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Unkillable, Nearly Indestructible, Battle-Tested 2009 Toyota Prius - $1,500 (Moscow)
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This is not a car; it's a transportation appliance. It has seen things. It has been places. A thousand years from now there will be just three things still moving on the Earth - cockroaches, crocodiles, and this Prius.
Mileage: 362,000 Miles. You read that right. It’s basically to the moon and halfway home. This car is old enough to vote and register for the draft. Frankly, it looks like it was drafted, and emerged deeply scarred from several battles.
The Good (The Honest Truth)
Mileage: Yes, 362,000. It's less of a mileage reading and more of a historical document. It suggests this car is essentially immortal. Two-thirds of this car’s life was spent as a 24/7 taxi in the Portland area, before it was put out to pasture on the Palouse to enjoy a relatively quiet life as an in-town car for teenagers and young adults.
Fuel Economy: It still gets the MPG of a hummingbird sipping nectar. The hybrid system is the automotive equivalent of Rasputin—it refuses to die.
A/C: Blows ice cold. This is important for surviving the existential dread of a high-mileage vehicle.
Storage: The rear hatch is large enough to hold a substantial Walmart or Winco run.
Peace of Mind. This is a car you could leave unlocked and running in a high-crime area and it would still be there, untouched, in the morning.
The Bad (The Character-Building Features)
Paint: Sun-faded like a forgotten photograph. If you like the "matte urban camouflage" look, you're in luck.
Body Damage: Has dings, dents, and 'character marks' that tell a rich, complex story of street parking and minor vehicular altercations. Specifically, the passenger side rear wheel well bears the scars of a fight with another (probably jealous) small car. That episode resulted in a salvaged title, but not the end of this car’s life on the road.
Interior: The driver's seat is contoured to the shape of a human being who has been sitting in it for 362,000 miles. It's less a seat, more a custom-molded ergonomic experience.
The Check Engine Light: It's on. It's been on. It's a mood light now. We've developed a relationship where I nod at it, and it nods back. It's not a warning; it's a companion. I think it misses me when it's off.
The Conclusion
This car is not a status symbol. It is a testament to Japanese engineering and a bold rejection of new car depreciation. It will get you from Point A to Point B, and probably to Point Z, then back to A again.
Bring cash, bring a mechanic, bring a priest. Test drives encouraged, but please, no joyrides—this car has suffered enough.
Interested parties text only to arrange to see and drive this museum piece.