WTB - Gen 2 in the Northeast *Finders Fee*

Hey all, happy holiday season! I've been looking for a used Gen 2 Prius for about 4 months now with little luck. As we all know, the car market is UPSIDE DOWN CRAZY now. I gave up on Craigslist, as there weren't that many listings in my area, and of the few there were, the shady curbstoners & fleabag dealers posted most of them.

I've had slightly better luck using Facebook Marketplace, but I've already sent a pre-purchase inspection service to look at 5 cars over the last few months, most of which weren't deserving of my hard-earned money after viewing the inspection reports. Spent about $1,000 on these inspections alone...plus the time and hassle. Starting to get frustrated with the glut of overpriced bombs that are listed for insane prices, and I can't keep shelling out money for vehicle inspections every couple of weeks. So...

I'm putting this out there in the hopes that someone is considering selling their Gen 2 soon, or a member here possibly knows someone who is. *If someone steers me to a vehicle that I wind up buying, I'm offering $250 cash if the deal is sealed. Or, if a seller contacts me directly about his/her vehicle, I'll include the $250 ON TOP OF whatever the final sale price of the car is.

My budget is $5,500 and that is firm. Any color will do. Would prefer 170,000 miles or less. Again, Gen 2 only. Not expecting a closet queen at all, but aside from the normal dents, dings & scratches of a 12+ year old vehicle, I DO want something that has been serviced well and taken care of. This means: Little to no rust aside from the surface variety, a problem-free running hybrid battery, charging system working good, and heat/a.c. should operate perfectly. Clean interior. Finally, no warning lights should be on. PRIVATE PARTY ONLY. NO ACCIDENT VEHICLES.

As I'm in the northeast, to make things much easier, I'm looking for the seller to be also. This means: NY, NJ, CT, PA, MA, R.I., DE or DC. Would also consider slightly outside of this zone for the right vehicle.

Please PM me or reply here if you have anything. Thanks - Joe

 

I'm surprised you went with a PPI for a Gen2 Prius car. These are very basic cars, with some rust and paint problems. You won't find many good Gen2 out there anymore, especially in the NE area. If you are set on getting a Gen2, you would need to go west to have a better chance at getting something. But you would need to be a bit flexible in the 150k miles limit, that is a tall order on commuter cars that are up to 17 years old

You're right, I know this is a long shot...BUT...I figured this IS a site where there are tons of private Prius owners, and I'm assuming most of them take fairly good care of their cars. That's half the battle.

As for your comment about the mileage, again, you make sense. I've upped my limit a bit to reflect that.

In reference to the ppi's, I understand your point, but there's a LOT of things that can be broken on any make/model of cars...Prius' included. While pricey, I like having the peace of mind that a professional tested the vehicle.

 

I've bought about 15 to 20 of these Gen 2 cars for various people, including myself. I don't think any of the cars would meet his search requirements.

1. less than 150k miles
2. no mechanical problems
3. clean interior
4. no rust
5. no accidents
6. good hybrid battery.

I mean that list is damn near impossible to find. If someone has that car, they aren't selling it for $5500

With all due respect, I have to disagree. Even the latest Gen 2's (2009) are now 12+ years old. $5,500 is a fair price for a vehicle of that age...even including my wants. Yes, it's tougher currently in this rare, CRAZY climate, but anything is possible.

P.S. - I get your point. Please refrain from further similar comments and clogging up the thread with non-sale related conversation.