If you go for a real oldie, be sure a lot of maintenance and repair/replace has already been done. We traded in our original 2001 Prius at 160,000 miles. It was just about finished, and the word we heard back from the dealer/buyer was that so many systems were at their end it really was a parts machine. They never really got it running right again. The battery was not a problem, I don't think, nor the CV transmission - the two things you think of first because they were new technology. Anyhow, we got another Prius - 2005 - and are really happy with it and no problems there.
