I'm looking for some feedback on this same topic. 2015 v, 130k miles, no issues yet. I installed an oil catch can at about 65k and did the egr cleaning at about 100k. Nothing looked too bad at that point. I've been pretty aggressive with maintenance- doing things like brake fluid changes, etc. My original plan was drive it for about 10 years and 200k miles and then be ready to walk away. I'm getting close to the ten years but haven't put the miles on it for various reasons, including a really low year during the pandemic. It looks like I can get $7000-8000 for this car right now. The KBB instant offer came in at $7000. I feel like about the most I can hope for is another 5 years or so but have a reasonable chance of incurring up to $10000 in repairs during this time. I'm wondering if it is time to trade it in (or sell it) and a new RAV4 or maybe a Mazda. I'd appreciate any insights. Would you go with a hybrid RAV? (This has soured me a bit on hybrids.) We can afford to replace it now and can afford the repairs if they are needed but want to make a smart decision. Thanks!
We bought the Rav4 hybrid XSE. It is a far better vehicle in almost every way but particularly in size, performance and safety. It is hard to put a price on safety until you spend a couple of days in the hospital. The price will be obvious and it's not just expressed in dollars. We still have the v for routine commutes.
We're moving on from our 2011 Prius three hatchback with 143K miles on the odometer. It's been reliable, so far, but I have done all major maintenance items, and some extra (egr cooler/intake manifold cleaning, oil catch can installed) along the way. We didn't want to worry about dealing with the known issues that can come up when the early Gen 3 hits the 150K mark. We bought a 2025 Toyota Crown Signia XLE (AWD Hybrid) that's pretty loaded with convenience and safety features. I've put up the Prius for sale, and have gotten almost zero interest at $5000. I have dropped the price down to $3500 and I may have someone interested to meet up tomorrow. If it doesn't sell, we will donate the car to a charity and take a tax deduction based on the sale price at auction. SM-G781V ?
tough call to be truthful. 15 is the best of the gen 3 years. if you've done 5k oil changes, and it isn't burning any, you may be good for a long while. hard to say on the brake actuator, hybrid battery and inverter. it is definitely a roll of the dice.
For a couple of reasons: 1. They have the revised oil rings, purportedly higher friction but less prone to runaway oil consumption. The revision was actually partway through model year 2014 for the hatchback Prius, and I'm a little vague on the Prius v. Attachments have more info. 2. Previous owners are more likely to have heard of the 3rd gen's "shortcomings", taken preemptive measures. Toyota also revised the EGR valve, and did multiple itterations to the intake manifold. Enthusiasm for these waxed and waned.
basically, you are hoping your total tax deductions will be more than the standard deduction (which i heard is hard to do)? or is it separate, and you will save approximately 20 to 30% of the sold price at auction? sorry for asking, but I'm also trying to figure out creative ways to offload my prius (hopefully sooner than later).
You may be able to deduct the full value of what the vehicle sold for at auction, provided the charity provides you with the final sale price of your donated vehicle on a 1099c form. SM-G781V ?
There is a line for charitable donations but they still total into itemized deductions. You need more than $24,000 in deductions (for a couple filing jointly) like this and mortgage interest to make itemized better than standard deduction. If you give a car more than $5,000 you need an appraisal. If the charity sells your vehicle (most do) then your deduction is what the charity sells the car for and reports to you on a Form 1098-C. Plus deductions just reduce your taxable income. So if the charity sells it for $4,000 and you are in a 20% tax bracket, the actual dollar reduction in your taxes would be 20% of $4,000 or $800. It's rare you couldn't sell the car yourself for more, pay taxes on that income and still come out ahead. But it is easy and benefits your charity.
I feel your pain, imagine doing this as a shop dealing with 100's of those types of people per month. The worst one is when you ask them if their car burns oil and they say "No I don't smell anything burning"...
A few years ago my son replaced his 2015 Prius V with a 2023 RAV4 Prime XSE. It is a great replacement and he does his work commute on plugin power.His dog agility hobby travels use hybrid mode.
We went with 2020 RAV4HV as the v was no longer avail after 2017. 2018 was the year Toyota went with Safety Sense 2 so even a used v would not have the safety sense, otherwise we may have considered it
My son had to drive to Maryland to buy his Prime. At the time it was a deal to just pay list price. They were so impressed with his Prius V, they gave him $2K ober book and figured they would sell it within a week! It had factory Remote Start & they did not know that was even an option. It let him keep the car locked & running to have his dogs cool in the car in the summer when at outdoor agility events.
I tried the donation route once, and I don't think they got anything NEAR what the car was worth. I got a big $500 receipt after the auction and boy did I wish I had sold it privately. Good luck to you.
Yeah car donations to charity are only as good as the people in charge of fixing the car up for re-sale and I doubt there's only a small number of people who know how to do that for max value who are doing it for charity instead of themselves.
