Am I Doing The Right Thing

[Soarersan]

Afternoon all, new member and first time poster here.

My wife's car (99 Megane) packed it in last night. Timing belt went, and the car's not worth getting fixed. Shame really, as it's been reliable and only had 55k miles on the clock!

Anyways, since that's now gone (and she's expecting our first child in October), we've decided to push the boat out and buy a good/safe/economical family car. I'm a Toyota man at heart, so I automatically thought of the Prius.

Here in the Emerald Isle though, the !Removed! things are a rip-off! 05 Prius' over here range in price from €15000 to €20000!

So my only other option is to by in the UK, and bring it home.

I found one that seems to fit the bill.

It a 05 T-Spirit in that lovely Titanium grey colour. One company owner from new, with a full Toyota Service History from new. She looks mint in the pictures, but I'll not base everything on them. The garage is looking for £8500.

The only problem that I can see with the car is that it has 87000 "motorway miles". :(

So I guess ye know what I'm gonna ask next!

Is a Prius good for this kinda mileage? Mechanical engine I'm not too worried about as any 5/8's mechanic could work on that. But what's the story with the Battery? I've read about there being an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the electrical side of things. Does that mean that the battery's liable to go not long after the 100,000?

Sorry if all these seem like stupid questions, but this is a not insignificant amount of money for us to be paying for a car, and I want to make sure we're doing the right thing. It'd break my heart (and wallet) if it started acting up after we bought it! It'll need to last approx. 5 years at an average of around 12k miles per year.

Thanks ahead of time.

Soarersan.

Edit: I forgot the ? in the heading. Sorry!

[japnut]

Afternoon all, new member and first time poster here.

My wife's car (99 Megane) packed it in last night. Timing belt went, and the car's not worth getting fixed. Shame really, as it's been reliable and only had 55k miles on the clock!

Anyways, since that's now gone (and she's expecting our first child in October), we've decided to push the boat out and buy a good/safe/economical family car. I'm a Toyota man at heart, so I automatically thought of the Prius.

Here in the Emerald Isle though, the !Removed! things are a rip-off! 05 Prius' over here range in price from €15000 to €20000!

So my only other option is to by in the UK, and bring it home.

I found one that seems to fit the bill.

It a 05 T-Spirit in that lovely Titanium grey colour. One company owner from new, with a full Toyota Service History from new. She looks mint in the pictures, but I'll not base everything on them. The garage is looking for £8500.

The only problem that I can see with the car is that it has 87000 "motorway miles". :(

So I guess ye know what I'm gonna ask next!

Is a Prius good for this kinda mileage? Mechanical engine I'm not too worried about as any 5/8's mechanic could work on that. But what's the story with the battery? I've read about there being an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the electrical side of things. Does that mean that the battery's liable to go not long after the 100,000?

Sorry if all these seem like stupid questions, but this is a not insignificant amount of money for us to be paying for a car, and I want to make sure we're doing the right thing. It'd break my heart (and wallet) if it started acting up after we bought it! It'll need to last approx. 5 years at an average of around 12k miles per year.

Thanks ahead of time.

Soarersan.

Edit: I forgot the ? in the heading. Sorry!

welcome to the site . i dont know much about the prius but how many mpg do they do and are they really worth all that money

[Chris Dance]

I was in Ireland recently and Toyota seems to be a very popular car particularly the Avensis.

The Prius is a great car. 87,000 seems a lot of miles to me but the engine works differently to normal car engines and is more efficient as it works on the Atkinson Cycle. The electrics are warranted as you say and I have not heard of any problems with the electrics. If you check the recent posts on this forum you will read about the 2004 model SAT/NAV screen problem. ???

I can advise you on the particular car you have outlined but I can tell you the prius is a good car and is easy to drive. I have seen some 2005 models for sale on the internet with less mileage. I hope you get a good Prius. Good luck in your search.

Chris.

[Soarersan]

@japnut : Thanks for the welcome.

@Chris : Thanks for the info. You're right. Toyota's are very popular over here...and why wouldn't they be?!?! ;)

Don't really understand the Atkinson Cycle, so I'll not ask any questions! :P

Like you say, 87k miles is a lot. That's the only thing that's putting doubt in my mind about this particular car.

I know I said the electrics are warranted, but is it for 8 years or 100,000? If I buy this car and do my usual mileage, will the warranty be up in 12 months when I pass 100k miles, or will it keep going until 2013 (8 years from new)?

And finally, if it's not against forum rules, can you point me in the direction of those other '05's you seen? The only UK car site I know of is autotrader. :(

Thanks.

Soarersan.

[Chris Dance]

Soarersan,

Here is the info on the Atkinson cycle it was given in a previous thread on this forum. Here is the link.

http://www.keveney.com/Atkinson.html

Check with the dealer on the warranty side of things before you buy get it clearly stated IN WRITING what is covered and till when.

Yes I do think 80.000 miles is a lot and it is my humple opinion you may find a Prius with lower mileage. Search the web;

Here is a link you can try:

http://www.motors.co.uk/

Put in what you want to buy etc. Be careful who you buy from. Toyota dealers are usually very good.

There are many such links on the internet. Put in "used cars 2005 Toyota Prius" in the Google Search you will find many links come up.

Good car hunting. Chris.

[JonFB]

...I know I said the electrics are warranted, but is it for 8 years or 100,000?

My understanding is that the Battery is warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles, i.e. whichever happens sooner.

Not sure what happens to us all once we get beyond that, as presumeably the batteries will be horrendously expensive to replace.

[fuel miser]

Afternoon all, new member and first time poster here.

My wife's car (99 Megane) packed it in last night. Timing belt went, and the car's not worth getting fixed. Shame really, as it's been reliable and only had 55k miles on the clock!

Anyways, since that's now gone (and she's expecting our first child in October), we've decided to push the boat out and buy a good/safe/economical family car. I'm a Toyota man at heart, so I automatically thought of the Prius.

Here in the Emerald Isle though, the !Removed! things are a rip-off! 05 Prius' over here range in price from €15000 to €20000!

So my only other option is to by in the UK, and bring it home.

I found one that seems to fit the bill.

It a 05 T-Spirit in that lovely Titanium grey colour. One company owner from new, with a full Toyota Service History from new. She looks mint in the pictures, but I'll not base everything on them. The garage is looking for £8500.

The only problem that I can see with the car is that it has 87000 "motorway miles". :(

So I guess ye know what I'm gonna ask next!

Is a Prius good for this kinda mileage? Mechanical engine I'm not too worried about as any 5/8's mechanic could work on that. But what's the story with the battery? I've read about there being an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the electrical side of things. Does that mean that the battery's liable to go not long after the 100,000?

Sorry if all these seem like stupid questions, but this is a not insignificant amount of money for us to be paying for a car, and I want to make sure we're doing the right thing. It'd break my heart (and wallet) if it started acting up after we bought it! It'll need to last approx. 5 years at an average of around 12k miles per year.

Thanks ahead of time.

Soarersan.

Edit: I forgot the ? in the heading. Sorry!

Hi Soarersan, if you've not got fixed up with anything, and you have no vehicle to trade in, why not try buying one at auction? If you read the 'have I got a problem or not?' thread you'll see I've just bought one that way, and saved myself about a couple of thousand on what I'd have paid a dealer for it. Although it may transpire (when I've time to get to a Toyota garage with it) that I have, I suspect, a problem with the driveshafts on the one I've bought, I'm not unduly worried because I still have about 10 months/10,000 miles of Toyota warranty left on the car. You'll get a Prius two years old, with 30-40,000 less miles for just a few hundred more than you are thinking of paying for that T Spirit. Also remember that the Toyota warranty will have expired (except for the 8 year/100k battery/motor components), and the warranties second hand dealers provide are pretty restrictive. I doubt if one would cover my problem, for example, because they have all sorts of exceptions and get-out clauses, I'm sure they would state my case would be just normal wear and tear. Don't worry about the electric side of the Prius, there are well documented reports of examples in Canada covering over 250,000 miles without problems.

I've looked on line and you even have a couple of auction houses over there, Merlin and TVD are two I found. Most for sale are ex lease cars and well looked after with full history, and only had one driver. You can even register, as I did on paying a small fee, and view the full details of cars coming up for sale. Just remember the commission and admin fees charged on top, and don't get carried away. Also be aware that they sometimes have 'closed' sales which the public cannot attend. If you want any more help or advice on buying by this method feel free to ask me. Best of luck with your search.

[Soarersan]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

@ fuel miser : Don't think I could go the auction route. I'm a big chicken at heart! We've set our hearts on that T-Spirit, so I should be jumping on a plane to go collect it in the next few days. :D

If I can pick your/ye're brains for another small while.....

1. Would a 2005 T-Spirit have reversing sensors/"Park Assist" as standard?

2. How big is the boot? Since we've getting a new arrival in October, herself is worried that there'll be enough room in the boot for a buggy, etc.

Thanks again guys.

[fuel miser]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

@ fuel miser : Don't think I could go the auction route. I'm a big chicken at heart! We've set our hearts on that T-Spirit, so I should be jumping on a plane to go collect it in the next few days. :D

If I can pick your/ye're brains for another small while.....

1. Would a 2005 T-Spirit have reversing sensors/"Park Assist" as standard?

2. How big is the boot? Since we've getting a new arrival in October, herself is worried that there'll be enough room in the boot for a buggy, etc.

Thanks again guys.

I'm not sure about the parking sensors (my 2006 T4 hasn't got them), I think park assist was available on the 2007 model onwards.

The boot space is 408 litres with rear seat and load cover in place. By coincidence, that is identical to the boot space in my previous car, a BMW 5 series touring. Unusually, Toyota don't quote a carrying capacity for the Prius with the seats folded down, but I think it will compare well with a Mondeo/Vectra/Laguna sized hatchback.

[don21]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

@ fuel miser : Don't think I could go the auction route. I'm a big chicken at heart! We've set our hearts on that T-Spirit, so I should be jumping on a plane to go collect it in the next few days. :D

If I can pick your/ye're brains for another small while.....

1. Would a 2005 T-Spirit have reversing sensors/"Park Assist" as standard?

2. How big is the boot? Since we've getting a new arrival in October, herself is worried that there'll be enough room in the boot for a buggy, etc.

Thanks again guys.

Hi Soaresen,

I suspect the car you are looking at is the same one I have been looking to buy.It is in Liverpool near the Airport if it is the same.It does not have reverse parking but all those other T Spirit toys are really nice and I had set my heart on it.We do not however seem to be able to come to an agreement over what my part ex is worth.

I rather suspect the dealer has a few punters on the go and will do the best deal he can manage.I have no problem with that he is after all in business to make money not to give things away.

The boot on the Prius is not as big as say an Avensis due to the space the batteries take up but more than big enough for buggy etc.

If you are lucky enough to buy this car good luck and many happy miles of motoring to you.

Might want to put a deposit on it to secure it though.

[Chris Dance]

A normal sized buggy will go in the boot no problem but the seats go down to give room for the BIGGEST child carriage. My 57 T spirit has a reversing camera but not reversing sensors.

Hope you get the car. Let us know how you get on. Ours is a joy to drive and so eay to handle.

[don21]

A normal sized buggy will go in the boot no problem but the seats go down to give room for the BIGGEST child carriage. My 57 T spirit has a reversing camera but not reversing sensors.

Hope you get the car. Let us know how you get on. Ours is a joy to drive and so eay to handle.

Thanks Chris,

This is making me feel even better about missing out on my Prius :( :( :( .Kidding of course hope he loves it.There are lots of cars out there and I am sure I will find mine.

[Soarersan]

Once again, thanks for all the info guys. Tis good to know about the bootsize.

@don21 : Yeah, that sounds like the same car. What did you think of it? Condition/etc.? Did you manage to get any money off the listed price? He offered me a few quid, but not enough to cover flight and ferry! :(

I obviously haven't seen it "in the flesh", so to get someone's opinion that has seen it would be a great help.

I'm actually planning on putting a deposit on it tonight/tomorrow. I'm trying to get the sterling organised (stupid currency! :P ).

[don21]

Once again, thanks for all the info guys. Tis good to know about the bootsize.

@don21 : Yeah, that sounds like the same car. What did you think of it? Condition/etc.? Did you manage to get any money off the listed price? He offered me a few quid, but not enough to cover flight and ferry! :(

I obviously haven't seen it "in the flesh", so to get someone's opinion that has seen it would be a great help.

I'm actually planning on putting a deposit on it tonight/tomorrow. I'm trying to get the sterling organised (stupid currency! :P ).

Sorry did not actually get to see the car due to the sellers reluctance to offer a bid on mine.I got the impression he was not really interested in a part ex at all.In my last conversation with him he told me he was attempting to get an underwrite on my vehicle.BTW we are not talking about an old heap but an 04 low mileage Auto Corolla.I now know from reading this thread that he had you on the hook and of course preferred a cash deal.Also this is the second Prius I have looked at from the same dealer and both times my part ex was the stumbling block.

He did not want me to travel to see the car unless it was absolutely clear that there would be no negotiation on the price.The original bid on the first car was derisory to say the least.Anyway as I have alredy said I have no problem with that.He obviously has a desirable product he runs an internet based business with really tight margins and the way things are at the moment in the U.K he has to be really careful about the way he does business.Of course if I went to Toyota I would get a better price for my part ex.That would be offset by the huge premium Toyota dealers charge for the product they sell.What I was after was a car with a few miles on it that had suffered the worse of its depreciation.

I am under no illusions about the way the car game works and this time it was just not to be.I wish you sir good luck with your purchase and expect you to give us all an update on what a great car you have bought.

I no doubt will be pig sick reading it :( :(

Again,best of luck.

[Soarersan]

Right Don (and everyone else).

You'll be happy (or unhappy) to know that I've put a deposit on the car, and that I'm heading over tomorrow to collect it.

All I'm hoping is that the car will be reliable enough to get me home, and to give us a few months easy living before it causes problems!

Whatever Gods you guys pray to, say a few for me. This is genuinely the most nervous I've been in manys a year. As the title of this thread says "Am I Doing The Right Thing?"

[don21]

Right Don (and everyone else).

You'll be happy (or unhappy) to know that I've put a deposit on the car, and that I'm heading over tomorrow to collect it.

All I'm hoping is that the car will be reliable enough to get me home, and to give us a few months easy living before it causes problems!

Whatever Gods you guys pray to, say a few for me. This is genuinely the most nervous I've been in manys a year. As the title of this thread says "Am I Doing The Right Thing?"

Listen Soarersan,

I like you did my research as I always do on anything I buy.There are Prius taxis in Canada with over 400,000KM on them with no problems you will love the car I suspect and have many years of pleasure from it.Shame I could not do the deal.As I said though there will be another car for me somewhere.

We expect regular reports of your experience.The internet is a powerful tool and information is everything.Keep us all informed.

Also if you are feeling a little bit playful when you get there you might like to ask him why he does not like Corolla Autos as a trade in. :D :D :D

[Chris Dance]

Soarersan,

I can understand how you feel about getting your Prius. I was the same when I got mine last December. I traded in a very low mileage immaculate avensis. It was a good thing I did considering the price of petrol etc. Driving the Prius is so easy and it all you do is steer the car. I am getting 54.9 to the gallon. I am sure you and your wife will enjoy the car.

To Don, What is your price range for a Prius T Spirit. Steven Eagell Toyota at their Luton branch have a good buy but I think it is more than you wish to pay. It may have sold by now as the Prius is a much wanted car at the moment.

My neighbours son is thinking of leasing one.

Regards Chris.

[don21]

Soarersan,

I can understand how you feel about getting your Prius. I was the same when I got mine last December. I traded in a very low mileage immaculate avensis. It was a good thing I did considering the price of petrol etc. Driving the Prius is so easy and it all you do is steer the car. I am getting 54.9 to the gallon. I am sure you and your wife will enjoy the car.

To Don, What is your price range for a Prius T Spirit. Steven Eagell Toyota at their Luton branch have a good buy but I think it is more than you wish to pay. It may have sold by now as the Prius is a much wanted car at the moment.

My neighbours son is thinking of leasing one.

Regards Chris.

Thanks Chris.I think a main dealer car is out of my range.I was looking to spend about 8500 for a 3 year old one with some miles on.Prius are certainly at a premium at the moment so I suppose I will just keep my eyes open.

Talking to a friend in the trade yesterday(a salesman)and he was telling me they are struggling to shift anything over 1600cc.Our wonderful government are really helping the motor trade hey.This tax banding is going to cost a lot of jobs.

[Soarersan]

Well guys, the dirty deed is done, and you're now talking to a new Prius family member! B)

Most of my fears about the car were quashed as soon as I saw it. She's mint, and had a bundle of paperwork covering everything. What remaining fears I had were shot down once I hit the road in her. God they're such a nice car to drive!

Final price paid was £8120, which considering they're averaging over €18k on this side of the water, makes me think I've got myself a bit of a bargain.

Will give more details later. Only just back off the ferry, so I'm hanging tired.

Woohoo!!

[don21]

Great,look forward to hearing a detailed review.

[Chris Dance]

Great news soarersan. I knew you would like driving the car and if it is anything like you say you are going to have many years happy motoring in the Prius. Keep us informed on how you go on.

Regards. Chris.

[Chris Ray]

Great news, you will love the Prius!

I am doing about 3,000 mile a month in mine, and so far have not had the slightest problem, plus the first "big" service was all of £200! and i was paying £500 3 times a year for my old Jeep.

With the Tax, fuel and CC savings, I am about £300 a month s better off and got a 100% write down against my corporation tax bill this year as well, so the car is paying for itself!

Wonder what will happen though when there are more on the roads and the Government start to lose Tax, will they be so keen on the benefits then?!

Enjoy the driving

[Soarersan]

Right so, now that I'm more awake ( ;) ), I'll give some more details.

The specs of the car are what I posted in the opening post of this thread ('05 T-Spirit, 87k miles, FTSH from new, etc.) Actually, here's the link to the page, with pics, etc. Soarersan's T-Spirit

I've never been more nervous about buying a car ie. whether to break from the "norm" of petrol/diesel. And because I was buying for my wife, if I got it wrong, I'd be listening to it for the rest of my life!

So anyways, on Wednesday I jumped on the 15:50 plane from Cork to Liverpool, and an hour later, touched down at John Lennon Airport. Quick call to the seller, and he was at the airport within 10 minutes. So far, so good.

We arrived at his depot, he opened the door, and there she was in all her glory. The pictures really didn't do her justice. The two pictures he took of the marks on the body (one on the mirror, one on the front lip spoiler) weren't worth taking tbh. Hardly noticeable. She really was/is "as new".

He jumped in, started her, and started to move. It was then my heart kinda sank. Almost as soon as he started moving (and he was only crawling), the petrol engine kicked in. I was under the naive impression that it was all electric under 30mph, so I immediately thought there was a problem. He explained that the engine will kick in at any speed (even idle) if the Battery is slightly low. I took his word, jumped in, and true enough once the Battery went up a notch or two, the engine stopped. Relief all round.

Back to the office, paid the man his money, and hit the road. Had no map, so had to pull in to teach myself how to use the sat nav. Didn't take too long, selected Holyhead, and away I went. Car didn't miss a beat on the trip. Used the cruise @ 75mph, and she trundled along in virtual silence, averaging in the mid 60's. Couldn't believe what I was seeing! B)

Arrived at Holyhead with 6 hours to spare, so I'd plenty of time for reading the manuals. Did loads.

Got on the boat @ 01:45 yesterday, and at 06:00, disembarked at Dublin, and hit the road to Cork.

As I'd hoped/expected, the car didn't miss. Got halfway down, stopped in Urlingford to fill up with juice, and hit the road again. Called straight out to the parents house to show the ol' fella, let him take it for a spin, and he fell in love with it!

Finished with them, called in to the wife's office to show her, and she fell in love with it too!

Had to head to work for the afternoon, "the lads" in the office all gave it their seal of approval.

Finally, at 17:00, I arrived home after being on the go for over 24 hours. Checked the consumption from my fillup in Urlingford, and after completing 132 miles of mixed driving, she had averaged 57.9mpg!! Quite frankly astonishing from where I'm sitting.

Thought the wife to drive it when she came home, and I didn't like that at all. I felt like it was my car at that stage, but it is hers. She'd never driven an auto before, let alone a hybrid. But after a few minutes of trying to gear down coming to a stop :D , she got the hang of it and she's flying now. It did kinda tug at my heartstrings this morning when she drove away in it this morning :( .

So after all that rambling, to sum it up the car's an absolute peach. Delighted I went ahead with it, and I'm looking forward to many years of trouble free driving. So to answer my own question at the start of this thread, I firmly believe I've done the right thing!

I have a few questions and observations though, but I'll throw them into their own thread, as they'd take away from this thread.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragment you guys gave me before the purchase!! :group-cuddles:

[Chris Dance]

Soarersan,

Your wife's car looks immaculate. Thanks for telling us your experience in buying it for her. I bet your dad wants one now. You got a very good MPG it is more than I am getting. Hope to hear more about the car on this forum. we passed through Cork on our Ireland holiday but it was a coach tour. I really do wish we had gone to Ireland in our Prius.