I’ve got a 2008 that’s hit 275k miles. The inside is in really good shape. Engine and transmission are fine. The outside’s a bit rough with some peeling clear coat and a few dings.
It needs about $3k worth of work:
Hybrid battery is down to 40% life.
Struts are completely worn out.
It needs new tires and an alignment.
Wheel bearings and tie rod ends need replacing.
Would you try selling the 2008 (maybe get around $3k?) and put that towards a cheap 4th Gen with around 100-120k miles? Or just repair the 2008 and see if it can make it to 500k miles? I’m just looking for the cheapest way to commute 50 miles a day and not have to stress about the car.
Honestly, just from doing some quick math, I think it makes more sense financially to keep the Prius as long as you can. Getting a newer one will probably end up costing you way more over time with things like registration fees, higher taxes, slightly higher insurance, and you might end up driving more just because it’s newer.
Charlotte said:
I doubt you’d get $3k for it in that condition. Maybe closer to $2k.
Most buyers wouldn’t even know it needs a new hybrid battery or that the wheel bearings and shocks are worn out. It runs perfectly fine and looks pretty good except for the clear coat peeling on the roof and part of the hood.
@Fife
If it’s running fine, I’d just keep driving it and only fix the stuff that’s absolutely necessary. You might get a couple more years out of it that way.
Charlotte said: @Fife
If it’s running fine, I’d just keep driving it and only fix the stuff that’s absolutely necessary. You might get a couple more years out of it that way.
Yeah, it drives perfectly fine, but I’m definitely going to need new tires in 9 to 12 months. Ideally, I’d want to sort out the shocks and tie rod ends before getting new tires to avoid them wearing out too quickly.
The hybrid battery might last another 2 to 4 years, I think.
I’m at that point where I could sell the car now for a decent price, or keep driving it, be forced to do these repairs eventually, and then sell it for even less when it obviously needs work.
@Fife
If you plan to keep it, just start saving $50 a month for the tires. When the time comes, get them and do an alignment. You can get cheap struts from Rockauto, and they’re pretty easy to replace.
Same goes for the wheel bearings. They’re cheap, and you can change them when you’re doing the suspension work.
As for the battery, just keep driving it until it dies. If you want to go the cheapest route, you can always replace the weak cells yourself. There’s some good tutorials on YouTube like ChrisFix’s stuff. Plus, you’ll learn more about your car and save a lot of money.
I used it on a Mazda 3, and it worked great with a long breaker bar and ratchet. Planning to rent it for my Prius soon. I’m kind of like you, debating whether to sell it now while it’s still worth something or just drive it till it’s practically worthless and then dump money into repairs.
If you actually like the car and feel good about the engine and transmission, I’d say just repair it. Spending $3000 to get another 150k miles out of it sounds like a decent deal.