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

[Ecky]

$6800 is verging on Volt prices if you really shop around and seems high for a 2nd gen Prius. I like the Prius a lot, and it's bigger than a Volt, but the Volt is the more attractive car to me.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Budget is $6800 max, including all extraneous costs.

I've heard the 2nd gen Prius is better than the 3rd gen, is this true?

I don't know what the VA fees/taxes are. In Oregon there is no sales tax, and it cost $260 to title (salvage to reconstructed), license, and register the vehicle for 2 years, so total out the door cost was $7,260. Buying private party is going to save a ton of money, though sometimes you can get a good price from a dealer that has sat on an undesirable car for too long, such as a manual transmission.

I'll assume there is some good reason why $6,800 is the max out the door budget, but personally I'd borrow a little extra money to get something newer and nicer. BTW, asking price is not the same as final sales price. The car I bought for $7,000 had an asking price of $8,500. My offer was $6,500. Doesn't hurt to put in low offers with many sellers and see if any respond.

The 2007 is way overpriced. I'd probably offer something closer to $4k. My friend in Portland recently bought a 2010 Prius for $6k.

Don't shy away from reconstructed titles. Insurance companies are quick to total them out, but often the damage is mostly cosmetic. Look for even tire wear after the car was rebuilt, no frame damage, etc. I reduce the price by 30% on any fully repaired vehicle with a reconstructed title.

The C-Max is way better than a Prius in every way except for fuel economy. They get about 42 MPG compared to 45 in a gen II Prius.

[cowmeat]

I like the Prius a lot, and it's bigger than a Volt, but the Volt is the more attractive car to me.

What he said (minus the "I like Prius a lot" part) plus unlike the Prius the Volt will hold it's own off the line against most cars if you're in the mood

[mpg_numbers_guy]

How reliable are the Volts and C-Maxes? How does high voltage battery on those compare to the Prius in terms of reliability and replacement cost? I did find one with 150K miles asking $6995

Seller of that '07 Prius responded that the car does burn oil. If the car weren't already of the list it would be now.

Found two 2010 Prii, one with 72K miles and another with 99K miles, both for $7500. Also found a 2011 Prius with 98K miles for $7900. All clean titles.

I ended up in total paying 65% of the asking price for my car, so I'm hoping negotiation is possible for them.

Is the reliability of a Gen 3 Prius with lower miles better than a Gen 2 Prius with a new battery?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

How reliable are the Volts and C-Maxes? How does high voltage battery on those compare to the Prius in terms of reliability and replacement cost?

Is the reliability of a Gen 3 Prius with lower miles better than a Gen 2 Prius with a new battery?

The high voltage battery in the C-Max should be more reliable as the Prius as it uses lithium ion rather than NiMh. That said, they are too new to really know for sure. They both use a very similar drivetrain, so reliability should be very similar.

My impression is the Gen III Prius has better battery longevity than the Gen II, but then again the oldest Gen IIIs are only 8 years old. I just think going back 2 generations is going too far. Not sure if it matters to your folks, but the 2010-2012 Prius package II (base Prius) did not have bluetooth. You had to get a package III to get bluetooth, and you can tell by looking for the phone controls on the steering wheel. Starting in 2012 the Prius base model included bluetooth.

The 2007 and newer Gen II Prius had more standard features than prior years too.

Gen II packages
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...nk0em5hdzlzNmM

2010 packages
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...m5TeXMxV2dsUXc

[Ecky]

The gen 2 Prius is incredibly reliable, but will eventually need a battery if nothing else. Consider it a wear item, like brakes. Most of them burn oil eventually but as long as you keep it topped off it will run practically forever. I'll need to read up on it but I think the gen 3 is a little more prone to some major failures, though it's still one of the most reliable cars on the market.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

It seems that 2010 and 2011 are the model years to avoid due to excessive oil consumption, battery issues, and other factors. One of the few Toyota model+year to achieve the "Avoid Like The Plague" badge on CarComplaints.com

2012 and newer are $8900 or higher unless they have 200K+ miles on them. Looking back at Gen II's there's an '05 with a 181K miles but with new battery for $4100 obo, and also an '07 one owner, original battery, with 94K miles for $5999 obo ($1100-$1500 overpriced, but negotiable).

[mpg_numbers_guy]

What do you guys think about this? https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/c...724142224.html

2007 blue with only 51,950 miles. Asking $7200. Private party. Edmunds suggests $5900 private party fair value, Carfax suggests $7700, KBB suggests $6310. Will be reaching out for more information since not a whole lot is provided in the ad. Thoughts, especially on price?

[redpoint5]

Too expensive. I personally wouldn't pay more than Edmunds price for it. It's 11 years old, and 2 generations behind.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Too expensive. I personally wouldn't pay more than Edmunds price for it. It's 11 years old, and 2 generations behind.

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..