Which year Prius to buy?

[Mr. Toyota]

Well, it looks like threads here in the Prius forum don't generate much response... but here goes anyway
I am considering a Prius as my daughter's first car in the next year or so; is there a particular year that has worthwhile changes, improvements, upgrades etc. that I should be aware of?
Or are they all pretty similar and just go by price and mileage (and condition of course)?
In other words, I don't want to get her an '06 and then find out..."Oh, you should have gotten an '07 instead because..."
What is the "best" model year Prius?

[LeMangelo]

I think a first generation Prius would be a good choice.The problems have been discovered and fixed and somebody else has paid the hybrid premium.If you have a teen then you should understand this board.Posters come here to raid the icebox and leave dishes in the sink.Pushing a vacuum requires effort.Only 2% of cars are hybrids and only a fraction of people post on message boards.Car culture makes me sick because it is full of swinging Richards that would crumple like hothouse orchids without gasoline.

[Tideland Prius]

Hmm... what are your criteria?

The 1st Gen is a sedan, the 2nd gen is a hatchback. Which do you prefer?

The 2nd Gen has a lot more safety features (6 airbags, VSC, Brake Assist, TRAC, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System on 06+ models). A Backup Camera is also available which may help your teen driver learn (just make sure she doesn't rely on it!).

Gen I:
- smaller, easier to park
- it's a sedan with a trunk
- cute factor (maybe your daughter would prefer that design esp. in Aqua Blue)
- Cheaper to buy cause it's older
- hybrid warranty near ending (2009 for the 8 years if it hasn't reached 100,000 miles yet)
- weaker (in terms of power)
- tyres need to be XL rated which may limit the choice of tyres available
- no pass through for longer items
- Only a decent set of safety features (ABS, dual front airbags, TRAC)

Gen II:
- updated HSD powertrain
- hatchback design for maximum flexibility
- lots more safety features
- more "normal" wheel/tyre combo
- hybrid warranty still in effect
- might be more costly to purchase


If you're looking at the Gen I, I'd say 2002 or 2003.

For a Gen II, 2006+ because that adds the tyre pressure monitoring system, advanced front airbags, front passenger occupant detection system and higher resolution screen (for models with backup camera). For 2007, all cars came with side/side curtain airbags as standard so if you don't want look for an 06 and then wonder whether it has side airbags or not, then go with an 07 since they all have it. Just make sure your used Prius has VSC.

If you need help on different packages and changes made to each year, go here:

http://priuschat.com/forums/knowledg...countries.html

[asjoseph]

~ We anticipate these vehicles going over 500 thousand miles... Buy a 2004 Prius (e.g., you pay less for annual registration). If you're in California, ensure the Prius you purchase has HOV access stickers (later models may not have them), so your daughter can drive solo in the carpool lane.

~ HOV access stickers stay with the vehicle; they transfer, to the new owner. But, you have to be sure you file the necessary form (e.g., Reg 1000) with DMV:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg1000.pdf

~ Main hybrid page at the California DMV:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm


Best,
~ Sammy, '88 Supercharged MR2

[Mr. Toyota]

Thanks for the info guys...exactly what I was looking for!
Tideland, I knew you would come through
I am definitely looking for a Gen 2 (should have been more specific) and of course SAFETY is a primary concern for my daughter's car. VSC is an option then on the Prius? Maybe an '07 for the additional airbags too...
I would rather pay a bit more for a low mileage car with more features on it. Quite a few on eBay right now...they do seem to have a good resale value!

[Sgt Tip]

I don't know about Calif. but here in Maryland you can't find a used any year or 2008. My local dealer had 10 new and 4 used last Monday and by Friday they were ALL gone.I purchased my 2008 package #6 Thursday night and by Friday night there were none . Best of luck. Sgt Tip

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by Mr. Toyota

Thanks for the info guys...exactly what I was looking for!
Tideland, I knew you would come through
I am definitely looking for a Gen 2 (should have been more specific) and of course SAFETY is a primary concern for my daughter's car. VSC is an option then on the Prius? Maybe an '07 for the additional airbags too...
I would rather pay a bit more for a low mileage car with more features on it. Quite a few on eBay right now...they do seem to have a good resale value!

heh. Np.

Yeah VSC is optional. Check the page (it's currently read-only and might be a bit slow cause we're upgrading the servers) and check which packages (for whatever year you're looking at) has VSC. Look at the other equipment so that you can distinguish it qiuckly when you're at the dealer.