Considering a Used Gen 2, What Do I Need to Know?

sal,

As bad as I hate to say this, I agree with usnavy on this one. The Prius is not built for everyone due to it's limitations on weight, storage capacity, and passenger space. It is however the most economical vehicle on the road today.

Also I would not recommend towing with the Prius as it adds strain to the transaxle. The transaxle is very expensive if you damage it. Furthermore it is plainly written in the owners manual that the Prius is NOT designed for towing.

Unless you can be conservative in your loads, you may find in the end that the Prius is just not what you need. I myself had no problems adapting to it. However, our requirements here are for two people rather than five. Like I said, the Prius is not made for everyone.

Also, if you are going to limit yourself to a $10K budget, you better plan to have at least 3 or 4K additional in your budget to cover any repairs if you were unfortunate enough to have to replace a major component. Most 10K Prius are well over the hybrid warranty limits, therefore if the inverter or the traction battery were to go you would be faced with that sort of a repair bill.

What every newb should know | PriusChat

 

bought my prius in march of 13 for $6500 , had 112000 miles on it , its a 2006 model with package #6 options , getting 45mpg gal now , I Installed a new 12v battery just to be safe , changed out the transaxle fluid , oil and filter change , had the front disc brakes replaced , and checked the coolant fluid and engine coolant , and had a new PCV valvue installed

 

By the numbers, Sonata wins out in creature comfort, room varies in all models but not a great amount of difference. Also front and rear seats dimensions (hip and shoulder) vary from model to model.

Note: Storage is actually larger in the Prius.

Source:

2012 Toyota Prius vs. 2012 Toyota Camry vs. 2012 Honda Accord vs. 2012 Hyundai Sonata

 

Let's face it, none of those cars are going to be good for 5 people to travel with all their gear. And... you won't get any of them for $10k.

 

Yup, four can get by with gear but five is really pushing it. I hope the OP finds something that will fit his parameters.

 

I think in the end you will end up with a SUV like the outback or a minivan. As you stated and have seen, the numbers are too small for your requirements. I could not find a comparison sheet for the older models as the websites don't seem to be set up for older stuff... I am thinking along the lines of a Yukon or something similar to fit your needs. The mid size sedans (Prius, Sontata, etc.) are going to be too small for your requirements.

 

Have you considered an Escape or Highlander Hybrid? Space of an SUV and MPGs of a midsize car. Escape will be a couple grand cheaper and get about 30MPG vs the Highlander's 25MPG, but the Highlander is bigger. Just something to look into. We were going to keep our Escape Hybrid forever until we got our Prius, the Prius just fits our current needs better.

 

The hybrid escape or highlander will fit your needs with no problem. Remember though that the fuel cost's will be higher. HiHy gets about 25 MPG, Hy Expedition gets about 30. Prius averages 45 YMMV Overall fuel cost will definitely come into play. FWIW, if you drive conservatively and hypermile one can achieve 50 and higher MPG with the Prius. Actual record holder in Japan holds the record at 116. With minor hypermiling I maintain a yearly overall average of 48 burning regular 87 octane Shell fuel.

Hope you find what you need sal. Everyone is on a budget. Best of luck to you.

 

I'm not sure how the engine going off under 40 would be a sign of a good battery. As long as it isn't swinging between a few bars and almost full during a regular drive, it should be good. That doesn't mean it can't die a few months from now, but its at least good right now.

Unless its causing problems, I wouldn't worry too much about the 12v. Chances are its already been replaced. Maybe look at it and see if you can find any dates on it. If they previous owner had it serviced at the dealership, it would probably show up in the service records if it has been replaced.

The remotes are several hundred dollars. There is a guy here who sells regular looking Toyota keys that have been modified to work with the Prius for under $40, but you won't have remote lock/unlock.

There are updated map discs available. Some people have had luck downloading the maps and burning them to a disc.

 

Once the engine has warmed up, you can produce what is know as a glide. At speeds under 42 MPH you can release the accelerator, then lightly press it until you see NO arrows on the MFD. The instantaneous readout should show 99.9 There are different modes that the Prius operates in. You have to be in S4 mode to achieve a true glide. There is a lot of info on the web concerning this. Try googling hypermiling a Prius. CleanMPG has good info on it, and Wayne Gerdes published the "bible" on it. All can be found by a google search. But all of that really doesn't relate to the health of the traction battery. For a fee you could have Toyota pull the voltages for the cells and give you a print out. Normally, as long as you don't see real fast swings from purple to full green or full green to purple then the battery is working normally. Like V Skid says, that is only what it is doing then.

You can test the battery with the MFD, there is info here on PC concerning that. Basically, the battery is a small low AMP hr. AGM type battery with special JIS type posts. The battery is NOT cheap, and the dealer tends to overcharge for the installation of said battery. FWIW, it is DIY job if you are mechanically inclined. The battery runs in the area of $200 and labor can run anywhere from $50 to $150. Most here recommend the "Yellow Top" battery. Other's like myself recommend the OEM, other's still recommend the Exide. It would be a good idea if you can get a new battery with the deal so you won't have to worry about that for a while.

New fobs run around $175 at the stealer plus anywhere from $50 to 175 for programming. You can buy the new fob and program it yourself doing the chicken dance. That info is here on PC also. That is why you really want two fobs that work, so you are not faced with the cost of the additional fob plus the programming thereof.

Can't comment on the NAV disk's other than to check with Toyota. Ebay might have one, but your best luck would be the dealer. I have heard a Garmin is better than the factory nav unit. I am content with our Garmin nuvi, as our Prius is a package 2 (no nav on board).

Hope this helps you.

 

Black fob is for NON SKS Prius. Silver logo fob is for SKS type Prius. If the car has SKS, the fob stays in your pocket of purse as long as the system is working properly and enabled. SKS stands for "Smart Key System". Your understanding is correct. If the Prius has SKS, you simply walk up to the car, touch the inside of the front door handle, then open the door. Get in, close door and push Power. Without SKS you have to put the fob in the slot on the dash. You can do that also with the SKS fob when the battery (CR2032) goes out in the fob so you can still drive the car.

One other note on the fobs. Make sure both fobs have the key cut in case you get in a situation where you can't get in due to a dead battery. That is what the key is for. It allows you to open the drivers door so you can access the interior and work towards getting it running again.

 

Yeah, don't buy a Prius if you plan on using the cargo area. See the thread I just started on lock failure. How annoyed am I? Let me put it this way, forgot never buying another Toyota, I wouldn't accept one as a gift. Also I lost count on the recalls, think it is up to 5 or 6. Aside from those annoying things which shake your confidence, the car runs good and I average 49 MPG. On long trips the seats get quite uncomfortable. Get leather, I was going to, but that would have delayed arrival another 4 weeks, so I didn't, and I'm still kicking myself.