, Apr 30, 2018.

  1. 50mpginME

    50mpginME Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2018
    2
    2
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Hey folks! Potential first time Prius owner here. Have a 2015 VW Golf Sportwagen TDI I got after VW bought back my 2013 .love the car but had to get DSG instead of stick, which lost the fun factor of that car, and feel like I'm now just paying a lot extra for the kind of car a Prius could satisfy for a lot less lifetime run cost.

    Looking to sell it and get a 2012-2013 Prius 3. Having trouble understanding what mileage range to look at that car for, given that they're so reliable and seem to run forever with little maintenance costs . I live in Maine, so get the 150K mile warranty on the battery, but curious if I should be considering used ones with over 100K miles? Any drawbacks or recommendations? The counter is that the resale value is retained so well that it makes less sense to buy a high mile used Prius . Thanks!
     
    #1 50mpginME, Apr 30, 2018
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 30, 2018
    RCO likes this.
  2. byrdsfly

    byrdsfly New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2018
    4
    2
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It’s hard to say. My mom’s Prius has 160K on it and she’s had no major issues, but hers is well maintained. She said even if I bought a Prius with 60K or so, there was a good chance it would run for another 100K. I think that depends on how well the car is maintained, so check the Carfax, ask about service history, etc.

    When I was looking at buying a used one, I was looking at 2013-2015s and a lot of it depended on service history for me. I wanted one that had been well maintained (regular servicing) and as I looked and test drove a few, decided I really wanted a car with only one previous owner. I ended up getting a 2015 with just under 46K. Not the lowest mileage vehicle I looked at, but it came down to a balance between mileage and price. The lower mileage used vehicles tend to have inflated prices imo.
     
    #2 byrdsfly, Apr 30, 2018
    RCO likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,129
    50,045
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome!

    i think it is simply the lower miles the better. pricing is usually consistent with mileage, so whatever you can afford is probably best.

    keep in mind that 'prius seem to run forever' is an overall average, but the one you buy may not be.

    some gen 3's (2010-2015) start burning oil around 100k, and some blow head gaskets. there are several threads here on cleaning the egr and intake manifold.

    i would concentrate on condition, options, maintenance, number of owners and accident history.

    all the best!(y)
     
    #3 bisco, Apr 30, 2018
    RCO likes this.
  4. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    829
    510
    0
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    The best ones have low miles and are driven a bit each day. I'm envious that you have the 150k miles warranty.

    Figure out how many miles that you'll drive each year and make sure that you can make it to '22-'23 before passing 150k miles. Good luck.
     
    #4 MelonPrius, Apr 30, 2018
    RCO likes this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)