Efficient used cars (under $7,000 but over $1500)

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Even with only 51K/52K miles? What would you suggest offering if we pursue?

Judging a good price on a Prius seems to be a lot harder for me than with other vehicles lol..

It all comes down to opportunity cost. As I said, I'm not as in love with Prius considering the good alternatives these days. They do have an excellent history of reliability, but I would expect to need to replace the 11 year old battery in the next couple years. That's probably a couple grand if you pay someone else to do it.

The ad is approaching 4 weeks old. I'd offer him $2k under his ask and let him work you back up to Edmunds price. That's me though, I don't need a car; I never do. My timeline to buy is infinite, so I can wait forever for someone to accept a low price.

As I said previously, $7k is what I bought a 2013 fully loaded C-Max with 44k miles on it. That's less than his ask, and only a grand more than Edmunds price. The C-Max is a way better car in nearly every aspect except it gets like 2 MPG less than a Prius.

I like Prii and own one and don't plan to sell it any time soon. That said, they are overpriced. Do they prefer a hatchback? If not, how about a Camry, or a Sonata? They come in hybrid form if that is a must. The Ford Fusion Hybrid is phenomenal.

My 2006 TSX probably goes for $5k these days, and it's the best car I've ever had. 30 MPG and no problems.

[Xist]

As I recall, Recumpence hypermiled and modified his C-Max, but only slightly beat the EPA rating.

Here is a 2013 for sale in Flagstaff:



Is there anything useful there, except for confirming the miles? I wanted to see the lifetime MPG! Also, I cropped 44% from the top and bottom. Why do people take pictures holding their phone the wrong way?

246,000 miles for $4,000. It does look clean: https://flagstaff.craigslist.org/cto...726865269.html

The owner said he bought it to commute from Flagstaff to Phoenix and back, only ever drove it on the highway, but does not need to commute anymore.

That is about 50,000 miles a year! If he managed to average 75 MPH he spent four weeks a year driving! I guess that two hours a day does not sound too bad, but every single day!

Craigslist shows two 2013s for $6,500. This one has 132,000 miles. The other has 145,000 (and boasts a 8.5-second 0-60. That was fast in 2013? ) https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...701210208.html

Here is one with 92,000 miles for $8,000. I would accept 40,000 miles to save $1,500. Is that fair?

Check out this HX! Did they take pictures during a dust storm?!

https://farmington.craigslist.org/ct...739700768.html

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

As I recall, Recumpence hypermiled and modified his C-Max, but only slightly beat the EPA rating.

Here is one with 92,000 miles for $8,000. I would accept 40,000 miles to save $1,500. Is that fair?

The EPA ratings were bogus and Ford settled a class action lawsuit by paying owners $1,000. It was originally rated 47/47/47 MPG, which is about 5 MPG optimistic.

I'd say the lower miles is the better deal, or close to even. Consider that 10k miles is about 3.33 years worth of driving, that's $450 per extra year of driving, or $37/mo.

In either case, I wouldn't pay asking.

A 2013 Fusion Hybrid can be had around the $7k range. Very nice car.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Even with only 51K/52K miles? What would you suggest offering if we pursue?

Judging a good price on a Prius seems to be a lot harder for me than with other vehicles lol..

Years age a battery just as much as miles. The Prius transmission is super reliable - far more so than any other automatic on the market and possibly more so than most manuals, if you consider needing to replace clutches and worn synchros after hundreds of thousands of miles.

Batteries are consumable in a Prius, just likes brakes and tires, and much like tires they still degrade with age and will need to be replaced even if no miles are put on them. They're probably the single most expensive component, though one can replace a battery without a lift or special tools, which makes the labor costs effectively zero (so, less than an engine or transmission overall).

This is perhaps not your most typical Prius, but it's worth thinking about:

https://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-pr...ginal-battery/

I don't know that a 50k mile Prius is a bad deal exactly, but I would have no more confidence in its reliability than a 175k mile Prius with a new battery, and possibly less.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I'd say the lower miles is the better deal, or close to even. Consider that 10k miles is about 3.33 years worth of driving, that's $450 per extra year of driving, or $37/mo.

Are you sure about all of that math?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

Are you sure about all of that math?

40,000 miles / 12,000 miles a year (average driver) = 3.33 years of mileage

$1,500 (additional cost of vehicle) / 3.33 years of extra mileage = $450 per year.

$450 per year / 12 months = $37 mo.

Close enough for government work.

As pointed out above though, a battery degrades due to age too, so it doesn't perfectly translate into extra years of driving.

If you don't trust my math, run the 2 scenarios through Edmunds to see what they think the mileage is worth.

[Xist]

I am glad you are not working in the elections department!

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

I am glad you are not working in the elections department!

Me too; I'd burn them all and declare Ben Shapiro as the winner. Then we'd all be screwed; with all the liberty and prosperity.

[Natalya]

Battery lifespan depends on a lot of factors. Yes, age is a factor, but so are design, cooling, and management. The super battery nerds over at Insight Central, from what I can tell, seem to think the G2 Insight (after getting the 3 software updates from the dealership) and the first few years of the G2 Prius have really reliable batteries.

I don't personally know much about the Prius, but people have claimed over 200K miles in a G2 Insight without IMA trouble. I got my G2 IMA software updates I believe around 90k miles and I haven't had issues. My G2 has over 135k now. The G2 Insight doesn't lean as heavily on the IMA as the G1 did, and it even has a smaller pack. It's also got a super powerful fan to pump air through the battery. My understanding is that temperature management is one of the make-or-break factors, and that hybrids with poor thermal regulation and NiMH batteries tend to have shorter battery lifespans.

[Ecky]

Xist, found your car:



Just unplug the battery and use it as a regular car.