Sell 2007 and Buy 2013 Three?

So, I will look into the changes in the crash test results. I didn't realize there was a difference in the testing but did think it was odd that cars within the same generation scored differently. I'll also test drive the car of course to make sure that I like how it drives/rides compared to the gen 2. I will say that the 2016 was a nice fancy new car and obviously nice to drive in that sense, but I think it misses the mark for me in a few major ways beyond just price (no back windshield wiper until trim level three, weird dash/console, the loss of the under cargo storage (!!!)).

I obviously don't drive the Prius for gas mileage alone, though that's great of course. I like the car in general; I like how much stuff I can fit in it, I like how I am comfortable driving it, etc. There is obviously an amount of emotional attachment for me to the idea of being a Prius driver, like can be said for, say, people who buy giant trucks for no practical reason (towing, farming) other than they like trucks.

Thanks again for all the insights!

 

Well, I ended up finding a 2015 two that was certified and had only 3,000 miles on it, so I went for that. It seems to drive pretty similarly to my former 2007 and I can already tell some things I like more (like being able to raise the drivers seat) and some I like less (I had the three door smart entry and now I only have the driver door is the main thing). The car is a beautiful color (sea glass pearl) and still has original warranty left. Thank you to you all for pointing out the situation with the safety rating upgrades.

The car came with Toyoguard cleaning supplies and when I was checking them out I noticed paperwork and keychains for "ToyoGuard Elite". It seems the previous owners must have purchased this package. I think this means the car was treated with a protective polymer; does anyone else have a hunch? I personally didn't buy an additional protections and I assume that the other ToyoGuard perks don't transfer to me.