Help me find a Gen II to buy in North Carolina!

I don't knw what part of North Carolina you're at, but ReInVolt is in the Raleigh area. They would know something about where Prius cars can be found.

 

Right and he might be in decent location to gamble on 2006 at higher miles since you can get batt fix at ReInvolt. I have 110k on mine so 80k would be possible but ...

 

Did you check out Autotrader.com and cars.com?

 

2G Prius (2004-2009) Standard and Optional Equipment (Some Countries) | PriusChat might help w/determining equipment levels.

 

Try cars.com i got my 2005 75k for 9800 fully loaded. From a toyota dealership.

 

Yes for 2006 Pkg 3 and up was most common. Pkg3 had SKS + RearCam, no NAV.
Being a cheap-skate I tried pretty hard for the stripped down Pkg-1, but I never saw one.

 

If you are somewhat close to Scottsburg, IN you might want to give these folks a call.

Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle PHEV

 

Yes some bad dealers always use this tactics to draw customer in. But if you find a Prius in none-Toyota dealer, say a Prius listed by a Nissan dealer, then it might be real. Generally those are trade-ins that they want to sell fast. And they don't expect the Prius buyers to buy their other Nissan cars, if they say the Prius is sold.

My friend got a very good deal buying a Prius in a Nissan dealer. In that case, the Nissan salesman don't know options on Prius, so they sold him a well equipped Prius for price of base one. Also, because the dealer is in a remote location, not many customers will go there, so he was able to negotiate price a little lower than based model.

But all in all, I think when buying a used car, the top priority is to make sure it is in good condition. Price is secondary although important.

Also, you might consider higher mileage Prius, that will give you much more to choose, such as 2006 with 100K miles for $12K. Unless you drive a lot, there is no need to stick with low mileage. Plus, I think many people bought Prius because they drive a lot and Prius will give them lots of saving. That probably means average mileage of used Prius is higher than other cars, and it is harder and more expensive for lower mileage Prius in general. It could be possible that some Prius owners feels nervous when mileage hits 100K, so they sell it cheaper than it worth in my view. That's your opportunity.

I bought my 04' in 2010 with 110K miles, now it is 170K, no any issues, just regular maintenance. The engine starts to burn 1 qt of oil every 2K miles in summer, starting 150K. I don't think that's such a big issue really, just remember to add oil every month. But that's just me.

Overall, I think used Prius at current price is a great value, assume it is in great condition.

Another advantage of buying used, is that you don't have too much pain when it gets hit, or pay extra to get full coverage. My wife bumped my Prius two times, we replaced fender two times, each for $700. We still love our Prius!

 

I don't think their price is great, although you can be confident that they know what they are doing.
In general, if there is not enough difference on price, I don't consider salvage titled cars. Even if price is great, I would make sure I see the picture of pre-repairing condition, to assess the damage level. Another condition to buy salvaged is that I plan to own it for long term, because the resale value of salvaged car is lower too. Of cause, there is always the risk of poorly repaired salvage. It sounds like this shop's reputation is good so far. that's a plus.

 

One of the reason's I mentioned them is because they do offer PHEV conversions. Yes, they are pricey, but if the conversion works properly, it can save you big bucks over the long haul. Especially if you trips are short. Yes, the cars they sell are salvaged, but if someone is looking for a car to drive until it is junk then it could be a good alternative. It really boils down to the individuals use and discretion as to what is good and what should passed on.

If I was close by them, I would not hesitate to buy from a PHEV conversion from them. They offer a warranty of 1 year and if you needed work after that, simply return the vehicle and get it fixed. Based on post's from PHEV users here on PC, some are getting better than 1000 miles per tank of fuel. At today's price of gasoline, that is something to consider.

107 mpg. 1,100 mile tank. Enginer system back on track. | Page 3 | PriusChat

 

At today's price and technology, conversion does not make any financial sense in my view. Just run through the number you will see why. The initial cost is way too high. Even if under ideal situations, such as:
1. your daily commute just match the capacity, and you don't change job or where you live in next 8 years.
2. conversion battery never gone bad in next 8 years (I highly doubt that);
3. your electric bill does not rise or rise little with gas price in future.
4. No other problems associated with conversion after 1 year.

You also lose money when you finance the conversion, or you pay cash and lost the investment income. I bet if you buy gold with that cash, you will gain a lot more 8 years down the road, compare to conversion gas savings.

What you get with conversion is bragging rights and a high tech toy.

 

I got an 05 loaded love my car but i think i would go with newer one. Keep us posted on your choice.

 

Hybrid-Related Component Coverage [1]


Hybrid-related components, including the HV battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter, are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. The HV battery may have longer coverage under emissions warranty. Refer to applicable Owner’s Warranty Information booklet for details.

Toyota Auto Warranty and Extended Warranty Information