My recent car was a 2010 Prius. Bought it 7 years ago at 140k, and it just"died" at 285k. At 180k I got the "check hybrid battery" light, and every skip I brought it to said that it's the hybrid battery. Of course I do as much research as possible, so I knew it could also be the inverter or other issues, like only a cell or two going bad, because I was still getting 14-16v per cell on the OBD reader even after the light went on, and I could still reset the battery and hey hybrid power back for a limited range before the light came back on and I lost hybrid power. Of course I could still drive it without hybrid power, but I never got around to working on it myself and getting that power back, so after oil leaks and too many times letting the oil get low, the engine finally gave it out at 285k, so I decided to pass it off to a mechanic. During my car shopping recently, I found a 2005 with 56k that's been well maintained by it's two previous owners which I might buy. My questions to you all are that considering I might be downgrading from a gen 3 to a gen 2, what are some of the common problems with the gen 2 that are different than the gen 3, and what has your experience been with your own gen 2 longevity, both battery and engine. I'm also looking at a 2001 Corolla with 58k for a couple grand less, though of course the mileage isn't as good and would cost me more in the long run, but I'm just trying to do as much research as possible before I decide. Thanks y'all.
If you can afford to buy both. One or the other will develop problems and you can then take the time to find a good independent shop to fix it, or do it yourself, without being immediately without transport. Relying on one used car is fraught with stress. Just my opinion and practice for 50 years. Or buy or lease a new simple car.
Gen 2 is the original beast. You found a real cream puff there. Some have gotten half a million miles out of them
The only thing is, they like to be driven. If the battery dies, put in a new oem and you’ll be good to go
Would that still be true if you also spent a few grand putting a new battery in the '05? Because pretty much all the '05s that aren't already on their second battery will need it before long... Those batteries degrade with time and they don't especially care what the odometer says. You can spend a lot of money saving fuel in an old Prius, so make sure that's what you want. In your shoes I would just get the Corolla without a second thought.
I'd expect that too. But it's a Corolla. You can go to any mechanic in town to get it worked on and the recyclers have piles of cheap secondhand parts. OP appears to be driving 20k miles a year- that's usually enough to make a Prius pay for itself in fuel savings, but the cost of replacing the hybrid battery could potentially flip that upside down.
2001 Corolla all day long over a 2005 Prius. No hv battery, no brake by wire, no screwy coolant system. No expensive catalytic converter just waiting to be sawed off. Any shade tree mechanic can fix a Corolla for very little in parts and labor. Its really about your total cost of ownership which includes purchase, repairs and fuel. Save your money for a few years and buy a new whatever next time. From then on you will never look back.
How much for the 2005 Prius? I saw an ad for a 2007 Prius with approx 25k miles selling for 12K+ included in the ad was a pic of the low odometer reading, clean dashboard and seats in good condition.
. I’m driving an ’05 G2. It’s turning 183,000 laps. It’s one of the easiest cars I’ve ever had. I’ve got it tuned to the edge and I’ve tweaked it just a bit. I drive like your grandmother. I get 60-mpg. I live in Chicagoland. My gripes are minor. The speakers sound weak with the windows down and it gives crummy heat in the winter. I’ve only had to do regular standard maintenance. It burns ZERO(0) oil. Only one(1) sorta major repair, but that was expected. I replaced both front wheel bearings and the 12v battery. I love this car. I’d buy it again every day.
I only put that many miles on my 2010 from ubering with it for five years. Cut those miles in half now at least.
$8k, on the market 46 days now. Two owners, second owner services it every six months according to Carfax. Super clean interior with only a couple light scratches on the front and rear bumper. Really well taken care of for the most part.
Then it's easy to make the call: you aren't driving enough to capture worthwhile savings in a Prius. You could enjoy lower risk with a simpler car and not be leaving anything on the table.
Regarding Corollas... My daughter-in-law had a 2012. Mechanically sound but they cheaped out on the body work so much that it was constantly popping the front bumper cover loose at the clip on the sides, near the headlight. Even after replacing both sides of that connector. There is another one up the street of roughly the same age, with exactly the same problem. The 2001 most likely doesn't have this issue, but 2009-2013 would, and some newer than that probably too. Here's a 2014 with this issue (see first picture): Help! Corolla loose Front Bumper Cover | Toyota Corolla Forum This issue is mostly cosmetic, I don't think the bumper cover will fall off from it.
