Hi Everyone, I am trying to buy a used Prius. I currently have two options I am considering seriously: a) 2004 prius with 163k miles and b) 2008 prius with 192k miles. I have never bought/owned a car before and this will be my first used car purchase. Considering that I am a first time buyer with little or no knowledge about cars in general, I was wondering: a) if it makes sense to buy a used prius with >150k miles. b) if it makes sense to buy a 9-13yr old used prius? c) Are there any specific differences in 2004 and 2008 models? d) Everything else being equal, would you suggest I go for the older 2004 model with relatively less miles (163k) or the more recent model (2008) with relatively more miles (192k) e) what sort of things should I look for before buying either of these cars? f) The asking price for the 2004 prius with 163K miles is USD 3000 and for 2008 with 192k miles is 3500. Do you think this a good price for these two cars? Thanks so much for your time and help. Best, John
welcome! honestly, i think you are asking for trouble. these cars are in the range of many potential repairs that can be quite expensive. why not look at corolla or something that gives you a little more bang for your buck, with less potential for costly repairs?
Since you have little or no knowledge about cars, I would say that the purchase of a used Prius with >150K miles is a very bad idea, primarily because any used vehicle with that many miles on the odometer must be expected to have issues from time to time. If you rely upon Toyota dealer service you will be hit with high three-digit and low four-digit repair bills which will quickly suck up whatever savings you had realized vs. the purchase of a newer vehicle. If you can increase your vehicle purchase budget to $5K, I suggest you look for something like a 2007 Toyota Corolla. In general, look for a basic vehicle that has a good reliability record. Good luck with your purchase decision.
I agree with @bisco & @Patrick Wong. Too many opportunities to get experience repairing cars with any vehicle that old for a first time buyer. Prius is a great car and it's hard to find one more reliable, but those two are about to enter their expensive years if they haven't already. If you had experience fixing cars, a place to do it, and the money to buy some pretty expensive parts, it might be worth a roll of the dice.
I am not a mechanic and just know the basics of what to watch for (mainly burning oil and monitor oil level on dipstick) but I bought a 2007 with 201,000 miles.....and a different 2008 with 145,000 miles (later sold 9 months later with 188,000 miles). But, it depends on the way it looks and runs. And how it was maintained. My 2007 with 201,000 miles was mint and was serviced every 5,000 miles at Toyota Dealership. It runs like new. Go with whichever one is cleaner and runs better. You should have no check engine lights and oil on the dipstick (to full level)...For $3000 you can't expect a brand new car that runs forever. With any $3000 car you'll be lucky to go a year or 2 without major problems. I think Prius is one of the safer bets with high mileage.
The Prius is a reliable model in general, and several have gone well over 200,000 or even over 300,000 miles. But when miles get close to 200,000 and/or the car's age approaches 14 years old, there's a higher chance of things going wrong. I'd look for a car with less than 125,000 miles and that's less than 10 years old if possible to give you the best return on your investment. If I had to choose between the two cars mentioned, I'd take the 2008 with 192,000 miles. Several forum members have remarked that the Prius "likes to be driven" and a higher-mileage late-model Prius would be more desirable to me than an average-mileage early-model Prius. But @MilkyWay is right that you should always look at the maintenance records. Regular maintenance can allow a car to last much longer.
