Please help! =)

When you say new battery do you mean traction battery? Assuming that it is, my main concern would be transmission which has begun to fail at that mileage on several members' vehicles. Repalcement of the transmission is well over $5000+ from what I have been told.


These might be of some help:
http://priuschat.com/forums/generat...ot-gen-1-but-need-your-advise-new-engine.html

http://priuschat.com/forums/generation-1-prius-discussion/74920-2002-transmission-issues.html

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/33069-2001-prius-transmission-failure.html

 

My recommendation would be to stay away from it. If it was half the price, I would give it a try, but for that price, I would like to see a newer car or lower mileage.
The Prius is a reliable car, but when it breaks, it can be more expensive to fix.
There are millions of Corrolas around, and they are much cheaper to maintain. The gas mileage isn't as good, but your total cost will probably be lower. If you can do some work on the car yourself, that would change the equation. but otherwise, I would want something that any mechanic can work on, and where parts were inexpensive and readily available. Of course, if you had a larger budget, and could get a Prius with less then 1/2 the mileage, you should get a few years before it starts to have problems.

 

as a person who has access to dealer prices for used cars and how that market is worth with vaules.. Not worth getting into.. Your better off getting a MUCH newer one and shoot for 2008 or better or unless good deal on 05

 

I disagree - I think $5,000 for a prius with a new HV battery is a good deal. After all, I see 1-st gen models selling all day long on craigslist and ebay for MORE than that amount and they still have the original batteries in them. So what I always tell people around here looking for a Prius is that if they choose to buy one of those, better tuck away another $2,000 for a possible battery replacement. But in this case, you are good to go.

True, a transaxle can fail, but that is far less common than an HV battery. I think the risk of a transaxle failure in a prius is no greater than the risk of the transmission failing in a normal car. True, it is expensive to fix.

Any used car is a gamble. But I believe the odds to be in favor of the buyer here with a $5,000 Prius.

IN FACT, if the car were around here in Texas somewhere, I could line up 3 or 4 potential buyers for the car at that price in just a few days.

 

+1

FWIW, the 2001 Prius still has the highest reliability ratings from Consumer Reports. But it does have bad reliability ratings for its electrical system (but that may be the hybrid battery which might not be applicable here if the car has a new or used replacement hybrid battery):

Prius, Yaris, Corolla Reliability History.doc