Used Prius for teen and long trips?

[Anonymous]

Thinking of getting a used Prius that teen can drive as well as something I take longer trips. I drive a Scion manual transmission, incredibly reliable but driving 95 traffic to the beach is exhausting.

What year / what is the maximum amount of mileage we should be looking at with a Prius? We want to spend no more than 6k.

[Anonymous]

Anything in that price range will be old, probably unreliable, expensive to maintain, will have high mileage, and will be no newer than the mid-2000s. That being the case, there's not going to be much difference between cars in that price range. They're all going to be pretty similar in every important respect - mileage, condition, reliability, safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anything in that price range will be old, probably unreliable, expensive to maintain, will have high mileage, and will be no newer than the mid-2000s. That being the case, there's not going to be much difference between cars in that price range. They're all going to be pretty similar in every important respect - mileage, condition, reliability, safety.

Thank you! What if I go to 10k?

[Anonymous]

Get yourself a new car and give the teen the old one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get yourself a new car and give the teen the old one.

Thanks but I don't have 35K. I have 7 and could get to 10k. We are on a fixed income. Not everyone can buy new. Supply chain makes used a bad choice too. I want the cheapest I can get by with since DS is going to college in 1 1/5 years and won't be taking a car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get yourself a new car and give the teen the old one.

Thanks but I don't have 35K. I have 7 and could get to 10k. We are on a fixed income. Not everyone can buy new. Supply chain makes used a bad choice too. I want the cheapest I can get by with since DS is going to college in 1 1/5 years and won't be taking a car.

Then, if you cannot afford it, it makes zero sense to buy another car. Share yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything in that price range will be old, probably unreliable, expensive to maintain, will have high mileage, and will be no newer than the mid-2000s. That being the case, there's not going to be much difference between cars in that price range. They're all going to be pretty similar in every important respect - mileage, condition, reliability, safety.

Thank you! What if I go to 10k?

That's still a challenging budget. Cars, both new and used, are in very short supply right now, which is reflecting in pricing. Are there alternatives which might be more cost-effective and still meet your son's needs, such using a ride-sharing service like Uber instead of a personally-owned car? While paying for rides a la carte costs $, you will not have the expenses associated with owning another car in addition to the car's purchase price: fuel, insurance (which may be very expensive if the primary driver is a teen), maintenance, and repairs. In the end, depending how often your son needs a car and how far he needs to go each time, it might be less expensive to just pay for rides as needed. This may be especially true if rides are only needed for the next 18 months, and no car will be needed in college.

If his circumstances require vehicle ownership, a quick look at the Dulles Carmax site reveals a single car for sale for under $10K, a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze with 118K miles for $9998. A 2017 Nissan Versa can be had for $11,500. Less expensive cars are for sale on Craig's List and on similar sites like Facebook's Marketplace, but private sales involve more risk - you'll need to be able to accurately assess each car's condition to understand whether it will need maintenance or repairs which may add to your costs.

[Anonymous]

So i'm still driving the white 2005 prius from when I was a high school kid. The car is still solid. Only one breakdown in 17 years over about 155,000 miles. Only things replaced are regular things like tires, oil, and filters. Take it in once a year for tire rotation and oil change.

Parents bought the car in the first place since it couldn't go fast and had lots of airbags (for then atleast). Still going strong. Been looking at upgrading, but the car is still solid. I kinda wish someone stole the cat converter so I can justify a new car mentally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get yourself a new car and give the teen the old one.

Thanks but I don't have 35K. I have 7 and could get to 10k. We are on a fixed income. Not everyone can buy new. Supply chain makes used a bad choice too. I want the cheapest I can get by with since DS is going to college in 1 1/5 years and won't be taking a car.

Then, if you cannot afford it, it makes zero sense to buy another car. Share yours.

It's tough love, but this is your answer right here.

[Anonymous]

I would be very concerned about the large battery going out in a Prius that age. It is not a cheap fix!!

[Anonymous]

I also have a budget of 10k (or under) for a car for my teen. I am looking at 15y old Civics with 100k + miles.

[Anonymous]

Most HS kids don’t really need to be driving, but I guess sometimes there might be extenuating circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Just fyi, I was looking to sell my Prius and for 130k miles 8 yr old Prius I am getting $19k+
Just to give you some perspective

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also have a budget of 10k (or under) for a car for my teen. I am looking at 15y old Civics with 100k + miles.

This is you can get OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most HS kids don’t really need to be driving, but I guess sometimes there might be extenuating circumstances.

I’m super glad I taught my teens to drive when they were in high school. They got a lot of experience with us supervising them and are confident drivers. I don’t understand why you’d be opposed besides the cost.