thinking about buying a gen2

i think it's a disaster waiting to happen. a gen 2 prius is likely to burn oil, need a new battery (10 years is up) and a brake actuator, among all the other normal maintenance, and even an a/c compressor now and then.
unless you know a great hybrid mech who works cheap, i'd go with a corolla, and drive slow.

 

Buying a used car is always a crap shoot. But buying a used Prius is not always a bad deal. People that say Gen 2's are likely the oil burners are overstating problems. Actually the oil burning problem manifested itself in most 2010's and some 2011 Gen 3's after Toyota's failed piston ring design change in the Gen 3. Other things will fail as they do on all used cars as they are up in miles or have been abused due to lack of oil changes and other routine maintance. The trick is to find a seller who is not dishonest will tell you of any major problems and will have the service history. Get a CarFax or a free Toyota Service history report with your VIN and also check for accidents. I am not sure how useful CarFax is on European delivered cars for accident reporting etc.

 

If you or a friend like to learn how to fix your car yourself these cars are incredibly reliable and inexpensive to maintain and this website can walk through how to do everything.

But if you don't want to have anything to do with repairs and depend on a local mechanic or especially a Toyota Stealership for repairs it's probably not going to be very cost effective.

 

i would confirm that math myself, starting with the corrola fuel economy, then what fuel economy are they using for an old worn out prius, then how many miles/km you drive a year in what conditions.

then subtract a reasonable amount of prius repairs done by a specialist vs a corrola by any mech

 

Yes, buying a ‘worn out’ anything is rarely a good idea. Is that is what the OP was looking to do?

 

I do not concur.
Priuses are fantastic places to begin to learn how to maintain a car!
There are many information resources, parts are relatively cheap, and the G2 was a VERY WELL engineered car.

Where people get into trouble with buying them is not making a plan for what to do when things go wrong - and in ANY teenaged car, things WILL go wrong.
This is why we often tell people that they are better off with a non-hybrid...BUT....gas here is closer to $3 a gallon ($2.65 where I live.)

If you drive 15,000 miles per year then the math may change a little bit if gas is $7.20 a gallon.
If you get 25MPG then if my math is right you will pay around $4500 a year for fuel.
OTOH if you get 40MPG then you will pay only about $2800.
You may want to check my math.....I was up late last night (work) and I'm a little dodgy today.

..$1700 (or even $1500) can buy a lot of repair work if you know how to spend it!!!
That's why the greens LOVE high gas prices....

You can actually do many of the repair and maintenance items yourself, and without a lot of money spent in tools.....BUT....as with ANY car if you do not have funds set aside for repair and maintenance, and if you do not take the time to LEARN about the car (ANY car) then you are setting yourself up for failure.

BTW...in the USA, average hourly rates for mechanics start around $100.
Dealerships are often double that.

Good Luck![/QUOTE]

 

Worn out is in the eye of the beholder and is usually more a refection of your bank account's abilities than vehicle durability.

 

especially when it comes to marriages...

 

if you can save 2k a year, and you know a decent hybrid mechanic, i would go for it.

 

From the numbers I’ve seen, a Prius is either equal to or more reliable than a Corolla. If you can get a 2009 Prius with a documented repair history, it should be more reliable than most 3rd Gen Prii, according to Toyota Prius Reliability - Dashboard Light

 

Even Prius’s eventually wear out. The OP was contemplating one that seemed long from being worn out. If one does due diligence before the sale the risks can be minimized but there are still risks. If one wants no risk, then look elsewhere. The Gen 2 Prius is a fantastic car and a good value if it has been maintained. If it has been abused, it is risky. Do the due diligence and buy from a reputable party. Otherwise buy something under warranty elsewhere.