Hello, I will soon be a prius owner, and need help thinking through a choice between the two following cars: 2005, seaside pearl, 43K miles, appears to be well maintained but not pristine ( a few cosmetic issues, minor dings and scrapes) not garaged. 2006, driftwood pearl, 58K miles, the most immaculate used car I have ever seen, garaged. I am not sure I could distinguish it from new. From what I saw of the owners garage, yard, etc. he is an extremely fastidious person. All other things - price, features, are roughly similar. Both owners are selling to buy 2010s. I slightly like the color of the 2005 better than 2006, 2006 has backup camera and an ipod connection which are not deal-breakers for me. What I am trying to decide is the tradeoff between 15K additional miles and what appears to be a car that was absolutely babied in every respect. It is not the appearance that matters to me so much as a hunch that it may have been maintained better overall? I drive about 10K a year. Will the lower miles car last a year longer than the newer higher miles car? Thanks, soon to be new prius owner!
This is a personal decision that only you can make. If I were faced with this decision, I would go after the car that had been maintained the best. This is more than the garage and the cosmetics. Review at the maintenance and repair records: were oil changes completed and at the recommended intervals, were major maintenance recommendations performed at the correct interval, were there any problems and were they taken care of promptly, etc. Good luck --TK
FWIW, IMHO getting the 2006 is a no-brainer. For my zipcode, the 2006 is worth $1,200 more on kbb.com, even with the extra miles and not taking into account any differences in features. There were subtle improvements to the car that started in 2006. Resale on the 2006 will be better because of the extra features, even if you yourself don't care about them. The mileage difference would not be a concern for me on this car, given the proven high reliability of the Prius. In the big picture, those miles won't make any difference to you either in the short run or the long run, especially if the 2006 has been kept as well as it appears.
We bought a 2006 Package 8 in Driftwood Pearl with 60k miles in early June. I'm not fond of the color, but the car was in excellent shape with the exception of a small number of tiny scratches and we got a good price. After about 4000 miles, even with the HID headlight bulb issue, we love the car. I would go with the 2006 in an instant.
What is the price difference between the two? The miles mean NOTHING to me. The prius is so reliable. I would make sure the owners did a meticulous job with the scheduled oil changes. That to me is the most important. Keep in mind that the powertrain warranty is until 60K and the hybrid system is 100K min. Good luck
The 2005 could have the inverter coolant pump issue if it was built before Mar 2005. Look on left door post for build month/year.
I'd buy the younger better-maintained one, but in either case pay a Prius technician (usually, a Toyota dealer) to thoroughly check out the car before you buy.
All things being equal except the mileage and maintenance between the two cars, I'd buy the 2006 since it is better maintained. I dont think 15,000 miles is a huge difference. Maintenance is more important in my case
We bought a 06 Prius just over a year ago and have put 40,000kms on it already. Haven't done a thing to it other then the oil changes...and a few times stopped to put fuel in. This car was also kept in amazing shape with it's last owner. From the sounds of what you've said between the two cars you are looking at, the 05 could have much more wear internally compared to the 06 if it wasn't looked after properly.
I would chime in with what has already been recommended, have them checked out by a technician. It costs money, but can easily be worth it. If they both check out, pick the one you like the most. I always like it when an owner is selling to buy the same but newer vehicle. If true, it tells me their experience with the car I'm looking at was relatively positive or they wouldn't be selling it to buy the same vehicle but new. To me 15000 miles isn't a big enough mileage difference for me to factor in for or against one or the other. I mean mileage is a factor, but so many other things can and do mean so much more. Good Luck, and again, if all things are equal once checked out, I'd go with the one you feel you will be happiest.
Thanks everyone for all your advice! I made an offer today and will pick up my new (to me) prius tomorrow!
