2007 Prius Touring

kathyt1958

I'm seriously thinking about a 2007 Prius Touring with 77K. It's at the top of my price point. Mostly, I want the gas mileage, the comfort of the room up front and the longevity of a Toyota. My concerns are about the battery and anything specific to the model/year that could cost me money in the long-run. How many more miles can I reasonably expect from the battery and what would be a fair cost estimate for a replacement or recharge? I drive my cars until the doors fall off and average about 6K miles a year. Some people have said that the 2007 has a crappy paint product? Is there a more trouble-free year or model for the Prius? I am still not clear about the difference between the base and the touring model. Any advise from a Prius expert or honest owner would be appreciated.

texases

I'd be very cautious about buying a 10-year-old Prius because of the potential battery issue. They cost about $3,000 to replace. It might be worth the risk if you were a high-mile driver, but at 6K miles/year, you don't drive enough to save a lot of money, especially at today's gas prices. How about a Corolla or a Civic?

Mr_Shiftright

If I were buying a used Prius, I'd plan on 150K miles for the batteries, as best case scenario. With labor, here in California, you'd have about a $3500 bill. Now, presuming the Prius remains pretty reliable (they have a good record), and if you drive 12,000 miles a year, you'll about 6 years before bearing this large expense, so figure $600 a year spread out over 6 years. How does that sound to you? Of course, on top of that you will have "expendables"--costs that all cars bear, like tires, brakes, oil changes, wiper blades, etc.