Hello all! New poster here! I've gotten the hybrid bug bad ever since recently watching the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" My first test drive was a 2008 Prius at the local Toyota dealership here in Birmingham. I wanted first hand to see if the Prius for me size and drive wise. All I can say was that I was very impressed and it was difficult to walk out of the dealership! (Couldn't buy it without wife anyway!) Here's where I'm at. I am looking for a used (second generation) Prius with Navigation (need my gadgets!). I have done a bunch of research online and it seems to me that the second generation car is basically the same between 2004 to 2008. Would you agree? Presently, I am looking at a 2004 on ebay that seems to have been very well taken care of with 60,000 miles. Is 60,000 a lot of miles? Bottom line. I would like to purchase one with the idea of converting it one day to a plug-in within the next couple years. It seems as though the conversion kits are still in their infancy stage. I leaning toward a used Prius since any conversion would likely void the hybrid/battery warranty. Is the Hybrid Synergy Drive/battery pack the same in all second generation Prius'? Is the navigation system/display the same also? Thanks for your time. Wannabe
I'd be very careful with an '04 w/ 60k miles.... you may only have about 210,000 miles left on it!! Seriously, if it's in good shape and the price is right there's no reason not to get it. You should check to make sure that the MFD has been replaced as the '04s have had some problems with those going bad. Replacement is expensive if not done under warranty. Not all of them go bad, but it's costly if they do.
Yes. The only differences are minor cosmetic changes from one model year to the next and the introduction of a touring version in 2006.
Also be aware that the 2004 and 2005 cars used a different material on the dash, glove box, and some other surfaces. Some have encountered trouble with it rubbing off or reacting badly with the oil from your skin, causing its appearance to degrade. It would be a good idea to take a look at it for yourself to decide if you care.
I purchased my '04 used and have had no issues so far. I don't think the MFD is a recall item so I would expect to find that it has been preemptively replaced. However, I would do some homework and ask if this car qualified for any recall work and if it has been done (mine had the steering recall and previous owner had documentation that it was done). Personally I wouldn't buy it off eBay sight unseen. If it's a local auction I would go take a look a it. Run a Carfax and make sure the title is clear. I know there are a lot of Prius listed there with rebuilt titles.
As with any used car, along with a title search pay to have it thoroughly checked out by a certified Pr!us tech (who will usually be found at a Toyota dealer). If you buy be sure to acquire copies of both the Owner's Manual and the Scheduled Maintenance Guide. These will save you a lot of puzzlement in operation and unnecessary expense in regular maintenance. Savings at the first service can easily pay for their purchase price.
The used prius seems reasonable in pricing Heres a 07 on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007...ryZ43925QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I would say shop around, you may find one under 50k miles and priced around 11k-15k I think new the base model is like 22.7k Remember base model: p/windows p/locks keyless ent cruise a/c am/fm/cd radio dual front airbags Heck this is the base model, most cars these are options.......
Note that this particular Prius has a SALVAGE title. Be careful!!! it could have had major damage. The problem with a used current generation Prius (2004-2008) is that they currently have a very high re-sale value. A new prius (with package 2) would sell for about $ 22 K. Keith
I traded my 2004 in for the 07 hycamry the dealer gave me 16k for the prius and it had 74k on the odo. So yes they aint cheap, again shop around.... Salvage title i would be worried about buying that.. But if youve just got to have one I would see what happened to the car with car-fax...
I drove a 2004 Prius with NAV for two years, purchased used on eBay with 4,100 miles on the clock. Excellent service for those 2 years. Only issues were: 1) Two computer flash updates [no problems just precautionary]; 2) Replacement of brake light switch; 3) Replacement of steering column knuckle joint; 4) Free update of NAV DVD; 5) Upper glove compartment door replacement due to failure of a plastic spring attachment [caused a deformation of the upper dash panel over the right hinge]. All of these items were done without charge under the 36,000 mile warranty. I traded to get a Touring model with HID headlights, firmer suspension, backup camera, larger rims and arguable better tires, a new 36K mile warranty and the option of purchase of an extended warranty. The 2004 NAV system DID utilize a lower-resolution display (not really bad), thus when (I believe in the 2006 model) Prius went to a higher resolution display a different DVD was required and the formerly 4 color choices was reduced to 2 color choices... thus if replacing the NAV DVD you'd have to be sure to get one compatible with the '04-'05 system. The low and high resolution systems are not interchangeable. As for the dash and trim surfaces, some reported problems but I had none. I didn't see a comment on a "salvage" title in your original post. In any event, I would invest in a CarFax report - a few dollars well spent. Be sure to check the VIN with Toyota to determine which updates have been done - it's a no-cost service of Toyota.
Yes, the difference is quite huge as from QVGA to VGA or VGA to SVGA.... much higher resolution and more color.
Salvage? I want to thank everyone for their input. I am still looking around every site I can to find my Prius. The one thing that has got me interested is the cars with salvage titles. Normally I wouldn't give them a second thought but look at this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160190678045 Look at his feedback. I am pretty, pretty, interested! Thoughts?
Got my 2004 base model about 4 or 5 months ago and have done 10,000 kilometres in it. It had 61,000km on it when I got it, 60,000 miles seems pretty high miles for a 2004 model. Only issue I had was the top glovebox spring anchor point had broken causing the sprins to press against the top of the dash distorting it. I repaird the anchor points by drilling a 1/8" hole and cable tying the spring down. One afternoon parked in the sun and the dash distortion was gone too! You know if the spring achor is broken because the glovebox lid will only open half way without being lifted. I also have a slight rattle from the drivers side of the dash but I haven't looked into that yet. I had the left front McPherson strut replaced under new car warranty due to noise and I had the car yard respray the bonnet to fix stone chips. Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase. Only trouble now is my wife is bugging me for another car to replace her 1996 RAV4.
You might check into carmax.com. They usually have a few Prius's around. If there isn't one locally, for an extra fee they can have one shipped from a carmax dealer in another part of the country.
That's what I did Found that www.autotrader.com was a suitable site allows one to limit the distance from home that you want to roam AND I found our 2006 just 3 miles south of town Happy Holidays and HUNTING too, Jan
I wonder if it is worth mentioning (for the benefit of future buyers of used who see this thread), the traction control problem with the '04s. Since this is something that cannot be fixed, anyone who has to deal with snow and ice on a hill would probably want to avoid an '04 , and maybe '05s.
I did a lot of research before I bought my 05. It was a salvage. There seem to be quite a few salvage title Prius' in and around SF Bay Area. Perhaps that is because it is such an expensive area to live which means labor costs are high. Anyway, in California a salvage vehiucle must pass certain inspections before it can be registered. These inspections include all lights must be working and the frame/unibody must pass a straightness/trueness inspection. My 05, while being salvaged, was never in a wreck, but did suffer some apparently minor flood damage which knocked out some of the computers. The guy that purchased it from the insurance company had it had another wrecked 05 and he swapped out the computers and it was good to go. I have put close to 10k miles on it since I bought it without a problem. The only drawback is the reduced resale on a salvage, but I bought mine with the intention of keeping it and driving it until the wheels fall off! So if you are looking to drive it and then trade it in or resell it, I'd stay away from a salvage. I bought my 05 pkg #6(including leather, nav, 6cd changer, smart key, full air bags, etc) with 20k on the odometer for $14K. I love my Prius!
