High milage fully loaded or Low milage Stadard?

Considering that nothing 'major' will happen before 300k, take the fully loaded.

Seems the pricing is based on conventional cars, hybrids do 5x a regular car before any major component wears out, brakes included.

If it were a Mazda3, logic would be reversed.

 

I'd do the opposite. I'd go for the lower mileage base model. Depending on your location, you might still have a reasonable amount of warranty remaining.

A Prius is a reliable car but they can be expensive if something does go wrong. I'd certainly get it checked either by a Toyota dealer or a specialist before you buy just to be sure. Would hate your introduction to hybrid motoring to be soured by purchasing a dud.

But, the choice is yours.

 

Only if you let a dealership totally rape you. You can find low mileage used batteries for less than $1000 easily and have it installed for a fraction of the total cast you mentioned. It's all about doing the research or paying the piper for not looking around.

 

Cost of battery replacement for a new one is Prius Battery Change is No Big Deal - Newsroom : Our Point of View Post / Toyota. Yes, if yours fails out of warranty, you should look into one from the salvage market first.

I'd go w/the lower mileage one despite that fact there are a lot of improvements that started w/06. The HV battery is warranted for 8 year/100K miles for non-CARB states. Hawaii isn't a CARB state and is a warmer climate so that's likely tougher on the battery. That 06 has only 2K miles left on the HV battery warranty clock.

 

My decision will base on the asking price, if they are $10K and looks like to be a steal. I will take the fully loaded high mileage one because if I have to put in a replacement HV battery for $2K, it is still a bargain.
But if I have to pay $14K, I will take the base low mileage one as I don't want to put more money into it.

 

Get 2006 model. It has better MFD screen, soft material interior panels, more headroom in the front, better traction control, etc...

The miles on 2006 are probably mostly highway miles. They are easier on the HV battery since gas engine is mostly used.

I would definitely go for 2006 fully loaded.

 

My experience is that you'd probably have more sucess negotiating a lower price with the private seller. But every case is different so you cant really know for sure until you try. Why not try negotiating your best deal on each and decide from there. Mention to the private seller that you are considering a "similar" vehicle with same price but 33k less miles and see what they're perpared to offer to sway you.

 

The "fully-loaded" Prius does not have nav, unless the car had been shipped in from the continental US. Servco Pacific did not sell Toyotas or Lexus with nav, until very recently.

The Toyota extended warranty can only be purchased on vehicles within 3 years / 36K miles of initial sale. It's a waste of time and money to buy a third party warranty.

Regarding the traction battery, it is possible to buy a salvage battery for ~$500 or so, however you need to find an independent shop to install it, or DIY.

Especially since you perceive little value in the optional equipment, if I were you I would buy the vehicle with lower miles since that one still has some hybrid system warranty coverage. The fog lamps have cosmetic value only, they are functionally worthless.

You had mentioned struts/shocks. I would say that they probably need replacement after 60K miles and this can be a very expensive job if you rely upon the dealer. Ask what Servco Pacific will charge, unless you have an independent mechanic available or can DIY.

Good luck with your decision, I encourage you to have the car checked out by the Servco Pacific service dept to see what's wrong with it.

 

Maybe they are in Arizona or Hawaii but they're certainly very handy in foggy old England.

 

If you find them to be useful, I wonder if the lighting is different for UK models. I haven't found any US owner who will admit that the fog lights serve any purpose besides blinding oncoming traffic.

 

The original equipment rear shocks have two paint stripes near the bottom, for example red and white. No obvious markings on the front struts.

If you see substantial leaking fluid on the strut/shock body, then it is bad. However lack of fluid does not mean the part is necessarily good.

The ride is better if the struts/shocks are new, but unless you have a chance to drive a newer Prius it may be difficult to tell that a given Prius has worn parts.

 

I hate to put it this way, but a car with 98k on it isn't necessarily ready for the bone yard, but it is far from new either. Assuming that the vehicle has had excellent basic maintenance (oil and filter, engine air filter and other basic stuff) then the core mehanics are probably just fine. However 100k is a major milestone for schedueled maintenance. At that mileage you will need to consider new spark plugs, coolant changes and a gearbox fluid change. There are two coolant systems in the Prius so both will need to be addressed and the systems need to be vacuumed to remove any latent air from the system because the coolant loops are rather long and have lots of places in them where air can accumulate, especially when fluid is changed.

Then comes issues with the suspension. If the car hasn't been recently alligned, that should be done. Shocks and struts should be replaced because at 98k they are due.

With all of this said I think you need to balance the costs of maintenance on the used Prius with the relative lack of short term maintenance costs associated with a new Prius. Also consider that a stripped Prius still have many more comfort and features any any other vehicle sold on the market that is "stripped".

 

The asking price is in between my estimates, it will come down to the quality or condition of the car.

As others have suggested, check both cars out with a mechanic.
Get the VIN and check out the history with CARFAX.
If a car is driven mostly on highway, you will see a lot of rock and paint chips on the hood and bumper.

If both cars check out fine and you can negotiate the price down to $12K or lower, I will still take the higher mileage one because it is likely a touring model with the fog lights.

 

If you haven't looked at http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...andard-optional-equipment-some-countries.html already, it might help you figure out what's on each car.

 

Which island are you located on? I grew up in Honolulu.

Regarding the alarm, keep in mind that Prius has a very sophisticated immobilizer system. It is basically impossible to drive off with the car if you don't have a fob that the car will recognize. So you just have to be concerned about someone with a flatbed truck towing the car away, or someone breaking into the car to steal your stuff inside. I do not think the Smart system will limit your alarm choices, but you should consult your local alarm retailer.

Regarding fog lights, it is certainly possible to retrofit the base model to accept fog lights. You would have to buy new grille pieces, the fog light assemblies, run switched 12V wiring to them, and install a switch in the passenger compartment.

Regarding the warranty, note that only specific hybrid components and emissions control components would be covered beyond 60K miles. The hybrid components include the inverter, hybrid vehicle ECU, traction battery, traction battery ECU. The emissions control warranty typically covers the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors up to 80K miles or so, you'll have to check the warranty book to see the precise terms.

So you still are on the hook to pay for repair of powertrain failures (i.e., engine, transaxle) as well as electrical failures (MFD, stereo system) or miscellaneous (air conditioning, suspension, brakes, etc.)