I am wondering what year would be the best to buy if I am in the market for a used prius. My budget is ~$6000. Currently I have found two I've liked. One 2005 with 84k miles for $6500 and a 2010 with 140k miles for $6000. I am still looking but that is kind of the kind of cars I am finding. I don't know what is more important for a prius, mileage or age. Is there any year I should avoid? Which one will give me more bang for my buck and and give me the least headaches?
welcome! honestly, at that price, you probably can't avoid headaches. that being said, years are usually worse than miles on the battery, and vice versa on most else. if you could afford a new battery, i would go with the '05, if the miles are legit. the '10 is a potential head gasket problem, and egr circuit nightmare, if you can't diy
Prices are defined by region, so if you let us know what part of the country you live in we'd be more help. IMHO the 2009 Prius is the best one / last of Gen2... And the first few years of Gen3 there's a known problems with blowing headgaskets if you don't keep your EGR valve clean.
I live in Northern Virginia, right next to DC. I've had a 2010 prius that I loved but sadly I totalled it about four years ago. So now I am looking to get a new car and I prius is tempting but i don't know if with 6k budget it would be better to buy a non hybrid like a corolla instead. Is an 09 with low mileage my best bet for a prius?
even a low mileage '09 is going to need a $2,500. battery sooner or later. maybe corolla/civic/etc would be a better option
+1. If you’re mechanically inclined? It’s a no brainer, but if you have to pay your car maintenance and repair done, then you’re going to be a lot better off with as new a Corolla or Camry as your budget will allow. There will still be issues with things like brakes, HVAC, Engine, sensors and switches, in a Corolla but with a Prius you have all those things PLUS regenerative brakes, inverters, power splitters, traction batteries, etc. Pass on another Prius until your budget is a little bigger.
