5 Reasons An Older Toyota Prius Is A Better Purchase Than New

Love it or hate it, the Toyota Prius is one of the most controversial cars all over the internet. But why? Believe it or not, Toyota Prius is a savior during times like these when gas is around $4 a gallon nationwide.

More people are choosing to look into what Prius offers them and find out they are great cars. But what about those who are first-time Prius owners? What should they buy? New, Used?

My thoughts are that those searching to get into a new-to-them Prius should start in the used section, and here are my five reasons why.

Reason One: Initial Cost
The Prius I drive today with issues cost me $3500. I put in a new me battery, new headlights and did some bodywork. Overall I have a car that lands me a solid 50 miles per gallon average with no issues.

Stories like mine are not uncommon, though. Good deals can be found on Prius if you will be patient and keep looking. I recently scored another one for $1500, which will end up making me money, but If I wanted to drive it, my cost into it right now is about $2200, including the purchase of the vehicle.

Think about it like this if I get 100k out of that car and it completely self implodes (which I doubt), will it have been worth it. Yep. Every year I drive it, the cost of ownership gets less and less. Once I do all the major maintenance on it, the prices go down significantly.

Not everyone will have my experience, but after owning 20 of these cars, I would say it is a fair bet your cost of ownership will go down over time.

Reason Two: Parts And Your Labor Are Cheaper
Thinking about how cheap these cars are, they are effortless to repair, mostly. Even with some of the hardest to improve items like the inverter coolant pump or the braking system, YouTube help is everywhere to be found.

The good thing is that even if you have to put the parts in yourself, most of the parts are $250 or less, which is very affordable. Yes, I know the hybrid battery is more, but if you know how to fix it, even that cost is minimal. Maintaining it is also cheap if you have taken a look into how easy it is.

Reason Three: They Are Everywhere
Did I mention Prius is the most popular hybrid? The little cars are all over the nation and are easily found nationwide. That also means if you need some parts, there are loads of features everywhere to be found, new and used.

That means the deal of century could be at your door if you are willing to take the time to look. Sometimes insurance companies will total these cars out for petty things like hitting a dear or something (okay, that is not petty, but even a Prius with a damaged hood and fenders is an easy fix.

Get looking around everywhere in your town may yield you the Prius of your dreams, so get to work.

Reason Four: Massive Online Support
There is a cult following for these cars because people love them. Online support through sites such as Prius Chat and The Toyota Prius Owners Club on Facebook are great resources for help.

Not only that, but you have people like me who constantly write about Prius. You can feel comfortable that there is help all around if you are willing to look for it.

Reason Five: Resale Value
Say you get a Prius, and you do not like it (not likely, but it happens), the resale value of a used Prius will fall less than a new one and may even increase. For instance, if you found a Prius at auction or on the marketplace for cheap, you could clean it up and resell it.

Right now, the used car market is hot. Finding and flipping that Prius for profit is not a bad idea.

Conclusion
A used Prius is undoubtedly worth your time, pending it is not entirely beat. They are certainly worth looking at with excellent reliability, excellent fuel economy and are priced moderately.

I enjoy my Prius every day. It is a fantastic car and allows me to keep more money in my pocket. If you are looking for a first-time car, Prius certainly needs to be on your list.

Thank you all for reading, and remember, Today's Adventure is Tomorrow's Story.

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Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporter.