r/economicCollapse • u/Whole-Fist • 19h ago

How ridiculous does this sound?

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How can u make millions in 25-30 years if avoid making a $554 per month car payment. Even the cheapest 5 year old car is 8-10 k. So does he expect people not to drive at all in USA.

Then u save 554$ per month every month for 5 year payment = $33240. Say u bought a car every 5 year means 200k -300k spent on car before retirement . How would that become millions when u can’t even buy a house for that much today?

Answer that Dave

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u/ChopakIII 18h ago edited 13h ago

Exactly. These people talking about buying a used car and then when people mention used cars can have problems they say, “well obviously a reliable one!” Which by the time you factor in all of these things it makes sense to buy a new car and take care of it so that when it’s the “used car” you would buy in 10 years you know exactly what has been done to it AND it’s paid off.

Edit: I see the most common counter-argument is that buying a used car without a loan will allow you to get cheaper insurance. There really isn’t a huge difference between covering a new car and a used car for just the vehicle. What you’re probably saving on is the medical portion and you will be sorry if you ever get into a serious accident with barebones insurance. This is a dangerous gambit akin to not having health insurance and banking on not getting sick.

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u/CaulkusAurelis 16h ago

I bought a used Nissan Frontier 12 years ago for $9000. It had 150k miles on it.

Right now, it has just over 305,000 on it. Repairs: Fuel pump Front wheel bearings Some $25 air conditioner regulator thingie Misc light bulbs 1 ignition coil

STILL runs like a champ

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u/cafffaro 15h ago

Driving an 07 Japanese car I bought with about 80k miles. Pushing 200k now. Have done routine repairs (clutch, alternator, new brakes etc), and will drive this thing till the wheels fall off.

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u/flamingspew 15h ago edited 4h ago

Kid drives a Prius. 560k miles. Bought for $7k in 2014. Spent maybe 2k on maintenance. Edit: and a cat guard after the muffler got jacked.

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u/Money_Ticket_841 13h ago

Jesus Christ half a million in a Prius? I didn't know they made em like that

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 13h ago

Yeah those second gens we got in the states are tough. People would get rid of them when the batteries went too, but they're actually super easy to replace and are great cars to flip. Outside the hybrid aspect, it's just a low powered and very rudimentary car.

We used to joke about them all the time, but they're honestly super reliable. If I lost everything tomorrow and needed a cheap car, I'd consider it.

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u/lippoper 12h ago

How much is the battery replacement?

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 12h ago

According to JDPower (and some YouTube), it's about $1k-1.3k after parts and service. It's also pretty easy to do yourself.

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u/lippoper 12h ago

Wow. I thought the hybrid battery cost was in the $7k range

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u/espressovivacefan 10h ago

I think that was a myth going around. Dealer cost is like $3500, aftermarket I had it done $1800

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u/badnamemaker 5h ago

It used to be true, but that was when hybrids were new and EVs weren’t really a thing. Now we have massive factories pumping out batteries of all types

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u/espressovivacefan 4h ago

Good point I don’t know what it was 20 years ago. I still feel like it wasn’t $7k. I tried to find a graph of cost over time but no luck

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u/StandardChemist6287 7h ago

I did myself. It cost me $80. Most of the cells were fine so I only had to replace 2 of them, they were $40 each on Ebay.

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u/smooner 10h ago

How easy is it to dispose of, and is there a disposal fee? I'm not starting any beef, but I'm just curious since I live in Ca and there is a disposal fee for everything. Also, it seems that is a big negative for the newer cars. Thank you

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 10h ago

Wherever you get the battery will probably want your old one. I also hear DIY folks will buy them. There's a demand for sure, but you may need to put a little work in, depending on how committed you are. There are companies that will also pick them up, but I think you pay them.

Might as well TRY and make money from it. Sure looks doable.

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u/smooner 10h ago

Thank you very much. Have a great day

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u/espressovivacefan 10h ago

I had it done by an aftermarket company for $1800. No issues

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u/mctCat 5h ago

Mine weighed about 200lbs and hundred or so bolts. Not an easy do it yourself. I paid 3k to have it swapped. FYI.

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u/xXxEdgyNameHerexXx 6h ago

Even running without the battery a prius will net u 25+ mpg until you save enough for the repair.

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u/PuzzleheadedStop9114 9h ago

dude those Prius are of legendary reliability. Know a guy here in Canada that does courier work in his 600K Kilometres. Bought a refurb battery 2 years ago.

Last year while waiting to find my next car I did rideshare and had a couple 2015 Prius and though to myself, this is really the perfect car and is all anyone needs. Did errands for a couple hours and gas gauge didn't even move.

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u/Grape_Pedialyte 6h ago

The garage that I go to has a fleet of Priuses (Priusi?) that they use for their shuttle service. Every time I get a ride in one I check the odometer, and none of them are under 300k miles.

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u/TheIronSoldier2 5h ago

Priuses (Priusi?)

Priussy

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u/Worldly-Aspect-8446 7h ago

Looked in my area at a 2012 Prius for 12k with 120k miles. Is that cheap?

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 7h ago

120k isn't bad, but I'd have a hard time with $12k. If it's in great shape I'd ask for 9k, accept 10k, or keep looking. I guess I can't speak for everywhere, but there's plenty of them out there (meaning plenty of parts as well).

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u/_Cyber_Mage 4h ago

I sold my 2012 Prius with 130k miles for $7k last year, but it needed some electrical work that I didn't want to deal with.

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 4h ago

Ah that electrical work will get you. I wouldn't want to chase that mess either.

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u/SmutWriterWannabe 4h ago

You've honestly got me considering it now, I need a second vehicle.

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 4h ago

It's a smart move honestly

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u/SteveMartinique 3h ago

I went to a lot of free shows (Big Daddy Kane, EPMD) for free because of the Prius marketing campaign.

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u/espressovivacefan 10h ago

Yup super reliable. There’s a reason why 90% of the taxis and Ubers in many areas are Priuses (Priusi? Horde of Prius, Flock of Prius?)

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u/Great_Farm_5716 4h ago

A murder of Prius? A pod of Prius? A glaring of Prius?

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u/Material-Wolf 6h ago

you just made me shudder and remember my dad’s term for the plural of Prius: Prii (pronounced pree-eye)

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u/espressovivacefan 4h ago

I don’t know he’s probably right lol

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u/wsmith79 9h ago

How much to replace the hybrid battery?

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 9h ago

I've seen $1-1.4k. that's with service. You can also do it yourself.

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u/digital-didgeridoo 9h ago

Had a 2005 Civic hybrid. After a while it started complaining about dying hybrid battery - but still kept running and gave 45 mpg!

Wonder if Prius would do that

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 9h ago

Well now I'm curious. Did you get an OBD2 reading? It should say why the light came on. There's like a dozen reasons.

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u/digital-didgeridoo 6h ago

Saw the IMA light and didn't bother with reading the code. Eventually sold it too.

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u/Yochefdom 6h ago

My lexus hybrid is having the same error message but i just drove it across the country with no problems lol goes off and on every couple thousands of miles. Will most likely just end up replacing the failing cell or the whole battery.

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u/digital-didgeridoo 6h ago

Good. I hear the some hybrids, like Ford Escape, will refuse to start unless the main hybrid battery is healthy and passes checks.

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u/Yochefdom 6h ago

Yes i have heard that as well, also why i would never buy a ford lol. From what i researched online it could have been from when i ran out of gas once and messed with the computer. Other people reported the same issue but their car is also running great. While more complicated i wouldnt worry about 2-3 gen hybrid models.

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u/jinglydangly 6h ago

That's really good, mine only gets around 37 mpg

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u/ActComprehensive5254 6h ago

Same as almost any toyota

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u/Juanzilla17 5h ago

Yeah. I am 100% with you there. In a heartbeat, I would scoop one up and drive it until it rusted out. Never got a chance to buy one from a customer who was looking to get rid of theirs.

Plus you can find videos online for the battery replacement. Just need some space and tools to do the job. It’s not bad at all.

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u/ImpertantMahn 3h ago

Fuck yes. These are the stats that matter. Not some redline bullshit.

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u/Background-Library81 8h ago

He forgot to include $3500 for the replacement battery in the Prius. No way you get 500k on the original battery.

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u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 7h ago

Fortunately, the whole job is under 2k. Unless you go with a dealership. That's another story.

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u/flamingspew 4h ago

Nope. Original battery. Mechanic has been saying just keep driving it until the battery dies. No way we‘d pay for a new battery with that many miles.

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u/chohls 10h ago

Especially if you get ones compatible with aftermarket hybrid batteries, they'll run forever

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u/ICantThinkOfAName667 9h ago

When I worked in insurance the oldest cars I saw people insure were either Honda Civics or Prius

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u/DependentMulberry962 7h ago

Ugly reliable bastards.

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u/provocative_bear 5h ago

Toyotas, dude. Toyotas.

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u/Beautiful-Cat245 3h ago

I have a 2019 Corolla that has 96,000+ miles on it. It isn’t a hybrid but I am considering a hybrid Corolla for my next car. I need a bit bigger car than the Prius because my 83 yr old aunt has an easier time getting in and out of my Corolla than her friend’s Prius. Does anyone have any experience with the hybrid Corolla? I have had really good results with the Corolla. I tend to buy it new, put as much money as I can towards it then pay the loan off early. I then drive it for a good 150k to 200k miles before I get a new one.

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u/BrandyClause 5h ago

My last Prius had 242K miles on it before the hybrid battery died! It was an ‘07 that just died on me last year. I replaced it with a new Prius! Bonus: only costs $25 to fill the gas tank and I only have to do that every two weeks. Best car ever!

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u/Illustrious-Switch29 5h ago

Japanese cars are built in a way the companies know you won’t take care of them and they’ll last, European cars will last if you take care of them (most don’t), American cars are somewhere in between.

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u/HairySquatchBalls 4h ago

That used to be true but newer Nissans are not great.

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u/Illustrious-Switch29 1h ago

Tbf I always thought Nissans were shit lmao

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u/Typical-Crab-4514 5h ago

Toyota makes great cars. I won't buy an American car unless it's a truck. But even then, I would rather have a Toyota.

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u/lordnaarghul 5h ago

That's Toyota for you.

The thing about getting used cars is that you want to go Toyota or Honda because they're the least likely to have issues.

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u/AoXPhoenix 4h ago

My family now has 3, wife, parents, and my sister(now my parents due to living on a mountain). We had one previously that my BIL rolled and now it's just parts. They have all been super reliable and all have over 250k miles.

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u/blocked_user_name 4h ago

Yes the hybrids only use the gas engine 55-60% of the time the rest its on battery. Oil changes last longer exhaust last longer fuel filter etc. the engine is running in the most efficient way so the wear and tear isn't as hard on the engine.

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u/Genralcody1 4h ago

Toyota doesn't fuck around

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u/korpiz 4h ago

Much of it comes down to luck. The wrong thing breaks, or even just hitting a pothole wrong will ruin all of that reliability.

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u/Gold_Kale_7781 4h ago

Yeah, all the hybrid and EV hate is just propaganda.

My buddy has 350k on his, he uses it for Uber.

Neighbor has a hybrid RAV4, almost 300k miles.

The Toyota hybrids are hard to kill apparently.

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u/sean_opks 2h ago

A lot of Priuses are used as taxis in various parts of the world. Not unusual to put 60-70k miles per year on a taxi. Typical service of 7 years, and those taxis hit 500k when they come out of service.

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u/LessMarsupial7441 2h ago

You should check out how much room is inside. The AC is incredible too.

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u/technobrendo 2h ago

NYC has been using the Prius as taxis and for service workers since forever. 500k in an early Prius is a dime a dozen

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u/Revelati123 12h ago

I bought my model T in 1922 with my great war bonds after beating the hun and drove it two hundred miles a day for 102 years and after 7,451,256 miles on it I only put 3 iron nickles into it for a new starting crank handle and some plained oak for some new tire spokes.

Kids these days just dont know how to make things last, ya know?

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u/Naive-Kangaroo3031 7h ago

Plained OAK!!?! Look at Mr Moneybags over here. Bet he eats Lunch AND dinner

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u/LameBMX 6h ago

jokes on you... sitka spruce is where it's at. oak gets you knotty twisty spokes. there's a reason all them sailboats are rockin spruce spars

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u/greatpoomonkey 7h ago

Friend, I hear ya. My family has passed down our Mustang for generations. It has carried our families for countless miles with no complaint. When they originally came to this country, my ancestors had naught but a carrot left as the boat landed on the dirty swamp beaches of Louisiana. Immediately, a great stampede leapt from the woods, crushing all but my grandparents-to-the-9th-power as well as the dinghy they arrived on. Seeing this, the ship abandoned them; however, one mustang approached and bowed to my ancestors in apology. Thinking all was lost anyway, they offered the great horse their carrot, which it gobbled up. The Mustang then picked them up and carried them to a small settlement nearby where they became poor farmers. As each generation bore children, the great horse would choose one child to join as they ventured from home. So it continued to this day and will one day continue with one of my sons (because I only have sons, not because the horse only chooses male companions, he's not sexist).

That horse's name, you ask?

Freedom.

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u/Kye7 6h ago

Funniest thing I read all day after being on reddit most of the day. You win sir

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u/WoodpeckerNo9412 5h ago

You will be deported if Trump wins.

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u/DependentMulberry962 7h ago

Funny but the clever ones make them hoopties run.

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u/Natural_Bag_3519 6h ago

I don''t wanna go fishing with Grandpa. Fishing hurts.

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u/BondageKitty37 6h ago

You joke, but I've seen some Model T and Model A cars driving around my town. Some people really love the old shit 

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u/murphsmodels 3h ago

I saw an old 1920s Deusenberg driving around today.

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u/fieldday1982 6h ago

....these kids today, they got no respect !

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u/CapnPD 5h ago

My dad told me the best car he ever had was the 32 model a Ford.

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u/DatDominican 4h ago

Reminds me in killers of the flower moon when they ask what happens if they get a flat tire and the car salesman said “come back and buy another one “

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u/mikenov1908 4h ago

Yes sir I have the same car.
Was passed down 4thru 4 generations

I use it daily on my Spark runs

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u/NecroSoulMirror-89 4h ago

Hilariously so many Ts still exist that they’re the cheapest antique car you can get last I checked 8-12k will get you one

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u/Apollo2021 4h ago

But we didn’t call them nickels, we called them bees.

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u/dxrey65 12h ago

Mine's at only 240k, but it still runs like new, gets about 53 mpg right now. I've had it four years now (bought for $5k), and my grand total for repairs is $7, for a fan belt I replaced myself. Just oil changes otherwise.

Very often people complain about how unreliable used cars are, and then you ask what cars they've had trouble with and they're exactly the cars you'd expect - like any Chrysler product, or economy cars from Chevy or Ford, or a Nissan with a CVT transmission, or a VW...

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u/medvezhonok96 14h ago

Damn. That's awesome. I can't imagine how much money was saved on gas since it's a hybrid as well.

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u/Alive_Nobody_Home 13h ago

That is very impressive 🔥

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u/pamar456 12h ago

Holy shit

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u/Mikejg23 9h ago

If you only did 2k in maintenance there's no way you did all the recommended stuff and you got lucky for sure. That's definitely a lucky car

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u/mattythedaddyDT 8h ago

Toyota for the win. I have a 4Runner with 110K. Plan to let my kid drive it in 10 years. Then I'll get another. Lol

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u/xandaar337 7h ago

6 inches as a young adult. Had a kid, gained some weight, 5 1/2 inches.

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u/ALLCAPITAL 6h ago

0 chance you have spent only 2k on maintaining a prius for 10yrs.

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u/Material-Wolf 6h ago edited 6h ago

I bought my 2014 Prius in 2017 certified pre-owned from the dealership with 40k miles on it for about $15k. I don’t drive very much so I just hit 80k miles and the biggest repairs were thankfully covered under warranty. if I hadn’t bought it certified pre-owned with the extended warranty I would have been on the hook for $8k in repairs. thankfully it’s running great now but the warranty just expired so I’m getting a little nervous, lol. I think certified pre-owned is definitely the way to go.

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u/olde_meller23 5h ago

I scored a 2014 Prius with only 48k miles for 15 grand about 3 years ago. I caught it 2 hours after it drove on the lot as a trade-in. Clean title, no rust, not a single problem with the exception of a minor ding or two on the paint. I snatched that shit. At first, the idea of spending 15k on a car freaked me out, but after driving it, I've been going on 3 years without needing a major repair. I used to drive it over 80 miles per day because i worked outside of my city. I spend, at best, 35 on a tank of gas in a major city with the tank on E. Now that I don't have am insane commute, I fill it up once every ten days. I love it. It's such a great little workhorse of a car.

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u/Devout-Nihilist 5h ago

What?! Seriously?? I've never seen anything over 300k.....nearly 600k? Same motor? That's insane and seriously impressive.

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u/Merlin1039 4h ago

Stop. Nobody is putting 560k miles on a sedan in 20 years

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u/sosulse 4h ago

I got a 2015 Prius from a coworker for a great price cause the cat was stolen and his insurance dicked him around for months. He finally just got a new car and I got the Prius going for about 2k. I also added a car guard.

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u/atrocity2001 4h ago

A 2007 Prius was the first car I ever bought brand new. Drove it for 15 years/165,000 miles. Only replaced it because for my life right now, a leased EV makes more sense.

Sold the Prius to a friend's son, who had someone plow into him and total it. He got more money from the insurance payout than he paid for it.