Quick question: Is there any way to distinguish between a Prius that was originally sold as a commercial vehicle versus a Prius Two? I just ask because we were looking at a 2013 Prius that was listed as a "base" model, which the dealer suggested (key word) had belonged to one person and had been for personal use, but when we ran the carfax, we discovered that it had, in fact, been registered as a commercial vehicle. According to the report, there was also a year where the vehicle clocked 50,000 kilometres. Here's the thing: the service record itself is in good order, there weren't any accidents, and the car drives well, so we're trying to figure out 1) what the car is actually worth, if it's a used 2013 commercial Prius with 88,000 and 2) if the price was low enough, how many years we could get out of it. In other words, what's reasonable price to pay for a Prius that may have been used as a taxi, but otherwise appears to be in good working order? Lots of intangible factors here, I know, but if anyone has any thoughts, they'd be most welcome.
are you in va? why would it say 50,000 km? is it 88,000 miles or km? i believe the one does not have cruise control. go with the low end of kbb. how much are they asking? a lot of taxi's go hundreds of thousands of miles (with some repairs) and shouldn't be an issue if the price is right, and you're prepared to pay for the potential problems. keep in mind all the different factory warranties. how many miles per year will you put on it?
Hey, Thanks for getting back to me. I'm actually in Prince Edward Island, Canada, so it's 88,000 km (or 55,000 miles I guess). That's interesting about the lack of cruise control--I'll check for that the next time I'm at the dealership. I won't be putting a ton of mileage on it: a few trips from here to Ontario, probably 12-15,000 kilometres a year. As for price: they want 18,000 taxes in, which we'd never pay, but keep in mind it's Canada, and the east coast, so it's actually pretty challenging to find a decent used Prius out here. I actually thought 12,500.00 might be fair, but keep in mind I'm new to all this. There's also a 2011 with 44,000 km on it for roughly the same price, so we may look into it.
apologies, i take back everything i said, because everything in canada is different from u.s. i'm sure tideland and others will be along to help you out. all the best!
Thanks all the same. And yah, I suspect there are some considerable differences. I read stories about people in warm places driving their Priuses forever and I'm green with envy!
You were probably thinking of Charlottesville VA instead of Charlottetown PEI. I believe that is the provincial capital city.
Dave is in the land of "Anne of Green Gables" and awesome potatoes. You guys need to share down south here.
So do transplanted Canadians. Although I am now a US citizen in Virginia, I was born and raised in the Toronto area.
Mendel does not have any information on this. Tideland sometimes has additional information resources since he is a moderator. I know the Toyota US Prius Team is here, but I have not seem Toyota Canada.
There is no commercial or fleet version in Canada that I'm aware of (What Bisco was talking about is that Prius One or Prius I that was sold in the US to fleet buyers that was missing a number of items compared to the base consumer model, the Prius Two or Prius II). For your reference, a base 2013 in Canada was $26,100 plus PDI and taxes so yes, $18,000 is quite a bit for a 3-year old car with greater than normal kilometres (and was used as a taxi). $12,500 is a bit low. I'd target around $15,000 or $16,000 all in (so yeah sure start with $12,500 and meet them around $15k or $16k). A quick check shows the average price of 2013s with an average of 56,000km at $19,000 across Canada so scale that accordingly. 44,000km is low for a 2011 so I'd check (if possible) how the 2011 vehicle was used. For a hybrid, you'd want one that's within normal mileage range so you know it's been used regularly. If it hasn't, you'll have to somehow find out if the HV battery has been taken care of (i.e. the car has been driven once a month or once every two months enough to keep charge in the battery). A 2011 base started at $27,800 plus PDI and taxes when new. Also be aware that 2012 was the midlife update so there's a difference between the 2011 and 2013 model in terms of interior upgrades like slightly better graphics (read: less dated), different suspension tuning (but that might not be apparent since the car was a taxi and it's probably worn), slightly quieter etc. The exterior changes were minor (new front bumper, headlights, taillights, wheel cover design). Our 2005 battery conked out at 245,000km / 11.5 years old. A few more 2005 members here have their cars going around that age/mileage. Battery replacement was quoted at $3,000 including taxes and labour so that's not too bad, especially if you're buying used and you can budget for that.
In NJ a vehicle registered as a commercial vehicle does not have the same warranty as one sold to an individual.
Thanks for the excellent response. We really appreciate it. I'm honestly not sure whether we'll pursue this one or not, but hopefully another Prius or two will pop up on the used market as November comes to a close. Fortunately, we're not in any rush, so we do have the luxury of time. In any case, I'll keep you posted! Dave.
Yeah, that worked perfectly! I got the notification and I saw your post. I also forgot to mention, that if you do budget for that expense (battery replacement), it's like getting a new car! (The engine wouldn't be particularly worn out for that mileage). Alternatively, a refurbished or one from a salvage yard can lower the cost of replacement. The hybrid warranty in Canada is 8 years or 160,000km whichever comes first. It covers the battery, inverter and HV cables. However, check with Toyota Canada if you do pursue a car that was previously used as a taxi to ensure the warranty is still valid. Gas prices are super low in the U.S.. If you're willing to do the extra work of importing, you may be able to score a deal on a used Prius just across the border. ME, NY, NJ, MA, CT, RI, PA and VT are CARB states hence warranties for them are longer so there may have been more people willing to purchase a new Prius and thus potentially more used car choices. Good luck on your search!
