So what do you guys think would be the best year Prius to purchase used? 2nd Gen (if so what year)? or 3rd Gen (if so what year). Reliability, Problems, quirks especially more prevalent on certain year vehicles than others? In a year I will be getting rid of my 16' corolla L gas hog and want to buy a used Prius but can only afford 2nd or 3rd gen and need your help. Thanks!
I wouldn't consider a Corolla a "gas hog" in any sense. But a Prius will improve your miles per gallon. Your best bet to closest match the technological feel of your current vehicle would be a recent model 3rd Gen Prius (2012-2015). A 2nd Gen Prius would cost less, but it might feel like a step back coming from a 2016 vehicle.
Two important questions: What is the most that you can pay and how many years/miles do you expect to put on it? If you can afford $12,000 to $15,000, a 2013 or 2014 with 50,000 to 60,000 miles is a great value that will be a reliable long term ride with low fuel and maintenance costs.
25mpg City/Short trips (but mid 30's highway which isn't bad). 25 city sucks in a compact/mid size sedan however you slice it. A large family SUV gets that. I was thinking a 3rd Gen Prius certified/used from a Dealer would be best, the new ones are just too pricey to justify the fuel savings ratio.
Yeah I was thinking about the newest possible (2015) model, maybe a Persona or 5 with the nicer wheels on it. Hopefully by March of 2019 those will drop in the $15k range, I don't want to get in one any more than that unless it's a Lease.
EPA for '16 Corolla was 28 city/37 highway. Fuelly real world drivers get ~31 mpg combined. I would anticipate getting between 43-46 mpg on your future gen 3 Prius. Most drivers don't reach the 50's- just to make sure your expectations are realistic.
I work for an auto transport service and have driven 3rd gen Prii on many 200 mile trips from dealer to dealer and experienced 50+ all day on the highway. But around town, you might be accurate there. 46 mpg city is still WAY better than 25 mpg. I realize what my Corolla's sticker says, but there's no way I ever got 28 city. 12,500 miles on it so far. I am a big guy and I run the A/C above 80 degrees all the time.
the newest, lowest mile you can afford, will be the most reliable with least amount of problems. there isn't a 'good' or 'bad' year, so to speak, but the older and more miles will be more trouble. common sense, really.
Gen 2? Maybe 2008-2009. Avoid the models with HIDs (the lights have been problematic). Note that the leather interiors do not come with heated seats in the Gen 2 (unless it was fitted aftermarket). There are two versions of the 7" LCD MFD. Those without backup cameras have a lower resolution and those with a backup camera have a high resolution version (this applies to 2006-2009 Gen 2s). Gen 3? Depends. 2010 MY apparently have an issue with engine oil consumption past 100,000 miles. (I'm below that on mine so I haven't experienced it but I am prepared for it given the other members' questions and experiences). 2011 might be good. I'm not a fan of the "Display Audio System" on the 2012-2015 models with the 6.1" Display. Those with the 7" Display have a head unit that is more similar to your 2016 Corolla. (There was a period in 2012-2015 where Toyota outsourced their headunits for lower end trim levels of each models such as Prius, Corolla, Camry, Avalon, Venza, RAV4 and used a 3rd party software in their 6.1" headunit. Those with 7" and 8" displays have Toyota's proprietary Denso software which is more familiar to Toyota owners. This was "fixed" with the 2014 Corolla when Toyota went back to their own software and it rolled out to other models as they got redesigned). Gen 3 at least allows you to get a bit more updated features such as bluetooth audio, radar cruise control, pre-collision system, a more current navigation system and so forth.It also has a cool solar panel moonroof that helps ventilate the car in hot weather (and allows for Remote A/C operation). 2011 models: look for those with navigation if you want a backup camera and bluetooth audio. XM satellite radio is available on III, IV and V trim levels. 2012-2015: Backup camera is standard as is the Display Audio headunit. 6.1" lower resolution standard on all cars. Optional 7" high resolution with hard-drive navigation on Four and Five. There's a number of other upgrades to the Gen 3 for 2012 so if the prices fit the budget, a 2012 wouldn't be too bad.
I am honestly not too worried about Nav or backup camera, although I wouldn't be against it. My main thing is getting the nicer "leather" interior and factory upgraded wheels like the Persona or something from the performance package that was installed from the factory. All the other stuff is window dressing.
Leather was offered from 2006 to 2011 (so both Gen 2 and Gen 3). 2010/2011 included single stage heated front seats. From 2012 onwards, the optional upholstery was switched to SofTex synthetic leather. The PLUS package for 2012 could be added to any trim level if I remember correctly. The Persona is a special trim level based off a Prius Three with the gunmetal-finished 17" alloys, similar coloured interior trim (replacing silver trim) and the availability of Black Cherry Pearl. That has a SofTex interior as well (no heated seats).
Hopefully I can still find a 12' or 13' with the plus package and leather with lower mileage in March of 2019. Maybe the 15's will be a little more broken in by then and under 15k in my range. We'll see I guess.
If you already own a 2016 Corolla now, you won't see any savings in getting rid of it for a late model Prius that'll cost you $15k. Both cars are just A to B cars, nothing fancy....even with the Prius pleather interior and fancier wheels. You'll have the same 1.8L engine, just with the hybrid function added. So basically on the freeway, it's giving you similar MPG. If you drive a lot of city driving, then you might see a little benefit going to a Prius. Unless you are a DIY type of person, you won't end up saving much because hybrid cars are much more expensive to maintain/fix. Go to a dealer for a diagnostic and you'll know what I mean.
What maintenance costs? In 8 years and 80,000 miles I haven't spent a penny except for oil and filter changes and one set of tires. Our other vehicle, a Nissan Murano with fewer miles has needed brakes and shocks. The Toyota dealer doesn't find anything to do and says I have plenty of brake pads left. So, I don't know what you mean. Sure, at high mileage there is a risk of the extra expense of a traction battery replacement and, infrequently, other hybrid system problems. But a blanket statement that hybrids have higher maintenance /repair costs, I don't agree.
No, but even if it gave you 40mpg, it would not amount to much with fuel costing $2.50 gallon. $100 to $200 per year difference on 15k miles average. Trading away a 2016 and buying another would piss away any savings you would see the next 10 years of driving a prius. And that's assuming you don't get any expensive prius repairs
In 8 years and 80k miles, he would spend the same on his Corolla, maybe with an extra set of brakes. Consider yourself lucky, as you'll only have an upcoming hv battery to replace and that'll equal the amount of fuel savings you had since buying the car. You buy a prius because you like the car. Don't buy it because it saves gas/money, it really doesn't.
I agree that it doesn't make pure economic sense to trade the Corolla unless he gets close to the same amount of money as he pays for a Prius with not too many more miles on it (and that is unlikely). In fact, if he bought the Corolla new, he would be taking a big hit on it. But if he hates the Corolla for other reasons, it might make emotional sense. I don't disagree that a Prius may need a new hybrid battery, but I wouldn't consider it a sure thing until you're talking more miles than most people keep a car. Let's leave it at that.
The best I've seen was 38 mpg on the highway on a 125 mile round trip going 65 mph. I only do 10% highway, maybe. My City MPG is 25-26..versus a Prius at lowest 42-45mpg that's almost double my daily MPG. It's a no brainer. I actually leased the base "L" model with little down. At the end of the lease term, the buy out is near $13k. So either I buy the corolla (no cruise control btw) for that or buy a Prius that gets WAY better mileage around town (of which I travel 90% city) for around $15k with <50k miles on it and have something I want in looks, style, and MPG that's probably just as or more reliable than a corolla.
.I can already at 13k miles feel pulsing in the corolla brakes under heavy braking, by 20k it's going to need them. Fail. HV batteries can be (according to the experts) piece milled out to replace only the bad cells for 1/16th the cost of the whole pack. Even if the whole pack was dead, there's cheaper options than dealerships and you're then good to go for another 200k minimum. Your last sentence is so inherently false and baffling I'm not sure how to respond to it.
