Efficient, cheap beaters! Used car ads: 35 mpg highway or more for $1500 or less

[freebeard]

No. He shouts about immobilzer keys and keyless immobilzers, and implies they date to 2007 and later. I was talking about the mid-1990s.

I don't have to be responsible, but I do have to rake up wet leaves.

[MetroMPG]

OK, so the ad says $1600, but you could probably talk him down a C note, thus qualifying to be in this thread.

These are rare - almost all the Swifts had the "big" 4-cylinder engine, rather than the 1.0 L triple. The next gen Swift after this model were only available with the big motor.

Low km for the year: 210k km = 126k miles.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details...dId=1409376645

[Daox]

Do fancy decals increase FE, or reduce FE? We all know they add hp.

[MetroMPG]

Good question! I think that's up for debate.


At least they show that the paint is probably original.

[Ecky]

Decals make the car faster and I think it's safe to assume that anything which makes it faster also reduces economy.

[Xist]

2001 Prius with 217,000 miles.

Cute little Toyota Prius sedan for sale. Could be a great around-town car. Trunk is super spacious (fits a full-size cello!). The hybrid battery was replaced in 2011, regular battery replaced about 6 months ago. It's never been in an accident and has a clean title. Runs and starts fine - main running issue is that it seems to get stuck between gears and feel shaky between 50 and 60mph. Faster is fine, slower is fine but that interval has issues.

Just bought a new car, don't need this one anymore. Flexible on the price - make an offer! Let me know if you have any questions and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Kelley says this would be worth $1,900 with a good transmission. They are flexible on the price?

I have never seen that.

Since Prii are CVT, what could be wrong with this car that it would shake between fifty and sixty, but be fine at other speeds?

...and while I was writing this the ad was taken down.

[Xist]

MPG Numbers Guy found this one, too: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...809722360.html

This has some good tips: https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb.../t-387345.html

"Bring Raid. [Bees a]re rather unimpressed by waving a tire iron, no matter how effective it would be in a street fight."

I wish that Craigslist alerted me like it was supposed to. I stopped checking regularly because it had an alert.

I only have one client today and not until 5pm, so I could drive back, but is there any reason to hurry?

Have a great day!

[Xist]

Have I shared any [legitimate] second-generation Prii?


https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/6815699581.html

$1,500 for a 2004 Prius with 150,000 miles and a salvage title. Not restored, just salvage.

Is it normal to wear out Prius brakes in 150,000 miles? Mom's Camry had way more miles than that when I replaced her brakes just before New Year's. Members on here have complained that their Prius brakes rust from disuse, despite driving them regularly.

Why doesn't it have a license plate?

It is on Craigslist, so it is entirely possible that the poster sits on a throne of lies.

I had wanted to drive down today, but my instructor treated us to four quizzes in four days and then a test tomorrow.

I am supposed to study or something.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Before seriously looking at buying a used Prius, especially an older one, I would highly recommend doing some extensive research on them on PriusChat.com

Here are some links for starters:
https://priuschat.com/threads/2nd-ge...le-buy.203088/
https://priuschat.com/threads/how-mu...-miles.203487/
https://priuschat.com/threads/found-...od-buy.203551/

You can't bypass the hybrid battery of a Prius like you can on a Gen 1 Insight or HCH1. Unless you drive >20k miles per year, the cost of a battery pack will not be recouped by the fuel savings, and even less by a hypermiler who already gets good fuel economy out of a standard gasoline car.

[MetroMPG]

And why is the emergency tow hook installed in that pic?

Edit: the only Prius with a tow hook I looked at needed a transmission.