New/Used Prius

[TangoJuliet]

So it looks like my stint of working close to home is going to come to an end here in the next month. My commute is going from 10 minutes/8 miles to 1.5 hours/65 miles each way.

I had done that 130 mile commute for 5 years before I was able to get closer. At the time I had purchased a new Focus that wound up having 90,000 miles in 3 years. I only paid $12,000 for that car (brand new) and beat it up pretty good.

This time around I wanted to get a car that was a NYS clean pass vehicle. This would allow for a single occupant to drive in the HOV lane.

Here are some that I was able to find.

2010 Prius IV; 45,000 miles; $16,388
2011 Prius IV; 89,000 miles; $15,991
2010 Prius IV; 28,217 miles; $18,849

All of them have leather interior and either moon roof, navigation or backup camera. If that really matters as to which is the best deal then I'll edit the post. I believe both the 2010 models are pre-certified and have an additional warranty through Toyota. All of the vehicles are for sale through Toyota dealerships.

New York is very limited as to which cars qualify for the clean pass - the only other vehicle I would consider from the list is a Civic hybrid. However only 2003-2010 models qualify and the 2010s seem to carry a high price tag compared to the Prius.

Thoughts/Comments are appreciated!!

 

[tweakmonkey]

Do the standard Prius qualify for the lane there? In California only the plugin hybrid and full electric cars do.

I'd go for the 45k one or look into the Prius C which might be cheaper.

 

[Scarpozzi]

How many miles do you expect to keep a car before you sell it.... (120k? 150k? 200k?)

Take that number, subtract by miles on the vehicle...divide by the number of miles you drive per year......that tells you how many years you will potentially have before you feel the need to trade or sell. Divide that number by the cost of the cars you find. That tells you the cost per year (not counting maintenance).

 

[TridenT]

If I was choosing, I'd get the 28k miles Prius. Less miles, less wear and tear. More time I have before I have to do a major service on the car.

That said, make extra sure the Prius qualifies for that HOV lane...

 

[TangoJuliet]

Do the standard Prius qualify for the lane there? In California only the plugin hybrid and full electric cars do.

I'd go for the 45k one or look into the Prius C which might be cheaper.

These are the models that qualify

*Toyota Prius C, model year 2012 - 2015
*Toyota Prius Hybrid, model year 2004 - 2015
*Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), model year 2012 - 2015

It says the 2015 V is not eligible.

The C is the smaller one, right? Aside from this being a daily commuter it's going to be a family car too. I got 2 small kids in car seats so I need a compact on the bigger side. I wish the TDI Jetta was eligible because I would have gone in that direction.

 

[Mide]

I'll vote for the 45k prius. I have a 2010 IV myself. Great car CPO from Toyota, no issues.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Is that a good price? Carfax is showing its about $500 over list price for whatever that is worth

 

[tortillasoup]

Get the least expensive Prius you can enjoy. There is no reason to get a low miles Prius especially after what you're about to do to your car. The only thing to be on the lookout for is your seat may get worn but with the price difference between the vehicles, $250 or so for a new seat cushion isn't a big deal.

 

[manimal]

if gas prices keep dropping I wonder if Used prices will drop on these?


I wouldnt get a low mileage car to put a bunch of miles on. Priii with twice that mileage will have similar repair schedules in the long term.

 

[NutBucket]

Yeah, at $3 a gallon I'm more inclined to mash the gas. Back to driving the wrx next week.

 

[desura]

I'd probably buy the first one if I were you.

I'd also argue that used priuses are pretty good deals. They have less wear than a similar like Ford Focus simply because of the hybrid system reducing wear-and-tear on the engine components. People are too concerned about the battery, which has overperformed expectations.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Id find a new job.

 

[TridenT]

Id find a new job.

This too... but I say that in every thread. Seriously, 3 hours of commuting a day. 15 hours a week. Dude better be making $300k+/yr.

 

[jagec]

This too... but I say that in every thread. Seriously, 3 hours of commuting a day. 15 hours a week. Dude better be making $300k+/yr.

At which point I would rent a studio apartment within walking distance for M-F and just visit my house on the weekends.

 

[paperfist]

I'll vote for the 45k prius. I have a 2010 IV myself. Great car CPO from Toyota, no issues.

Do they burn oil? I bought a 2010 with 80k and put about 100 miles a day on it. After a month it's down a quart of oil.

 

[desy]

All cars burn oil
If your oil never goes down it means you are getting fuel or condensation offsetting the burn. How much you lose depends on a bunch of things My vehicles lose a quart about every 6000 miles but all highway driving pretty much and synthetic

 

[Yuriman]

All cars burn oil
If your oil never goes down it means you are getting fuel or condensation offsetting the burn. How much you lose depends on a bunch of things My vehicles lose a quart about every 6000 miles but all highway driving pretty much and synthetic

My Insight only holds 2.5 quarts and I'm at 9,000 miles since my last change. Oil is still transparent, and not visibly lower. 165,000 miles, 0w20. I'm sure it does burn some, but it's not a large amount by any stretch of the imagination.

The amount of oil burned varies from car to car.

 

[rsutoratosu]

holy cow.. do u drive on the LIE ?

 

[Thump553]

Yes, the C is a different model. From what I understand it's basically a hybrid Yaris but has essentially the same mileage as a regular Prius.

I've own an '08 Prius bought new, currently about 143k miles on it (I drive a lot). I'd suggest that the backup camera is darn near essential, or at least very helpful. I've heard/read that the built in navigation is mediocre (I use a Garmin) but in the later years you have to buy navigation to get the backup camera.

I don't think any models come with a factory moon roof, maybe that was some sort of dealer install?

To date the only significant repair I had was replacing the ICE water pump. No oil leaks and I've never had to add any (change oil every 5k miles).

Get whichever one suits your fancy. If possible take it out on the highway-I suspect the higher trim models have a better ride. Not that ride quality is going to matter one whit on the LIE.

 

[TridenT]

Yes, the C is a different model. From what I understand it's basically a hybrid Yaris but has essentially the same mileage as a regular Prius.

I've own an '08 Prius bought new, currently about 143k miles on it (I drive a lot). I'd suggest that the backup camera is darn near essential, or at least very helpful. I've heard/read that the built in navigation is mediocre (I use a Garmin) but in the later years you have to buy navigation to get the backup camera.

I don't think any models come with a factory moon roof, maybe that was some sort of dealer install?

To date the only significant repair I had was replacing the ICE water pump. No oil leaks and I've never had to add any (change oil every 5k miles).

Get whichever one suits your fancy. If possible take it out on the highway-I suspect the higher trim models have a better ride. Not that ride quality is going to matter one whit on the LIE.

The MPG on the Prius C is better than the Prius and Prius V. Prius C is made for the city because of its small size. If you plan on parking the thing in cities often, I'd get it.

And some models do come with moonroofs. It is a factory option/package/model. (Prius IV, maybe?)

 

[Drako]

If you're doing 65 miles of highway, you might as well just get a Corolla. You're not going to save much on gas with the Prius with that kind of commute, unless it's stop and go the whole way.

 

[tortillasoup]

That's true Drako but the thing is, the Prius will be a lower maintenance car even if you're doing mostly highway. Buying a used Prius removes the new car tax and would be comparable in price to a new Corolla.

 

[Thump553]

If you're doing 65 miles of highway, you might as well just get a Corolla. You're not going to save much on gas with the Prius with that kind of commute, unless it's stop and go the whole way.

I do mostly highway driving and get 50+MPG overall in my Prius. Doesn't seem to matter much city or highway-unless it's a traffic jam and I can crawl along solely on electric.

 

[Yuriman]

If you're doing 65 miles of highway, you might as well just get a Corolla. You're not going to save much on gas with the Prius with that kind of commute, unless it's stop and go the whole way.

What does a (2012) Corolla get, about 35? If so, the Corolla ends up using something like 45% more fuel. If OP is putting 90k miles on in 3 years, he'll save about 4k in gas on the Corolla over 3 years, and 8k at the 6 year mark. I believe a Prius is a more reliable car, too.

 

[pauldun170]

If you're doing 65 miles of highway, you might as well just get a Corolla. You're not going to save much on gas with the Prius with that kind of commute, unless it's stop and go the whole way.

For commuting on the LIE, Prius beats Corolla even if the Corolla could magically match the Prius MPG.

The Prius gets you the HOV lane.

HOV lane is like a damn teleporter on Long Island during rush hour.
HOV + Hatchback + decent amount of room inside > Corolla.
I'd take a Yugo over the Corolla if that means I could cash in on the HOV.