1st gen Prius

I have an '03, with ~33k on the odometer. It's a great car. At 30K miles, look at the tires, and see if they have been replaced. If not, they may be close. Also take the vin to Toyota to see if all recalls have been done. There are a couple out there on the classics. Also run a carfax on the vin, just to get an idea on the car's history.

Most importantly, you will NOT be eligeable for the tax credit as this is a used car. The credit applies to new car purchases only. I wouldn't worry about the "lower" fuel economy figures. I've seen a high tank of 57.9 mpg out of mine, keeping my speeds down to a max of 55 mph. With my commute, I typically keep my car in the low 50's by the computer.

I cannot really think of much of anything to fault the car over. I've taken mine up to Haliburton Ontario Canada from the DFW area, as well as to Denver, CO numerous times. The car has never missed a beat, and has never left me wanting for more power.

I'd like to know what the acronym "CPO" is supposed to mean.

 

I've got a 2001 that my wife drives now. In the ~3 years of ownership, I had 1 computer problem, that toyota couldn't figure out. They just replaced the computer. I haven't had any other problems with it.

For a small car, it has more interior room than you would expect. The turn radius is REALLY tight as well. Very easy to park. The trunk space is a little small though.

Overall, I'm very happy with it.

I'll be selling mine probably next June. If you don't mind me asking, what is Toyota asking for the car?

Ed

 

Baseball.... on cars.com there are 11 Classics listed in a 500 mile radius of Dallas.. 10 have pictures.. all are at dealers.. and 1 is showing CPO... I just ran the search didn't look at any of the cars.. Good luck in your search and most of all convincing DAD....

Bob Andersen

 

if you get it tell the insurnace agent that it has an alarm and an imoblizer as standard equipement. Make sure any recalls on the steering rack have been done. Have a look at this forum for a note about Prius Taxi and read what all is said in the posts on it and then look at the service records for his 2k1 and read what he has to say about his 2k3. The Classic is a great little car and get's good mileage and is a pleasure to drive. Has unique looks as well. Some had Nav and some came with side curtain airbags also.

 

I had a blast with my 2001 Classic (actually 2nd generation, 1st was the 1997-2000 model).

There's a ton of detail documenting the 59,827 miles I drove with it for 3 years before upgrading to a fully-loaded HSD (2004). So reading through the collection log-entries on my website may be helpful. This summary of the maintenance during that time may be helpful too.

The only thing to watch out for with the 2002 is the steering-rack. The electric design was less forgiving than the traditional fluid design. So you'd end up with some play (which felt like soft lumps) that took time to wear down. Then when they did, all would be fine. But they were instances where it didn't, which resulted in a nasty vibration. Fortunately, Toyota replaced (special warranty) the racks that exhibited that and even some that didn't. And by 2003, Toyota had the fine-tuning figured out.

Every now and then, I still get to jump behind the wheel of a Classic. It's like an old friend. The shorter nose and that steering give it an edge over the HSD. Being able to manuever like that was great! It feels a little smoother at times too, most likely due to the RPM being 500 lower. I would have definitely enjoyed keeping that Prius. But upgrading to one with all the bells & whistles in the shape of a hatchback (since I transport a bike a lot in the summer) that got even better MPG was too tempting to resist...

 

It is behind a door below the climate control knobs. You push in on the top of the door lightly to unlatch it, and it'll fall open.

 

The cd player is located lower on the dash, behind a door. Not really hard to get to at all. We have two prius, the 2001 and a new 2005. While I can't say anything bad about the 2001, the 2005 is loaded! 2001 didn't come with cruise control even as an option. I'd say make sure you get cruise. That's the only thing bad I can say. The 2005 is more of a travel car. The 2001 is a great commuter car. Hope you can get one!

 

Baseball... 10 points to a polite 16 year old..

Bob Andersen

 

I'm pretty sure that all models came with the disc button whether the cd player was installed or not. As I recall our 2001 model had the Nav button available as well. We did not get the nav option. The CD player was one of the only options available on the 2001. The nav was the other option.

You are playing it smart by reviewing cars instead of just wanting one. Good luck with your search and keep posting the ?s.

 

the next couple of months its either high mileage 01 prius or a new sub compact like the fit, versa or yaris... tough decisions. So creature comforts or high mileage smooth car? (Shame only the versa is offered CVT, something I really wanted)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tntna @ Nov 29 2004, 10:53 AM) [snapback]53371[/snapback]</div>

My 2001 has cruise control.

 

How much are you asking for your wife's 2001 Prius? We are looking at selling our Audi wagon and getting another Prius.

 

Unfortunately, Ed last answered in 2004, so the chances of him answering and having the 2001 are probably pretty slim.

 

You might consider looking at Ebay completed sales to see current prices. As for models, looking at 15,000 miles per year:

• 2001 - ~135,000 miles (first NHW11)
• 2003 - ~105,000 miles (last NHW11)
• 2004 - ~90,000 miles (first NHW20)
• 2005 - ~75,000 miles (** good value **)
• 2009 - ~0-15,000 miles (current NHW20)

The NHW11s are reaching mileage where there is no further hybrid warranty, originally 8 years or 100,000 miles. If you have the ability to do self-maintenance, an NHW11 can provide good value. However, I would expect the 2005 to be one of the best hybrid values because:

• most likely to have early manufacturing problems fixed
• about 25,000 miles of warranty remaining on hybrid parts (more in the CARB states)

Based upon what we know already, there is nothing wrong with the 2004 especially if it has had good maintenance. Just I would weigh a 2005 higher than the 2004 given all things equal.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

One thing to be sure to check: make sure there really is a CD player. They came with the DISC button even if the player wasn't bought (same deal as with the NAV button).

One thing not to worry about: don't let cruise sway you by more than about $150 either way, because that's what you can pay to get the factory cruise kit new in a box that says Toyota, and it's a very straightforward installation on any 2001-2003.

You also have an option if it's missing a CD player but you don't mind using an iPod; there is a little box from DICE that will connect the iPod and control it from the dash buttons and touch screen - it shows up as a "minidisc player" and shows you titles, artists, and playlists on screen. The box is only advertised for the 2004- Prius, but a little cutting and splicing will get it working fine in a 2001-'03. (Beware, there's one wire that if you forget to cut, the player will act like it's possessed by demons.)

Good luck,
-Chap

edit: I should have mentioned that the only "cutting and splicing" needed is in the wires that come with the DICE box - no modifications to the car.

mlibiano has even figured out how to retrofit the factory NAV but in a 2001 that does require cutting and splicing on the car's wiring.