Advice please re buying a car

Angry bird

Hi. Aiming to buy a hybrid next weekend with a budget of about 7k. Any advice appreciated on what sort of mileage re price, what to look out for re approaching dealerships, what to look out for/what to do re saying look/listen out for when initially revving the car and then driving it. Safe to assume, I know nothing. Thanking you in advance, cheers.

Heres Johnny

Bring someone that Does! Or at least buy from a very reputable dealer. If you do know nothing it's a good investment to get it checked by someone that knows their stuff, I do it every time. I personally don't know much about hybrids to help you.

Lots of threads in here about buying in general and tips on what to do and not to do.

Shefwedfan

Angry bird wrote: »

Hi. Aiming to buy a hybrid next weekend with a budget of about 7k. Any advice appreciated on what sort of mileage re price, what to look out for re approaching dealerships, what to look out for/what to do re saying look/listen out for when initially revving the car and then driving it. Safe to assume, I know nothing. Thanking you in advance, cheers.

If No idea then try and see if any with main dealer service history

If you find a good one then buy buy buy...only messing

Get mechanic to check it over, if you don’t know anyone then plenty of people offer for a few hundred quid....

Mintoe

Angry bird wrote: »

Hi. Aiming to buy a hybrid next weekend with a budget of about 7k. Any advice appreciated on what sort of mileage re price, what to look out for re approaching dealerships, what to look out for/what to do re saying look/listen out for when initially revving the car and then driving it. Safe to assume, I know nothing. Thanking you in advance, cheers.

Www.carinspectionsireland.ie

Atlantic Dawn

Reving a car from cold will show you up as a fool, a dealer will know you havn't got a clue and will price this in to the deal accordingly.

Whatever you buy as a normal every day car will typically lose 50% of its value in 3 years, price depreciation in to whatever costs you predict over the ownership of the car.

Generally if a car has cheap ass tyres it has been cheaply maintained, 4 Chinese brand tyres would indicate something to avoid at all costs.

Angry bird

Thanks guys for the advice. I've done some research on the options and have narrowed it down to 4 possibilities. I'll have a mechanic check out the first choice and take it from there.

christy02

Big thing with hybrids is the battery health. Unfortunately a mechanic is unlikely to be able to check this without plugging in to specific equipment.

Recently bought a hybrid and battery was goosed. This was not evident from test drive as it was working and charging. Only week after when I brought it for a long spin was it noticeable as it couldn't sustain longer usage.

Dealer sorted it for me under warranty. I bought a civic hybrid and they typically last around 10 years or so reading online. Prius maybe last a bit longer but still have a lifespan.

Angry bird

christy02 wrote: »

Big thing with hybrids is the battery health. Unfortunately a mechanic is unlikely to be able to check this without plugging in to specific equipment.

Recently bought a hybrid and battery was goosed. This was not evident from test drive as it was working and charging. Only week after when I brought it for a long spin was it noticeable as it couldn't sustain longer usage.

Dealer sorted it for me under warranty. I bought a civic hybrid and they typically last around 10 years or so reading online. Prius maybe last a bit longer but still have a lifespan.

Thanks for that tip. I'll source a mechanic that can check the battery on the gen 3 prius and make sure it's covered under the warranty. The more I read up the more I realise that professional advice is needed. I intend to have this next car for a long time.

Shefwedfan

Angry bird wrote: »

Thanks for that tip. I'll source a mechanic that can check the battery on the gen 3 prius and make sure it's covered under the warranty. The more I read up the more I realise that professional advice is needed. I intend to have this next car for a long time.

Whats your budget? if you dont mind me asking?

wizardman

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Whats your budget? if you dont mind me asking?

Did you even read the first post?

Shefwedfan

wizardman wrote: »

Did you even read the first post?

I did and missed the 7k...opps

Angry bird

Yep looking at 2010 Prius.

Shefwedfan

How long does the Prius have a battery warranty?

Angry bird

Shefwedfan wrote: »

How long does the Prius have a battery warranty?

The warranty lasts 10 years. From research, once the car is properly maintained they last much longer.

Shefwedfan

Angry bird wrote: »

The warranty lasts 10 years. From research, once the car is properly maintained they last much longer.

Perfect

christy02

Angry bird wrote:

The warranty lasts 10 years. From research, once the car is properly maintained they last much longer.

What does maintenance have to do with battery health?

Servicing the car has nothing to do with the battery and no service required on battery?

Angry bird

Toyota refer to it as a service and battery health check, with the battery hooked up to the diagnostic machine, and the service same for any normal car service. Same with any hybrid.

colm_mcm

That contradicts what you’re saying to be fair.

Angry bird

colm_mcm wrote: »

That contradicts what you’re saying to be fair.

I'm far from any expert so I can only refer to what I've read on prius related sites in the last day or 2. Should I end up purchasing one, I'll try and learn more. The OP refers to advice and assume I know nothing so please bear this in mind.

colm_mcm

The best thing you could do is go to a few Toyota dealers first, with a budget of €12-13k, then drive a few of the best ones, get familiar with how they drive, and observe how the traction battery level goes up and down with driving. Go drive a good few and you’ll get a feel for how they should be. Then go looking at the €7k ones and any shortcomings should be apparent. A poor battery will go between full and empty and back up again very quickly.

christy02

A 8 or 9 year old car may not be getting serviced in main dealer though so unless they have got a separate health check on battery then it's probably not done. If you buy from main dealer then I would assume they have done a health check.
I think it's about 60euro for a health check.

Colm if the battery is only starting to go then it may not be apparent on a shortish test drive.

kerten

As far as I know, only service item on prius hybrid system is changing the hybrid system coolant at 10 years.

trixiebust

Mintoe wrote: »

Www.carinspectionsireland.ie

Do not use this crowd.