May be looking for a PIP...anything to look out for?

pretty bulletproof. a couple batteries have been replaced under warranty. i don't think there is anything you can 'look out for'. charge it up, reset a trip meter, take it for a reasonable drive on back roads, and see how many miles you can go before the engine kicks on.
make sure you get a working evse.

 

with the 2012 pip most dealers can't tell the difference between a base and advanced model pip and list them wrong. The advanced has a button on the right of the steering wheel to select distance for the radar cruise, and a some HUD buttons next to the clock button for the charge timer. If it doesn't have leather seats it is a base.

 

There was a recall recently (about the beginning of the year) on a fuse in the hybrid system on the PiP. Other than that, I would check for the typical stuff to look for on a used hybrid car (batteries, brakes, etc...)

 

Agree with what @bisco, @Silver Pine Mica, and @fourpotfury said. It's not that different from any other Prius in what to look for. The hardest part is just finding one. I'd recommend getting the newest one you can afford so you have maximum warranty remaining.

It's a long way away for you, but Listings - Tampa Hybrids Inc. down here has three right now including a 2015 with only 21,000 miles and a 2014 Advanced. Pretty sure he picks people up at the airport, or I'd be happy to do so if you can't find something local.

 

Glad they are showing up in your area. The ones down here are also most likely coming off lease, but from New England and the northeast.

I just looked at the 2013 PiP and 2013 hatchback brochures. Both cars have 60kW motors, so that's the same. I'm not aware of any differences in the drive train.

The PiP has just two drawbacks in my opinion for road trips. Biggest is the lack of a spare tire. Also, it has a smaller gas tank (10.6 vs 11.9 gallons), so you won't have quite as much highway range. But even just driving it around town and not plugging in, you are likely to get a little better gas mileage.

Something to keep in mind, though, if you don't plug in -- once the EV range is gone and it starts running like a regular Prius, pushing the EV button only gives you a beep and a message saying that EV isn't available. So, if there's no EV range and the engine is cold and you just want to put it in the garage, the engine will start. Also, it will take a HUGE hill to get it back into EV range once it's used up unless you plug it in.

 

if you can find a snoozing dealer who doesn't know the difference between base and advanced, as silver pine mica mentioned, you might get a really sweet deal.

 

Having worked on all the options listed, the main components are the same.

Just the battery size and technology is different .

Good luck with your decision .

 

Agreed !

Two other quick tells , if pre- 2014 and it has foglights ..most likely advanced . If there is no 'cd-slot' near the display , then its inside the display making it an advanced also .

Don't read descriptions, just look at pics to find the package . If 2014 or newer look for interior pics for drivers chair or stereo .. advanced will be Softex material with electric seat, and of course no cd-slot in dash visible. On older look for lower fog lights and then confirm package with interior pics . Note: they all have heated seats .

I wanted the advanced package and was shopping for pkg 4 and 5 Prius and all the descriptions were wrong and they almost all had cloth interiors when clicked through. When I started searching plug ins was easy..shop for only plug ins and only look at pics til I found the tells . Then read the description , ideally looking for an advanced priced like a std plug in.

Kenny

 

All the usual stuff with regular gen 2 and gen 3 Priuses.

We have one with 224.5K miles still drives like new but when we got it it threw a code for EGR --- ended up cleaning it up and replacing EGR valve/cooler. This service is probably the most important on a gen 3 as it will clog up and could blow a head gasket.

We fixed it last fall and have had no problems and no check engine lights since.

Also, most of the time ours sits in the garage so we aren't really following the whole "don't let it sit you have to drive it or battery will go bad" thing. I mean, it gets driven about 50-100 miles a week at the most. Regularly goes a few days without starting. No problems thus far.

Depending on where you are located (profile says southern MN) they can be very hard to find.

 

I'm seeing plug-ins for sale around Los Angeles, too. Here's my question: if (theoretically) the price were the same for a 2013 plug-in vs a standard Prius, but I cannot plug it in at my apartment (yet), is it still a good idea to buy (given tank size and spare tire caveats above)? Mostly the EV battery would be regenerating while braking or rare trips to whole foods.

Thanks for your help! Hope to be a Prius owner real freakin' soon.

 

yes, and you get slightly better gas mileage. you also lose the most of the storage space under the hatch floor.
a lot of people in cali bought them for hov access, and never charged them.

low state of charge is actually better for battery longevity.

 

is it worth spending 15k if a prime nets out at 20?

i think the base is a better deal, but it depends on how you value the advanced features.

advanced was 8k more in 2012.

 

If those are the options, I’d go for the lower mileage base model.

But will this be yours to drive, or someone else?

I know a base model is gone for me, but the wife wants options and things in her car.

So that may factor in.

Good luck .

 

A bit different perspective ... What do both look like with a full charge with the mileage being over double in the advanced PIP?