Is Prius the car for me?

I'll be brief also...
NO. Stick with the Highlander.

 

Test drive it. Rent it for a week and see how it goes. Could make or break the deal.

 

As Bob64 stated - rent it for a week and see how it feels for you. Seating is a personal feel / choice. Good luck.

 

As other have stared, you really have to make that decision on your own, but I may be able to offer some insight... My wife also has a bad back, and she found great relief going from an Acura TL to a Honda CR-V, mainly because of the seating position. In the SUV she steps down as she exits the vehicle and is a more upright sitting position (more like a chair), when in the Acura, she had to get up out of the seat due to the car being lower to the ground, and the sitting position was more reclined (legs out in front more). So, depending on what give you individual comfort/discomfort, the decision to stick with an SUV and the more upright seating position may be best. If you do find the Prius equally comfortable, I recommend going with the IV or V due to the lumbar support that is missing from the II and III...

 

don't do it! you'll live to regret it.

 

i'm pretty close to your build and i also have lower back trouble. i have found the Prius to be quite comfortable. seat backs are good, plenty of leg and head room. go drive a new one and see. i will say that i didn't feel as good in the gen II prius because the seat seemed to dig into my rib cage a little.

 

Bill,

Only you can answer that. Go sit and test drive one. When I did, I made sure to adjust the driver's seat the way I would have it, and then go sit in the back seat...see how much leg room it has. Kind of remarkable, if you ask me.

I'm 6'3", and about 250#. No bad back, however. I have no problems driving it every day in my lengthy commute.

It has a ton of amenities, so it all depends what you are looking for. It does not have power seats (except for the lumbar support), or memory for the seat position...so if that's one of the amenities that's important to you, then know the Prius does not have it. But outside of that, it has a lot of features.

 

Bob,

Some (a lot) of what you perceive as being negative towards the Prius, is actually cynicism directed at posters with questions like yours.

If you monitor this site for very long, you will see a host of posters with questions like, "what color should I get?", "Is the Prius right for me?", or "what model is best for me?". Questions that CLEARLY can only be answered by the person starting the thread.

 

actually his name is Bill. you had it right in post 9. not sure who Bob is in post 10.

Bill, I think the issue is that some people are just that way. I've noticed in my short time on this board that there's a wide variety of people. But there are some level-headed folks on here too. pretty easy going and friendly.

as far as questions some see as silly, the color thing is kinda silly i agree, but describing your situation and asking prius people if they think the car will agree with your situation is not out of line in my book. that's sort of the right thing to do actually. take advantage of the information and opinions from the people who know. good luck, and definitely take a couple of rides.

 

I'm 6' and 220, with a bad back, and I absolutely love to drive to drive the Prius. I do 5 hours stints regularly and arrive feeling better than perhaps in any other car I've owned, in part because of the cool tehcnology that keeps me occupied on the road.

One thing that no one has mentioned is the height adjustment for the drivers seat. Makes getting in and out a snap. However, raising the seat makes the left arm rest is a bit low, be advised.

 

My bad. Then Bill it is.

I'm not going to be critical of anyone asking any question. But with that said, and realistically speaking, any advice Bill is likely to get on an internet chat board regarding whether a particular car is "right for him", is, IMO, "silly". The only way he will be able to honestly and more accurately assess whether Prius is right for him was already suggest - rent the car for a week and try it out.

IMO, consulting this web site to seek answers regarding techical issues, driving opinions, how to get better gas mileage, asking for advice on some nagging problem they have with their prius...or just finding out what people like/dislike about THEIR prii...makes good sense. But asking for opinions about what people think might be right for someone else, well, is like my wife asking me whether a particular pair of shoes she has, are too tight for her to wear. How would I know??

No offense, Bill. Go forth and try it. That's your answer.

 

Hi Bob/Bill

Even though you're not asking for it I HAVE TO tell you about cloth or leather. I op for leather with LUMBAR SUPPORT because I have bad back too. Without this feature I wouldn't be driving a Prius. No matter how good the value the Prius is but if I'm not comfortable then it's no value to me.

If you op for cloth may I suggest you get after market mod to the driver seating. I think it's absolutely money well spent if you have bad back.

 

Hi Bob,

I agree with this post. I needed the lumbar support for my nagging back. I am coming from a Murano and G35 and find the Prius to be a great vehicle but it does have its limitations. As far as comfort, I believe most folks find it very comfortable. What I did is, I took multiple long test drives and had a good idea how it felt in comparison to my Murano or G35. I was and still am very ahppy with the comfort of the seats (to be clear I have leather).

I also agree, that there are also some wiseasses on this forum. For the most part there are lots of helpful folks as well, so just ignore the idiots and embrace the other folks who are here to be helpful and not be unfairly critical.

Good luck in your decision.

Anthony

 

If this is your question: " Will a Prius afford me the comfort and amenities that I need and have been used to in my Highlander? "

Then the only possible answer is as far as amenities? I have no idea what you have in your Highlander BUT a Prius can be equipped very nicely depending on what you want to spend or desire...a quick look at Toyota's Website can show you exactly what amenities are available.

As far as personal comfort with specific personal back problems? Again how can anyone answer that for you? Comfort even without back injury or surgery is often subjective. Given you do have these issues the best answer probably is to rent a Prius and live with it for a while, or at least long enough to know how it feels.

Is Prius the car for you? You haven't illuminated any specific reasons why it couldn't be, BUT only you can decide if it is.

PS.
Good Luck with the surgery and recovery. Yep, just waiting to see how that all shakes out might be your first step.