The Prius nerd factor

[Morris Minor]

As referenced elsewhere, I sold my daughter's 135,000-mile 2010 Prius last week. It's condition was "fair" and needed a few days of detailing to bringing it back from its uncared-for state. Even then the bumper damage and body dings remained. Another strike against it was gaps in the service history.


Most callers asked about the battery-pack - and lost interest learning it was the original. And that depressed me because, although Toyota say it's a life-of-the-vehicle item, and there are plenty of them still going strong at 200,000 miles and up, most lay people don't know that, but they do know replacements are $3,500, more than half the value of the car.


So I was very lucky that the guy that bought it is a Prius enthusiast and in the know, a little bit on the spectrum, already owning two of them and aware of their goodness as a second-hand proposition. This one was for his college-age son. He brought an OBD tester with him to look for any weird codes that had been thrown, dismissed a lot of the faults as easy for him to fix and spent most of the time telling me about all the things he liked about Priuses: hyper-miling, reliability, how the brake pads last for ever, importance of not blocking the battery pack vent etc.

So, my point is, as a secondhand sales proposition, a Prius is difficult, and people are scared of them. I was very lucky to find this guy, knew he was not a moron within a couple text exchanges (you get a gut feeling.) If you are a little bit knowledgeable about hybrids and EVs, they are a bargain buy, you can take advantage of the great unwashed public's ignorance. It's all about the seller finding that special narrow-target audience.

[AutobahnSHO]

So I could pick one up for cheap if the seller encounters enough dummies??   

I wouldn't mind one- they're decent enough hatch/wagon types. But I really really want a sunroof, I don't remember seeing any on a Prius?

[12,000 RPM]

Hybrids just need more balls for me. I'd love something about as quick as my car that can do ~40MPG and still use regular fuel. Often when I hit the brakes on my car I think "what a waste". But the hybrid version of my car is just outside the realm of what I can live with (~8s 0-60). Would be great  if they started offering mainstream sedans with ballsier hybrid options instead of 2.0Ts.

Still though it's good to see that hybrids don't become toxic paperweights at the end of their lives. Once they are no longer usable in cars they can be used for off grid storage. I'm sure once they are done there we will figure out something else to do with them.

[Morris Minor]

So I could pick one up for cheap if the seller encounters enough dummies??   

I wouldn't mind one- they're decent enough hatch/wagon types. But I really really want a sunroof, I don't remember seeing any on a Prius?

"Used Prius With Sunroof
The solar sunroof was introduced in 2010. Since then, it's been either an option or part of an options package on the Prius Three and Prius Four trim levels. So if you're hoping to find a used Prius with this feature, you'll want to look for one built in 2010 or later. It's a nifty thing to have — the solar panels in the sunroof only generate a little bit of power, but it's enough to run a fan to cool the interior of the car before you get in! Demand for this feature was a lot higher than Toyota originally expected, so you'll be lucky if you manage to snag a 2010 model with one."
http://www.westernslopetoyota.com/blog/does-the-prius-have-a-sunroof

[2o6]

Um, what kind of codes was the damn thing throwing at 135k and only 2010 MY?


I don't think Priuses are probably as hard to sell; I think private sellers are fucking annoying. I get a lot of "experts" with no money asking similar questions with zero basis.

[12,000 RPM]

Used car classifieds reveal how lonely the average American is. I feel like someone could do a good documentary on the American psyche through the trials and tribulations of CL car ads.

[Morris Minor]

Um, what kind of codes was the damn thing throwing at 135k and only 2010 MY?

None at all - he loved his OBD/smartphone gadget though.
I have a question: how do you close the transactions with your buyers?
I had mine meet me at my bank with the cash. Once it was accepted by the teller & safely deposited, I signed over the title. It's super old-fashioned but it seemed the most transparent, foolproof & safest (witnesses, security cameras etc.)

[shp4man]

Old, high mileage hybrid battery packs operate the same as an old phone in that they won't hold a charge as long after so many cycles.
What's the end result? The gas engine takes up the slack.

[Morris Minor]

Old, high mileage hybrid battery packs operate the same as an old phone in that they won't hold a charge as long after so many cycles.
What's the end result? The gas engine takes up the slack.

I called a local independent shop that does Prius-only work. They used to install after-market battery pack replacements. but no longer. They used to flake out after a few months. So they now only install Toyota's OEM packs: $3.5K. It's a big headwind for a used car proposition.

[HurricaneSteve]

Thanks for the heads up about the quality of aftermarket batteries! Figured there was something up when you could get one at the third of the price of an OEM one. I thought about a used Prius-C as a city car due to its compact size and MPG but balked when I saw the prices of new battery packs (at 3,500 that's not too far off from what I paid for the 2). Also out here, Priuses are the new Accords/Civics as far as targets for thieves go. If you ever leave your Prius in a shady area, there's a good chance that that not only will your windows be smashed AND your battery will be gone!