Prius-my opinion- My feelings after 4-5k miles (negative) sorry.

I agree w/most of the above, but at the same time, although the OP's car won't change, it is possible that the next gen Prius will address some of his issues, due to his feedback (unlikely) or more likely, due to the same feedback on certain points echoed by many others.

The Prius obviously isn't for everyone and by the same note, neither are Audis. I'd personally be wary of buying cars from a car maker w/a so-so to lousy rep for reliability (VW, although the Audi brand tends to be better) w/high maintenance and repair costs.

I didn't catch (or missed) what Audi model the OP had, but the cheapest Audi stickers starting at $27,270 and goes all they up to the starting price of $147K. It's not an apples to apples comparison. Of course, you're getting more in a certain department and they chose to focus on certain things, just not fuel economy nor emissions.

 

Audi/VW has gone back and forth on "free maintenance", over the years. Per the table at http://www.edmunds.com/media/advice...nce.programs/free.maintenance.spreadsheet.gif which comes from Free Vehicle Maintenance Programs: How They Compare -- Edmunds.com and confirmed at Audi of America > Owners > Warranty and Insurance > Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Regardless of whether or not it's "free", you still have to pay for it once the period is over and it comes from somewhere, namely it's included in the price of the car. Money doesn't grow on trees.

Years ago, no Japanese nor American automakers gave "free" maintenance and it was limited to luxury automakers such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes (who ditched it awhile ago).

 

From what the op's posts we can now determine that he's a reckless driver who know nothing about proper driving, proper maintenance and proper road manners, not to mention proper chat room manners.
He propably hit a curb and messed up his wheels alignment and still doesn't know and that's why his car vibrates and wobbles at higher speeds. Instead of finding out what went wrong on his part, he goes telling the whole world that it's the car's or somebody else's fault. I'm sure he's the same type of drivers who'll step on the gas paddle mistakenly instead of the brake paddle and blames the car for uncontrolable accelerations.

Ranting in the Prius forum about how bad it is comparing with his previous luxurious car is like buying a house and visiting all the neibours criticising the whole streets of houses' bad design, bad workmanship, bad decor, bad value and so on comparing with his previous 6 million dollar mansion. It's like saying, "You poor sods, how can you live in thes low class shi* holes. They look so bad, smell so bad!"

What's "Look so bad and smell so bad" is his own personality

 

I was very surprised with the number of respondants who said the II and II was junk. What most impressed me about my II was it's build and quality of materials, they way it drove, the room and the way it felt overall. I am not a fan of leather. If you want junk, check out Hyundai, Kia, and Chevrolet. I did.

 

Purchasing any car, new or used, is a combination of needs, wants, and compromise. Apparently the OP didn't do his due diligence prior to purchasing the Prius II, especially when his previous car was an Audi. That being said, perhaps he is now trying to justify a poor decision by ranting on this message board under the guise of "this is just my opinion."

Fine, we understand. Time to move on...

 

Many people are incapable of judging a car other than by it's bells and whistles and shiny bits.

 

Try a 17 hour drive , I think I need a nice pair of driving gloves

 

You must have the equivalent of a III with Solar Roof. Yeah, it must suck but there are posters here who've installed aftermarket leather wraps. While not as nice looking as factory, it's better than nothing.

 

Same here. The car drives great up to the 85mph that I have taken it. Its no worse (in terms of stability) than my Acura TSX. If your car has vibrations or feels wobbly, it'd be a good idea to get the alignment checked, you might have hit a pothole or something.

 

Thanks to the OP for and interesting thread.

If your car feels unstable, as pointed out by others, I think it needs an alignment which is free from Toyota for the first year/12K miles. This is my second Prius but my previous car was a very good E46 BMW with sport suspension package and this Prius is every bit as stable at highway speeds and above as the BMW. I am one of those fools who went 115 MPH (by speedometer, 112 actual) and I was surprised at how stable the Prius felt at that speed, the aerodynamics seem to work well and the car did not have the light in the front end feeling I expected.

I agree the interior plastics are cheap and poorly assembled compared to an up scale car such as an Audi or a Lexus and the seats are not as good as the BMW but they are better than the seats in my Gen2 Prius were. The PriusV which I have is not a bargain at $34K MSRP, and it isn't a sport sedan. But it is a good highway or around town car that delivers better mileage than you will get with any other normal car. It's a lot of fun to drive if you have the right attitude and (I hope) trouble free for a lot of miles.

I suspect the OP had the wrong idea about Prius ownership and driving, It's a hybrid and requires a different driving style and different set of expectations.

My recommendation would be to sell the Prius and go back to an Audi or try a Lexus. Stay away from BMW unless you want a car without a dip stick that has no spare tire and uses run flat tires that frequently don't run when flat.

 

You gotta be kiddin me. Appreciate the Prius for what it is. I came from luxury cars. Mercedes S, Lexus GS, Porsche 928. In fact I traded in my lo mile Lexus GS for a Prius in 07. Gas was around 3.50 if memory serves.

I was not expecting the same experience in the Prius as the Lexus Duhhhh. Fact is the difference in fuel cost at 1K miles per week meant the Prius was essentially FREE.

That's right FREE, The Lexus GS got about 20-25 MPG on premium I got 45+ out of my Gen 2 on regular.

My Lexus was a substantial down payment on the Gen 2, the fuel savings made the payment on the Prius thanks to Toyota's 2.9 rate.

Fast forward three years my Gen. 2 was totaled out in front of the house with 77K trouble free miles. I did my research as always, and decided a new Prius V with ATP would be ideal for my road warrior ways

I am 100% tickled with the new one. The Gen. 3 has resolved most all the small issues I had with my Gen. 2, finally, decent sat. radio reception, more power, more room, and much better handling. Quieter too, Toyota hit it out of the park with the Gen. 3 I'm a very happy camper!!!!

However I do understand that one cannot compare apples and potatoes. I do miss tearing up a back road with the GS, the power and it's RWD manners are missed. As is the quiet and composed feel at 90 MPH. The Gen.3 gave me some of that back. In fact I think of my new one as a mini-Lexus, it's that good.

 

Major maintenance starts after 4 or 5 years anyway. The first 4 years can be DIY stuffs. It is a sound good little marketing trick really.

Suggestion to the OP, take it back to the dealer and get it fixed. Also test drive V with 17" wheels. I think that model is suitable for ppl like OP.

After the "free" maintenance, they become the ultimate maintenance machines.

 

Same here. I had a 2010 RX350 loaner and checked out the 2010 IS convertible in the service showroom and was shocked at how much vinyl vs. leather they had compared to our 2007 RX350. They and the Prius with leather have the same vinyl on the underside and back of seats as well as the back of headrests. Definitely a downgrade from the Lexus of a few years ago and it's essentially no different from the current Prius. Other than the ride quality/road noise, crappy NAV display and interior plastics that scratch a little too easily due to carelessness, the V with ATP is essentially a modern Lexus in terms of construction.

 

Your '07 RX has vinyl on the sides and backs of the seats as well, the only leather in that vehicle is the seating surfaces, steering wheel, and armrest. Lexus has never had entirely leather seats, the backs and sides have always been a high grade vinyl.

While I agree with you Lexus has taken steps backwards in terms of material quality, the materials are much nicer in any 2010 Lexus interior than in the Prius. The 2010 Prius really has some terrible interior plastics, carpeting, and trim.

To the OP, I just don't see your point. Your statement is that the Prius is not as high quality a car as your Audi...well no duh. It costs half what your Audi probably cost, and is built for a different purpose. Compare the Prius to what it competes with, a Honda Civic, a Honda Insight, etc and you'll find it pretty comparable. Don't like how it drives? Why didn't you drive it before you bought it? Again...not a german engineered Autobahn cruiser. The Prius is perfectly stable and safe at any and all highway speeds...70...80...90 its fine. Is it going to be as stable as your Audi? No. If you have never owned an Audi would you care? No.

In terms of reliability, there's just no contest. I had tires put on the old Lexus one time I had ordered from TireRack at a VW/Audi shop. I was talking with the guy and he said the reason he chose VW & Audi to specialize in was that they needed so much more repair than any of the other German marques or Luxury marques and he told me specifically...to never buy an Audi, only drive one during the manufacturer's warranty. Given my and my family's experience with VW (worst ever with any carmaker) I don't disagree.

They are beautiful, well built, very attractive cars I will give you that...but too much maintenance for me.

As for "Higher end cars are definately worth it", that depends on the person. Its like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. But, if you asked my wife what she wanted to drive, her 6 year old 65k mile $26,000 Prius, or my brand new $45,000 Lexus...she would say the Prius and its true. She never tries to drive the Lexus, she likes her Prius. I hate the Prius honestly, but its different strokes for different folks.

So don't dillude yourself into thinking people who drive less expensive cars than you want but can't have what you have. Often...they can have what you have...just don't want it or care.

 

Yes, I know about the backs but it's a hard back high grade vinyl that nobody will mistake for leather. In the 2nd generation RX330/350, there's no soft vinyl on the underside but plastic below the leather seat bucket. Again, they're not designed to be disguised as leather. The entire headrest is covered in leather. In contrast, the 2010 RX350 and IS have soft vinyl covering on the undersides and backs (including the back of headrests) and they feel just as cheap as the vinyl in the 2010 Prius. The plastics are of course better in the Lexus but you can't say the same about the leather interior anymore, especially now they're using color-matched lower grade vinyl disguised as leather rather than high grade plastics and hard back vinyl.

I hate the feeling of the obvious difference when running my hand over leather then soft vinyl, especially given I normally rest my right hand on the passenger headrest.

 

What type of Audi did you drive (year and model), it might help people understand your disappointment with the Prius.

To be honest, the car is unsafe to drive after 60 mph. It feels clanky, and too light the car shakes in the freeway when u drive over 60 mph.

Have your alignment checked. It might have been banged around in transport. Do it for the peace of mind of having checked, that's why Toyota offers a free alignment in the first year. Take advantage of it! It may resolve this issue.

1) I experienced sudden acceleration when i was braking over an uneven road (minor but still... this is 2010... on a hybrid which is sposed to be the leader in technology)

There is a phenomena when using the regenerative braking and hitting an uneven surface that will cause your rate of deceleration to change for a split second. You will need to adjust your driving style to compensate for this.


2) The nasty plastic car/chair smell never goes away even with driving it over 6 months. Makes my shirt smell like plastic or gasoline. Its bad. But i went to bed bath n beyond and got a nice freshener.

The "new car smell" on my car is gone after 6 months. I miss it, even though I know the outgassing is not very healthy for you.

3) The inside is all made out of cheap junk. Plastic plastic on and plastic!
4) the steering wheel sucks and feels like sandpaper.

Have you thought about going to a junk yard and purchasing a leather wrapped steering wheel from a totaled 2010 Prius IV or V?

I didn't like the steering wheel either( I agree it feels like sandpaper), and I didn't like the cloth seats. Which is why I got a package IV. Better supporting seats and I love my leather wrapped steering wheel.

5) handling sucks due to steering wheel and small tires.

After market wheels. You can choose the size and get some nice tires to boot! There are some great photos on this site of folks who have upgraded their wheels. I'm sorely tempted at times.....

6)the seatbelt beep is a headache! one of the many worst things abt this car. Reverse beep is less of a stressor but still is.

I had the dealership change the reverse beep and seat belt reminder settings when I got my first oil change. It was free. Just ask!

1) it looks decent. The design is good. chair space, trunk, inside spacious.

Amen. I got this car because I could fit 4 adults in it (which my family will be over the next 10 years, I wanted a car I could grow into.

2) Gas mileage. Just filled up twice going from LA to SF. $40. took me 5 and a half hours. (Fast for a prius)

I'm getting nearly 60 mpg. This car is great!

3) Woops con again- I felt the miles driving the prius from la to SF, just because stepping on the gas is a pain . car cant accelerate much, until it drops

Cruise control? Use it! My goodness, for a multi hundred mile commute get yourself up to speed and set the cruise control.

4) back to pros- Its a decent city car. Long distance and high speeds is tiring and dangerous. the car is so unstable at high speeds.

It is a great all around car. The tiring aspect can be alleviated somewhat by using cruise control. What did you do for long trips in your Audi?

The instability may be addressed with an alignment (FREE). If not, you might try new tires (that will definitely help) or even new tires and rims.

As others have said, my car doesn't have "stability" issues. Well, a good crosswind on the high rise of the San Mateo bridge will give me an adrenaline rush, but it's done that with ALL my cars I've driven, they aren't designed for cross wind performance.

It sounds like you are having "buyers remorse" with your Prius. Did you lease or buy it? I'd say, if you have the cash, get your Audi. If you want better advice, wait until the economy recovers and gas prices increase!!!! You'll be able to get a lot more money for your Prius and if the Audi you want consumes a ton of gas, you'll be able to buy it for a reduced price (BUY LOW, SELL HIGH!)

Good luck!

 

Its just a difference in styling too, the hard back seat look has been replaced with a softer, more organic looking design. The finish on all the plastics and vinyl is new also, and isn't supposed to really look like leather. No idea why they did that...but they did. In the previous car the headrest design had the same piece of material loop all the way around the headrest which is why it was leather on the back, the new design has a different style.

I mean...the leather is unquestionably more supple and higher quality than the leather in the Prius, theres just no comparison. They made trim changes in the 2010 ES that I think made a huge difference...personally I wouldn't have bought an 07-09 ES because of interior quality issues.

The whole interior design scheme for both Lexus and Toyota is completely different after 2007 or so. Those of us who are used to the old look and feel just have to adjust I suppose.

I have really grown to love the interior of my ES350.

 

That I agree with. The leather itself is definitely better but you can't say the same about the new low grade soft vinyl. I try not to touch the back of the headrest in the Prius anymore.

 

Well, OP seems to be wrong on how much "free" maintenance Audi provides now. It's apparently even less than what Toyota provides for "free".

Given his posts, I seriously doubt he'd want another Prius, 17" wheels or not.

He should get his alignment checked and he's entitled to his opinion, even though most of us think it's not a fair comparison. The Prius was never intended to be nor compete w/luxury cars. In the same way no Audis sold in the US have combined mileage nor greenhouse gas emissions in the league of the Prius, Audis overall have an inferior reliability record vs. Toyota/Lexus and no base Audis sell for base Prius prices.

Also, one thing that occurred to me is the California "Basic Speed Law" (California Driver Handbook Speed Limits). Some quotes from there:

Granted, we already established that virtually nobody drives a passenger car on I-5 between the Bay Area and LA at the speed limit (everyone's speeding), let's step back. Attempting to go no faster than the limit there could in itself be dangerous (from all the cars zooming up behind you) in conjunction w/having to pass RVs, big rigs, vehicles towing something w/o breaking the speed limit.

But, if the OP feels the Prius is dangerous at high speed, then he's violating the other part of the "basic speed law".