Just bought a 2008 Prius! Did I do well? Thoughts? Advice?

Hi All!

I am happy to say that I just bought a white 2008 Prius package #2 with 45k miles, one owner (was a company car). I paid $16,500. Did I do OK?

I was trying to choose between that or a Camry Hybrid (loaded: leather, NAV, etc.) with 92k miles for $13,500 but the latter was almost 3 hours away and I just needed a car (just sold my old '95 Toyota Previa AllTrac S/C). The Camry is MUCH more comfortable (I find the Prius seats very uncomfortable after just 15 minutes, lower back pain, I am not overweight or anything), but I like the hire miles. Averaging only 45-47 MPG 80% highway, but I am new at it. I hope I made the right choice.

It is pretty clean, has 7/10's tread left on some generic looking Fisk Classics 185/65R15 tires (wondering about filling them to 42/40 PSI).

The guy selling it said all maintenance had been done at the dealer. I took him at his word because there was an oil change sticker in the window. Turns out he either a) wasn't telling the entire truth or b) didn't know as he was the CEO and had 42 employees (was a compay day off, he was the only one at the office and his name was on the title). Dealership records show 30k and 45k service done there, so maybe they oil changes elsewhere.

I did notice on the paperwork for the car after the fact that they had complained to the dealer about a squeking noise (it has the "seal bark issue") and they said the brake actuator needed to be replaced ($2300+!) and customer declined (so the record shows). Wish I had seen that before I bought it (was not given to me). So I posted on that issue in the thread about it /forums/toyota-prius-service-bulletins-tsbs/29211-tsb-br001-07-brake-actuator-noise-12.html (can't post URL, I'm too new).

Any advice? Feedback?

Thanks in advance!

 

Yikes! Really? KBB says the price I paid is below trade-in. Dealer offer me $15,700 trade-in. There's not a lot of options to buy more affordably where I live, gas prices have driven up the values.

 

Sounds like you got a smoking deal!

 

Wow, you also got a great deal.

I am moderately happy, but I thought I got a better deal then I apparently did. Not a lot of them for sale around here. I like the seats on the 2010's but am not willing to spend a lot more for that.

I already had an offer to sell it for $17,000, so it seems the market says that I got a good deal, happy about that.

I am concerned about the "seal bark" issue, though I am not sure if I should be. Very annoying, though intermittent.

 

Thanks, TheNewGuy8. I appreciate you helping me put it in perspective. Now am I wondering if I should sell it while the market is high

 

Thank you, Patrick. That makes me feel a bit better. I can handle the noise, I am just concerned it may turnout to be long-term reliability/maintenance issue.

 

I have it consistantly at 1200' (PHX area)