should i trade? Scion xb vs. Prius...

Probably best to stick with what you got, all gen 2 Prii are pretty good, but the later years (06-09) seem to have a better rep. Good luck.

 

At this point you need a reliable car to generate income. As good as the Prius is I don't think trading for a high milage one is a good idea for you.

 

Based on VIN, it is a package #5.

The only caveat to this deal is the engine water pump. They tend to go out prematurely, and it is a $300+ repair. Open the hood and look at the top of the air conditioning compressor. If you see pink, then it is leaking and needs to be replaced.

90,000 is NOT high mileage. In these cars, I would consider 200,000 to be high mileage.

 

You do not list your annual mileage. To do way better on gas you need to drive a lot. (I average 30,000 miles a year, some here double that) Once you know you annual mileage, you can compare the city EPA numbers of your current car with a Prius's City EPA numbers and see if you will be earning enough to risk a sweet deal where you own your car and like it. (EPA numbers are not exact, but the ratio often is, car x really does get 50% better mileage than car y)

 

i looked up that post and it says it has a 4 speed automatic.. it doesn't.. it's more reliable than that.

i have friends with an xb.. it's nice.. it wears pretty well.. but my friends xb with less miles than my prius doesn't ride or drive as well as my older prius with much more miles on it.

speaking as a person who owns a very similar model (04) with over 170k miles... it's a good buy. i recommend people to buy a used prius with just around 100k miles (under is great) because it should last.... and the price saved over buying new leaves money to fix things down the line.

i also tow with my car... it's reliable.

have you test drove a prius yet?

 

Use regular gas.

 

what's your current miles per gallon?

 

Just to add my 2 cents worth. The Prius is very expensive to fix compared to other cars. With the mileage on that car, you have no warranty left, so it is all on you. Unless you can do some repairs youself, I would not recommend this car, because your maintenance costs can eat up your gas savings. I own both a Prius, and a Honda Fit. there is little difference (10%) between the 2 on highway mileage, but city on the Prius is 30 to 50% better. Still it takes a long time to make up the savings on gas to cover the cost difference. Then there is the higher upkeep cost.

 

The problem with the Prius is it has more sophisticated systems then non hybrids. More computers, more motors etc. More things to fail, and more expensive things to fix. The car is reliable, but a simpler Toyota or Honda is more reliable.
For example the battery pack cost several thousand to replace. Although many people have them last for the life of the vehicle, some have had to pay to have them replaced. YOu can search this site for costs of repairs. The inverter electronics is also unique to this car and nearly as expensive to repair. Don't get me wrong the Prius is a great car, and I wouldn't trade mine in for anything, including a newer one, I like the GenII better than the GenIII. However, I fix nearly everything myself. If you look at total cost of ownership, I doubt that the Prius is the best way to go.

 

Don't worry about mileage at all for Toyota cars, as long as the condition is good. I bought my 04 Prius at 110K miles, now 145K. No problem at all. My another car, the Lexus LS400 1998 had 110K miles as well when I bought it 4 years ago, now it has 175K. Both of them still drive like new, dare I say! I did replaced some consumption parts by my trusted mechanics on the Lexus. But the 2004 Prius only replaced the 12V battery. Both of them are very reliable.

I think in your case, buying a Prius makes good sense, because you have most city drivings. I suggest buying a 2006+ with higher mileage (up to 150K), budget for a few repairs later, if you have tight budget. If you drive 25K miles a year, you should be able to save $2000 per year just on gas. That will be enough for any kind of maintenance need later.

 

The Prius is a good reliable car, but considering your cash flow I would be hesitant to pull the trigger.

If you were to have to do a major repair to the car, you might find you simply could not afford it. Then you would have a broken car and no way to do your work.

Don't get me wrong, the Prius is an excellent vehicle and well built. It is a Toyota which is a well known and a high quality product. But with it comes a price. There are items in the vehicle that can cost over $3000.00 to fix if they break.

The question is "your cash flow".

 

There is a hybrid shop in West Melbourne -- Mellor's Automotive. They are an alternative to the dealership in the area, and so far the stories posted here about them show both honesty and capability at a good price. It is a bit of a drive, but you can save thousands on a major repair. Ask them to do a pre-purchase inspection and use that as a long test drive. In light of the growing number of independent shops servicing hybrids, and the growing hybrid battery repair industry, the Prius is no more expensive to fix than any other car, especially if salvage components are used (inverter, transaxle, A/C compressor, etc.)

 

A lot of newer GenII owners frown upon the 2004-2005 model for some odd reason. Earlier 2004 models were more prone to problems as is any first year model but in general they have been pretty solid and I would say that there are way more owners who have not had problems than have.

148,000 and zero problems here.

 

OK - so you drive about 25,000 miles a year - with the xB at 25 mpg you burn about 1,000 gallons of gas - with a Prius at say 45 mpg you would burn 555 gallons. So annual fuel savings would be pretty substantial - anywhere from $1,500 on up depending on prices.

Any mechanical item will wear out with time and use. Both cars are good and reliable, but the Prius will have issues sooner (because of the mileage) and cost might be higher due to complexity - it is just a matter of time and hopefully they will pop up later rather than sooner.

If it were me and I was in this situation I might go for it assuming that the Prius is in nice shape when you see it and you can pull off a trade. I'd then pocket half of the gas savings and put the other half - $750 a year or more into a separate savings account to deal with car repairs.