Hi all - I am a wannabe Prius owner who could use your expertise. I live in the boonies in West Texas, and most trips to the store, mall, and town end up being over 100 miles. The Prius got my attention for the gas mileage, since I have a 454 one ton truck and a V8 as my present vehicles. The truck is 10 years old, the V8 is 15 years old. I figure for what I pay for gas now, I could be driving a Prius. I'm most likely looking at buying a "new to me" Prius, instead of a new one. Price is important as I'm a widowed Mom with two young kids. I've heard a lot of conflicting info as to whether or not to consider a first generation Prius, or to stick to the newer generation ones. And I'm also curious as to what the thinking is about mileage on a used Prius. Several of the ones I've seen advertised have around 70,000 miles on them, and naturally I'm concerned about whether or not the car will really hold up to the mileage predictions I've read. Any advice about choosing a used Prius would be greatly appreciated. Right now I am considering a 2005 loaded Prius priced at 17,495, with leather, nav, etc. Linda
Definitely you want a second gen Prius, mainly because you are going to be hauling 2 kids and all their stuff. The hatchback will give you the kind of space that you used to haul in your truck. The price sounds good. Get a CarFax or whatever it is called done to see if there have been accidents or repairs, and then, if you can, get a Prius-certified mechanic to check it out. You will love this car.
Among mid-size cars, the Prius is all alone for fuel economy. With 2 kids, that size may be hard to sacrifice. Among smaller cars, if they meet your size requirements, there are some less expensive routes to very good fuel economy. At or above the Prius highway FE: Honda Insight (2 seater, all have several years on them now), Honda Civic Hybrid I & II (not really cheaper than a Prius, and less roomy, but excels on the highway). Less expensive than the Prius: (Ideally 5-speed versions of...) Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus, or other small cars of your preferred make, or a little larger the Toyota Matrix, etc I guess the bottom line to me is the Prius is an excellent combination of FE/room/price. Its longevity threatens to become legendary (search 'super-prius' at 350,000 miles). I like the 2004 and newer with the hatchback for cargo versatility and improvements to the powertrain, etc. The NAV won't have your streets, I imagine. Good luck.
Hello Linda L. You won't be disappointed with the Prius. Sounds like you do a lot of driving around town, etc. For 100 miles, you will only use apx. 2 gallons of regular fuel. The price for that used Prius doesn't look too bad, but for a brand new package 1 0r 2 Prius price may not be that far from what you are going to pay. I don't know what your options are, but personally I feel better to buy a brand new Prius since I am new in the Hybrid world.
There's definitely more space in the 2nd generation one and the hatchback configuration gives you the flexibility you're used to in your truck. The rear seats fold flat and the front passenger seat can be fully reclined if you need to carry an 8ft ladder or something. It's also a bit more spacious and thus car seats will be easier to install. It'll also have all the latest safety features (esp. since you're looking at a loaded 2005 model). 6 airbags (front, front side and side curtain), ABS w/EBD, Brake Assist, traction control and stability control are included in the top package. The newer ones are also more powerful and more efficient. Just note that 2005 models don't come with factory leather so if it has leather, it's added aftermarket. If you can, look at a 2006 model too. 2006 received a midlife update so you get an updated interior, higher resolution screen (with backup camera which might be useful. Don't know how old your kids are) and factory leather.
Linda, if you're doing frequent 100 mile jaunts you'll love the Prius. Your gas costs with that 454 must be brutal. Plus you live in a warm climate and I hear tell that Prii love that......mine, purchased just this past December, has yet to see 40 degrees!! Size wise, I think you'll find it plenty roomy for you and your kids and a moderate amount of cargo, although it'll certainly not be a hauler like your truck is. As to cost, mileage, etc., I'm one who tends to tilt toward new and more basic, as opposed to used and loaded. While I don't claim that $5000 is an insignificant sum of money, and don't know what the mileage is on the loaded '05 you're looking at, I'd simply comment that for around $23K you could get into a new '08 in a fairly basic package.
I just bought a used 2005 Prius with aftermarket leather with 50,000 miles for $16,900. It is an incredible car. I am 6'3" and I have plenty of room driving it. The mileage is incredible. I have averaged 50 miles per gallon since I got it. Go for it!
Thought I'd post an update. My girls and I went to the (local - 50 miles away) Toyota dealership today to check out the new Prius, after it was recommended by one of the replies that a new one (not loaded) would not be significantly more than a loaded used one. We test drove a 2008 with I believe package 2 options. The price on the one I looked at was $23,400, and I got the impression the dealership was not willing to negotiate the price, since they kept telling me they never kept any Prius vehicles on the lot for more than 2 days before they sold. We were there just before closing, so they are going to see about finance options on Monday morning. I'm still not sure whether I want to buy new or used, but I am positive that my next vehicle will be a Prius. The car is just awesome. Linda
I will add to the suggestion to buy a new one. I was going to ask if you planed to finance the car, which apparently, you are. Be sure to consider that the interest rate on the new car loan is likely to be a couple percent lower for a new car, and you can justify a longer term such as 5 or 6 years, the monthy payment will likely be nearly the same as a 3 or 4 year loan on the used one. In my opinion, used car prices are too high. You mentioned most the used Prius you see are around 70,000 miles. To make the math simple, lets just supose it will be nearly worn out at 210,000 miles. Therefore, with 70,000 miles, you could say it is 1/3 used up. So, why isn't the price reduced by one third? Should be $7,800 less than $23,400 which is $16,600. So, what if you find a used Prius with 70,000 miles for $16,600? Which part of the useful life of the car is the most trouble free and at what point will any major repairs start to arise? Obviously, the first 70,000 miles are likely to be the best 70,000 miles. So, when you put together the facts that used cars are priced unreassonalby high and new car lones have a lower interest rate, it is easy to justify streaching out the payments over a longer term for the loan. Another way to look at it is what good it is to pay a loan off in 3 or 4 years when at the end of that time, you will have a car with 130,000 miles on it and you will have to take out another loan anyway to upgrade then.
