My 2011 died today. I found a 2013 with <90,000. Things to look out for? I think it should go another 200k - am I dreaming?
How many miles did the 2011 have and how did it "die"? Expecting a 2013 to go 300k miles without having major repairs along the way is pretty much a dream.
If you are looking for a good value in a low cost used car with a low cost of ownership going forward, I would get a conventional Corolla or Civic. Another gen3 is very likely to have a hg fail in the next 100k. As the gen3s get older, hg fails have been seen with far less miles. They also are very likely to have a brake booster fail which is another $2500 or more. Best to move up to a gen4 or newer or go with a conventional.
The whole trick to getting a lot of miles out of a Prius is to slam them on in a hurry. If you're only driving 15-20k a year it'll die before the odometer hits the big numbers.
the only problem is that you bought the 2011 new, and you have no idea how this one has been treated for the past 90,000 miles. could be great, could have expensive problems
Thank you for the help and advice. The 2011 I thoroughly beat it it's whole life, but it was interstate 84 miles 5 days a week. Probably easier on the battery. I have opened up my search to a 2022 Prius prime. < 40k on it. Thoughts on the prime? I really don't like working on ICE engines any longer. My thought is with prime the engine would run rarely in the spring and fall so maintenance and wear would be stretched? Thinking either I could get the title and switch NY plates over fairly quickly. Can that be done in CA? Thanks again!
The prime has a lithium battery instead of nickel-based. Those seem to last longer overall. Against it? it's a higher-tech car that is rarer, so owning it for a long time is probably a bad move. ...But I bet you could enjoy the heck out of it between now and its 15th birthday, and then go back and get another 3-4 year old, rinse, repeat. I would already be doing that if it were the right size for my family.
