Hi All, Our family is a one car family, and our 1998 Subaru Forester with 266k is screaming at us to replace it. We've narrowed it down to either a Prius or Pontiac Vibe and have around $6,000 throw at a new vehicle. We prefer hatchbacks since we camp/backpack/bike frequently, so a Corolla or Camry are likely out. We live in a remote town in Southern NM at 6000 ft, so are looking at the markets of Albuquerque or Phoenix. Knowing that heat and hills kill batteries, I'm trying to avoid purchasing a Prius from the Phoenix area. The listing that has caught my eye is listed at $4500 with 186,0000 on it. There has been only one owner, and viewing the car's repair history on the Toyota site, I can see that the owner has been sticking with Toyota's maint schedule at 90k and 120k, frequent oil changes with syn oil, and a replaced 12v battery way back at 91k. I've yet to run a Carfax report yet. Knowing that the car is 10 years old, I can only assume that the hybrid battery will go sooner rather than later. With a $4k sale, we'd have $2,000 set aside in a fund to replace the hybrid battery. Is this a good buy? I keep reading on this forum that buying a Prius with 200k is generally not recommended since repairs can get so pricey with this vehicle. However, it seems like the frequently cited $2,000 transaxle repair is actually quite rare. I've seen mention that if the AC goes out, that can be pricey. Maybe the inverter will die? I just don't quite know which repairs are often done once you hit the 200k mark, and how expensive they are. I generally do my own repairs, and probably have a moderate level of skill with a jackstand and sockets. I would not be replacing an engine or anything major like that. A Pontiac vibe could be had for around $5500 with around 100k. I'd expect to have to do timing belt, water pump, radiator, starter/alternator, and all sorts of repairs that come along with your typical gas burner. Knowing that this is essentially a Toyota Matrix, I sort of expect the same long life out of it like a Prius could have. We are committed to driving the Prius beyond 300k if it will allow us. I've seen the threads on this forum of 300k members, and the list of repairs is surprisingly not that extensive. This forum has been wildly inspiring, and it sure would be fun to be a Prius owner. Of course we could wait a few more months and have 10k saved in time, but we don't really want to drop that kind of money on a car...
welcome! this question gets asked a lot. in all likelihood, the battery is the most likely thing to go. you have to ask yourself, if it dies, will i have unto 4k to buy a new one from a dealer, or am i willing to risk 1-2k for a rebuilt with a 3 year warranty that may need to be replaced every 6 months? all the best!
8 + months 12000 plus miles dorman battery 36 month waranty 28 month left on waranty no problems 1305 price from summit auto install by me dorman soild company stand behind there product sorry your post is not base on fact
While the Prius is way up the scale on reliability, so is the cost for parts and repairs when they do break. If all you have is $6,000 and you are a single car household, buying a 10 year old Prius with 186K miles may not be wise. Honestly...my response is wait a few more months and save the $10K.
