Buying a new car, need help!

[The Political Gamer]

OK, I some need help buying a car. This is because Best Buy is relocating me to a new store. I get a good pay raise but it is far away from any public transportation unlike my old Best Buy. What really sucks is that if I do not move to the new Best Buy they will fire me and that is not going to happen. So I went car shopping and frond a 2006 Toyota Prius for $8,786 [http://www.vehix.com/inventory/VehicleDetails.aspx?sellerid=5F0000000009AE&zip=60045&radius=50&condition=Used&smodel=Prius&make=Toyota&Limit=10&SearchPagePosition=2&inventoryid=7700000161F3DC&N=127%2B4294966597%2B4294965965&path=%253FLimit%253D10%2526N%253D127%25252B4294966597%25252B4294965965%2526Nf%253DpLocation%25257CGCLT%25252042.2407989501953%25252C-87.8622970581055%25252040.233675%2526PostalCode%253D60045%2526RadiusInMiles%253D50%2526Ns%253DHas%252520Price%25257C1%25257C%25257CpPrice%25257C0], a very good deal, that is made even better with the built-in GPS. It also has a very good CARFAX history report. [http://www.vehix.com/PartnerPopup.aspx?partner=carfaxDisplayHistoryReport&vin=JTDKB20U163146951] Only problem is that it has 226,885 Miles on it and I am worried that something will blow-up on me. So is this a good buy or should I go with some thing better?

Some pictures:

 

[ConnorCool]

I'd get a classic camper van everytime.

but if youre lucky enough to be able to afford that, do it my man!

 

[Lyri]

Someone I know just bought a brand new car for that price, granted I live in the UK so car pricing may be a little different.

However, $8k and you have 226 885 miles on it? That sounds really steep to me, over here once you hit 100k you lose a substantial amount of value from your car.
I'd probably look for something with less miles on it.

 

[New Troll]

That is a lot of miles, but otherwise not a bad vehicle. And just because it has so many miles does not mean it won't still last you a long time. Besides, with any vehicle, especially used, you're taking a chance.

 

[Krakyn]

226,885 Miles on it

That's an insane number of miles. That's nearly 100,000 miles a year. This person really must've been driving it all day long, and it must've been really important to their job.

Because of these things, the owner most likely kept it in really, really good shape. If you were to have any problems, they would most likely come from the structure as bumps and potholes wear out the fixtures over time, but if the machinery was maintained well, you shouldn't have any problems from that.

 

[Segadroid]

A high amount of miles can mean it's tough enough for driving long distances. Don't take it for granted, though. The low price for a hybrid kinda worries me. Keep some money on hold, just in case the car comes out being shit.

 

[Spleeni]

I believe that if you buy a Toyota Prius, you're a tool. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.105860] As well as that, hybrids have a very low lifespan, in the order of about eight years, so there's a mechanical argument against it as well.

Listen to RAK, he knows electrical and mechanical doo-hickey.

I'd suggest getting a different car anyhow- unlss every other car on the lot is a pig.

 

[Max_A_Buck]

Just like everyone else has said, that's a lot of mileage. I'm not sure how many miles the electric side of a hybrid motor is good for but I know that the other 'mechanical' side would be looking towards being replaced by now. So unless it has a new/rebuilt engine and has been well maintained, I'd look elsewhere. Maybe something small-ish, 4 cylinder and either petrol/diesel.

 

[Low Key]

The reason the Prius you are looking at is so cheap is because after a certain amount of miles, the battery pack fails, and you have to spend $10K to get a new one. And the car is competely useless without it since it's a hybrid. Plus, you'd need to get the engine and the transmission rebuilt or replaced pretty soon, and those will cost you about $3-5K a piece.

If you are going to buy a car, get one with less than 100K miles. It may be a little more spendy, but at least you won't have to worry about major maintenence for a little bit. If your heart is set on a hybrid, wait until the Chevy Volt comes out. You will be able to get 1000 miles+ per tank of gas, though you'll obviously need to recharge the battery every night.

 

[manaman]

I believe that if you buy a Toyota Prius, you're a tool. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.105860] As well as that, hybrids have a very low lifespan, in the order of about eight years, so there's a mechanical argument against it as well.

I was going to say the same. Don't buy it. I find people who buy a Prius to be pretentious fools. Plus that battery has probably been through so many charging cycles by now that it could give out at any time. Don't expect a battery to last a set number of years. It actually has an average number of charging cycles you can expect out of it.

Edit: There is a guy down the street from me selling a Datsun 240Z fairly cheap, and as far as I can tell it is decently cared for. Also there is a dealership here selling brand new Kia's for $7,000, far better deal then that thing.

 

[the_dancy_vagrant]

Only problem is that it has 226,885

OH HO HO...believe me, if it has that many miles on it in a mere 3 years then that isn't the only problem this car will have. I drive a 1996 Ford that has just under half as many miles on it. Is it pretty? No. Is it eco-friendly? Probably not. Have I averaged out to paying about $900 a year to drive it? You betcha.

My recommendation would be to go the route of the cheap man's bounty: buy a car that costs about $1500-2500 and has about 150k miles on it. Check it out on carfax or whatever inspection method you like to see if it's been in any accidents or is a repo/rebuild/was found on the bottom of a lake or what have you. If that checks out, go for the car. If anything breaks on it that isn't major then repair it. If the car outright blows up, the money you saved by not spending $8k will get you a rental vehicle and another $1500 car in short order.

 

[Soxafloppin]

Yea it has very high milage, but japanese reliability. hmmm.........

 

[the_dancy_vagrant]

Mmmm, not sure about Japanese reliability. Gasoline engine cars made in Japan are extremely reliable, but hybrids are still new enough that I remain skeptical. Compare a 20 year old hybrid vs. a 20 year old toyota corolla and I'd put my cash on the corolla. 'But wait, dancy_vagrant!', you exclaim, 'There's no such thing as a 20 year old hybrid!'