Which do you prefer Gen II or Gen III?

i would call it a wash. gen III is a bit better all around, except for the flying bridge, unless you like that sort of thing. i owned two gen II's but only the pip, which is way better than anything else, so maybe i'm not qualified to comment on regular gen III.

 

First, I owned a Gen 2 and a v, so not exactly a Gen 3
Second, I would not have got a new car except a semi ran a red light, I was not dissatisfied with the Gen 2

Gen 3 Liftback under most situations is going to do 5 MPG better than Gen 2, near 60 MPH is the least change.

 

We own two gen 3 prius hatchbacks. we love them. i do still think the gen 2 looks a little bit sleeker though. i am growing a little tires of the front row space due to the center console. i think the gen 2 would fit me better.

 

I own both.

The GenIII is more comfy, quieter, better mpg, more powerful, and handles better.


image by ewxlt, on Flickr

 

Love my 2, gave it every suspension upgrade, didn't drop it, gave it 17's, but the 3 get's 10mpg's more then the 2 on it's best day, irregardless of creature comforts, 10mpg's are equivalent to what most V8's get, and heated with lumbar isn't bad.

Err, just like phones, the newer the better

 

Here is the Gen3 summary presentation from Toyota:

 

If you sometimes use Polaroid sunglasses, bring a pair along and carefully check out the dash displays. If you can live with not seeing some of them without tilting your head, the Gen III is the car for you.

I've not been back since the 2010 came out. Perhaps they've fixed it. My recollection is that the speedometer eyebrow below the windshield went totally black.

As this reflected image technology is adopted in more and more car models, we are responsible for complaining about it if we don't like it. I rotated my Polaroid clip-ons in front of the display for the sales manager and told him, 'this is a deal breaker for me.' Then I walked out.

baumgrenze

 

I love my Gen 2; tried a Gen 3 but could not handle the "flying buttress". Drove a 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid and bought it, but did not trade in my Gen 2. My wife originally wanted a Prius "V" she drove it but it sat funny (too high and she could hardly touch the pedals). She got a 2013 TCH XLE, its like driving a Prius Limo. It handles well, accelerates well and stop well. We got 42 MPG on our trip to Florida @ 70 mph. Coming home, driving 75 to 80 most of the way, got 40 mpg. This is the car that America will probably buy, because it truly is big inside and out. Plus, it is so quiet, even the proximity sound alarm can't be heard inside the car. What a vehicle! I don't drive as much as I used to so the Gen 2 serves my needs very well, it starts and runs every time and fits me like a glove. Besides, its paid for!

 

It is still a little to soon for positive evidence, but the gen3 does not appear to be as reliable as the gen2.
I prefer the outside looks of the gen3, but prefer the interior of the gen2. However these things are subjective and everyone will have there own opinion.
Economy wise the gen3 is probably better on fuel on motorways but little if any difference in the town.

John (Britrius)

 

My family has a gen 1 a gen 2 and 2 gen 3s (one prius five and one pip). The gen II is my car so I might be biased but it has the best interior. Very minimalistic and open feeling. The gen 3 def looks the best and has more comfortable seats. Also handles better. The gen 1 is the best of all. It has better handling than gen 2 and smaller so easier to park. Also doesn't look like a hybrid so more stealth. My mom gave me the gen ii and held onto her gen 1 until she bought the pip.

 

I will let you know... Fiancé is purchasing a Gen 2; I have a 2012 that we both love. I have not been in any other Prius other than mine so I am interested in seeing how the generations have evolved.

 

Be aware that the US version of the gen2 was different to the version we got here - though only slightly. They got things like rear drum brakes instead of discs and the gen2 had softer American spec suspension, whereas the UK version was 'sportier'. Infact, the US gen2 Prius Touring edition had the Euro suspension upgrade.

It appears the gen2 was over engineered and is very robust. Ask the cabbies in Leeds! Was talking to some and they swear by them but won't touch the gen3!?! The gen3 is nicer to look at, more economical etc but the inverter isn't as 'solid' - it's worked harder and is smaller. It's also cheaper, but that's no consolation if yours is the one that goes pop. I've had to have my gen3 inverter replaced at 70,000 miles - something totally unheard of in the gen2. I'm sure someone has said the internal cooling isn't as good causing it to overheat and thus more likely to fail. Not a problem in normal day to day commuting use, but a biggie if you use your car commercially.

A late gen2 is probably the best buy Prius, other than maybe a 2013 model with the big warranty. (replace the 12v if you haven't already and you should be fine for years to come)

 

I guess they reduced their costs to compete with the 'new' Honda Insight when it came out in 2009 fearing it could take sales. In the end it didn't but I think the damage was done. Have a read on the Prius wiki page which draws attention to the small, higher capacity and cheaper parts used in the gen3. Toyota obviously did their sums and calculated that most people won't need to replace expensive parts in xx years etc, but I think that was in the time when they were wanting to be the Worlds Number 1 at any cost. Now they want to get to number one BUT with their reputation intact! Note the comments on Wiki about Toyota banging the gen3's out of their factories at full capacity. One wonders if quality slipped in the process?

Toyota Prius (XW30) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Toyota Prius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Good stuff Grumpy.

It really pays to take care of the Inverter and not stress it out temp wise as its a very expensive replacement if OOW and is the heart and soul of a Prius. Best to replace the Inverter coolant at least every 30,000 miles. Its easy. Its cheap.

I also use a bottle of this product as its an excellent anti corrosion additive. Inverter coolant is exposed to huge cross section of pure aluminum heatsink in the Inverter. Highly corrosive and very tough on the coolant.


Red Line Synthetic Oil - WaterWetter® Coolant Additives - WaterWetter®