We have a 1997 Toyota Tercel in good condition. It is a two door and needs a brake job and a few minor repairs. It has 142,000 miles on it. We have the opportunity to buy a 2002 Prius with 180,000 miles on it. It is a 4 door and an automatic. We have two kids and the two door can be a challenge. Should we buy the Prius or keep the Tercel?
One cannot make suggestions with incomplete info.
Is the Prius in addition to the Tercel? Or, will you sell off the Tercel?
Cost of the Prius?
What quantity of service/maintenence receipts are available for the Prius.
What mech. condition is the Prius in?
Has the battery pack already been replaced?
How many previuos owners?
From a private party or dealer?
What is your attraction towards this first gen. Prius, four doors aside?
Keep in mind that the Prius is probably getting within 2-4 years of the end of its useful battery life. Price out how much it will cost to replace the battery array and factor that into the price of the car.
Definitely do not buy that old Prius. Save yourself.
Is the Prius in addition to the Tercel? Or, will you sell off the Tercel? We would sell the Tercel
Cost of the Prius? $1,000
What quantity of service/maintenence receipts are available for the Prius. Not sure. This car is owned by one of the owners of the company my husband works for. He has maintained it very well.
What mech. condition is the Prius in? Little bit of rust/scratches…engine is great.
Has the battery pack already been replaced? Not sure
How many previuos owners? One
From a private party or dealer? Private Party
What is your attraction towards this first gen. Prius, four doors aside?gas milage and there are some repairs that will need to be made to the Tercel soon (brakes, windshield fluid tank etc)
The Prius has hit the area of any vehicle life (8yrs old/150k) where major repairs are more likely than not. The issue with that is a Prius is very expensive to repair compared to a Tercel.
That being said 2 door is abysmal on any car kids or not. I would skip the Prius and keep looking for a 4 door.
May I suggest getting a set of tools and a manual for your Tercel?
The work you talk about your Tercel needing (brakes and windhield fluid tank) are easy, easy, easy work IMO.
Pricing out the parts on rockauto.com and toyotapartscheap.com (Rock Auto doesn’t carry the washer tank) shows that you could replace the rotors, drums, pads, shoes, AND drum hardware with quality parts for $164.47 plus shipping (I’d buy from a local store, though, since it seems like drums often aren’t within spec even when new). The washer tank would be $31.89 at a local dealer if you don’t need cold weather spec, or $68.22 if you do.
So in all, those problems you mention could be fixed for under $250. Certainly less than what this seller wants for his Prius. And I would be VERY wary of this Prius. The battery alone is worth at least $200 no matter its condition, as Toyota will pay that much for any battery returned to them for recycling. That means that this car is being valued at not much more than scrap metal at this point. NOT a good sign, IMO.
Mmkay. . .
Yeah, I often find myself cursing Toyota for not making my MR2 a 4 door.
The Prius battery, if not replaced already, will need to be replaced soon. My mechanic friend has a customer that needs one, and he was quoted a price of $4,000. When it needs a new battery, the check engine light comes on, so the car may not pass your state inspection if that is a requirement in your state.
Most major points have already been hit by previous posters.
I can only add that a new battery pack for this car (Toyota OEM) will cost you $2300.00 before installation. A remanufactured pack can be had for about $1200.00 before labor. For this first generation Prius (model NHW11) most often a new battery pack is needed around 200k miles.
Brakes on ANY car are considered to be consumables, just like engine oil, air filters etc, etc, etc.
Why do you consider this to be a “repair” ?
Let me ask you this: consider the printer you have attached to your PC at home or at work. When you run out of ink/toner, do you go out and purchase a new printer, or do you just replace the ink/toner cartridges???
Thank you all. We have decided to keep the Tercel after all. Great advise!!
Skip That Prius, Buy A Larger, Safer 4-Door Car To Transport Your Family. Shop Safety First. Everything Else Is Secondary. Kids Are Counting On You To Protect Them.
You will never forgive yourself if you fail in your obligation. Put things in perspective. Look at crash tests and talk to your insurance agent. Buy a large, safe car, not a little puddle jumper. I’ll bet you could use trunk room, too.
You’ll thank me if a drunk or text messager piles into you.
From one parent to another,
CSA