I’m looking to spend around $11,000 on a used Prius. Any recommendations on the best years to buy? I keep hearing good things about the 2015 model, but they seem pretty hard to find. Are there any years I should stay away from because of head gasket or battery problems?
I’ve got a 2012 PIP and put 100k miles on it without any issues other than brakes, tires, and oil changes. I used to get around 52 mpg until I swapped to 17-inch rims, and now I get about 48 mpg. I mostly drive on highways. I got it used with 85k miles on it.
@Harper
I’m getting 44 mpg in my regular Civic. Thinking about switching to a Prius or maybe a Corolla for my next car.
Caiden said:
@Harper
I’m getting 44 mpg in my regular Civic. Thinking about switching to a Prius or maybe a Corolla for my next car.
You really can’t go wrong with either one. The new gen5 Prius looks amazing. By the way, I never plug mine in.
Caiden said:
@Harper
I’m getting 44 mpg in my regular Civic. Thinking about switching to a Prius or maybe a Corolla for my next car.
Honestly, keep the Civic… those mpg numbers are pretty impressive. What year and model is it?
@Harlyn
It’s a 2012 Civic, the eco model EX-L, and it’s got 270k miles on it.
I have a 2013 Prius… had to fix the head gasket, but besides that, it’s been a great car.
Mack said:
I have a 2013 Prius… had to fix the head gasket, but besides that, it’s been a great car.
How much did the repair cost you?
From what I’ve seen, the 2nd gen is the most reliable overall.
I’ve got a 2013 with 140k miles… just basic maintenance so far and still getting 49-53 mpg. Bought it new back in 2013.
The 2012 Prius V (wagon) is actually pretty cool.
I had a 2012 with 235k miles… solid car. But now I have a 2016 Prius (not the Prime), and it’s way better than the gen3. All the tech is nice, but the crazy thing is the mpg… I can get 70+ mpg on long drives and even hit 80+ on shorter trips. You can probably find some high-mileage ones in your budget.
In general, newer models are usually better, but older ones are usually fine too.
Go for either 2009 or 2016. I’d skip anything from 2010 to 2015.
Avoid the 2010-2013 models if you can. They tend to have head gasket problems. It gets a bit better in 2014 and 2015, but honestly, any 2010-2015 might have issues down the road.
Mack said:
Avoid the 2010-2013 models if you can. They tend to have head gasket problems. It gets a bit better in 2014 and 2015, but honestly, any 2010-2015 might have issues down the road.
I heard Toyota eventually updated the head gasket, and it’s not as likely to fail after that. I just can’t figure out when they did it. I’ve got a 2016 third gen and don’t know if mine has the updated part.
@ToyotaLeez
The update was done on the 2015 model.
Mack said:
@ToyotaLeez
The update was done on the 2015 model.
That’s good to know… thanks for the info.
For what it’s worth, I got my 2018 Four with a salvage title for $9,500. Put about $1,000 into it, mostly for new wheels and tires. I’ve done 11,000 miles already and it’s been running great. Salvage titles aren’t for everyone, but if you know what you’re getting into, you can get a really nice car for way less money.