A friend of mine is interested in a Prius. A local dealer (Rhode Island) has one on the lot- a 2006 with 30K miles (I would guess that's mostly highway!). My friend said that it's "base", but my guess is that's a Package#2, as around here they mostly come with that at the minimum. They are asking $16,000 for it. Does it sound like a good deal? My friend drives 24K miles per year, so the high mileage would concern me. I told him that he should at the least get an extended warranty.
When I traded my 04 in for an 07, my dealer gave me $17,500 for it. It had 48,000 miles on the clock. So yeah, it sounds like a good deal. By the way, my 04 was a base model, Not even a wiper on the back.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ May 9 2007, 03:48 PM) [snapback]438516[/snapback]</div> Get the carfax report. Did he see the maintenance records? Are the tires the original Integrities and how does the tread look? For 2006 package 1 adds side & seat airbags. The plastic around the doors is stamped. Package 2 adds AM/FM CD, aux audio jack & MP3/WMA playback. Radio is marked. Jack is in center console. SKS (Smart Key System). Rectangular box you don't have to slide into the slot on the dash. Backup camera. (Real obvious when car is put in reverse). No side airbags. Package 3 is package 2 + 1. I don't know if the extended warranty is available on a used car. If it is, buy it here as it is the best price reported.
when I bought my 2007, there were a few '05's and '06's they ranged from $16,500 to $20,500 with mileage ranging from 24K to 46 or so. I opted for a new base model and I am very happy with it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freke70 @ May 9 2007, 11:20 PM) [snapback]438830[/snapback]</div> If I could find a Prius for $16k I'd probably buy it... I can't find anything used that is significantly cheaper than I can get a new one. $22k for a new one or $20k for a used one? I'll take the new one!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ May 9 2007, 01:48 PM) [snapback]438516[/snapback]</div> If I were your friend, I would ask to take it to an independant mechanic, and also check to see if you can get an insurance agent to run a CLUE report on the VIN. The insurance companies have a much more reliable database than CarFacts. A Carfacts Report is not reliable. It will only report if the car was completely totaled. I bought my son a 2001 Toyota Corrolla with a clean CarFacts Report and then when I went to insure the car, my agent told me it had been wrecked three times with about $3500 damage each time. Is the dealer a Main Stream New Car Dealer, or a shade tree lot? If everything checks out good, I say it is a killer price. With a price like that, your friend will probably need to buy his "Impeachment" bumper sticker separately.
Carfax settles class action lawsuit. Carfax only checks about 30 states: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007...rfax_class.html
