I need to replace my aging Subaru and I'm tired of dealing with leaky head gaskets so I'm looking at Prii. Any thoughts on a 2006 with 150,000 miles vs. a 2007 with 88,000? The 2006 is selling for $4000. The 2007 for $6500. Both are in great shape with level 6 trim. The 2006 should have a lot of life left in it, plus I have some money left to replace the battery when the time comes. On the other hand the 2007 has half the miles of the 2006. I might be leaning slightly toward the 2007 but feel like either would be a solid purchase. Thanks for any advice!
The 2nd generation Prius is a very reliable car, but there are some costly parts that will fail. So you'll probably need to be a handy DIY person to buy a 10+ year old Prius. If you depend on Dealers to service the car, then it may not be advisable to buy such an old Prius. Some of the more expensive repairs from a dealer 1. Coolant valve/Inverter pump replacements - $500+ at dealer or under $100 DIY 2. HV battery - $3000 dealer or $1600+ DIY 3. Brake actuator pump - $2500 dealer or $300 DIY with used part 4. Shocks/Struts - $2500 dealer or $600 DIY
Welcome! You’re picking up 60,000 miles for $2500. That seems worthwhile. You’ll probably need a battery in either fairly soon All the best!
Welcome to Prius Chat . Is Madison, the Wisconsin variety? If so, @ericbecky might be able to help in the local market. If not, good luck with your search, but be ready for battery work or replacement .
Yep, of the WI variety. Thanks for the @ericbecky tip. I drove the 2007 tonight. I don't know much beyond kicking the tires but it seemed to drive well and looks almost new. I'm hoping to have the local Toyota dealer inspect it in the next day or two. If it gets a reasonably clean bill of health I think I'm sold.
Meshgearfox, Being a new member here, you may not realize that I am Madison's only independent hybrid mechanic that focuses soley in hybrids and EVs. EV Powers Hybrid Battery Service and Repair I am able to do a prepurchase inspection for you if you want to bring it by. Call me and we can talk price and timing. 608-729-4082 I been working in hybrids since 2003 and have run the local hybrid car club since 2004. Plus I contribute regularly online here at Priuschat and other sites. I encourage you to take a look at my reviews online and take a look at my posts here on Priuschat. You'll see that I am a down to earth guy that is honest, trustworthy, and definelty knowledgeable about hybrids. And even if you choose to go to the dealership, feel free to call me with questions or come to the hybrid car club meetings. Good luck with your purchase and welcome to Priuschat.
I'm happy to report that I'm now the owner of the 2007 Prius mentioned above. @ericbecky took a look at it yesterday, found some minor issues but no deal breakers. Thanks for that recommendation, @Raytheeagle. Eric is a great guy and fantastic local resource!
