How many here used to own a previous gen Prius?

Gen 2 and Gen 5 in profile (about 20 years apart in design).

 

I used to have the 2017 Two Eco that is in my Fuelly signature. I haven't gotten around to inputting the new data from my 23 LE. Before the 2017, I had a 2004 that sold me on the Prius.

 

Today I drove across town. Along the way I saw a 2002 gen 1 (blue moon pearl paint job is a give-a-way for the year). I also saw a couple 2023 / 2024 gen 5 Prius Primes. There were 3 PIP gen 3 (???) PHEVs from the 2012 era. I also saw a handful of gen2 and a bunch of gen 4 (prime and normal HEV).

To put it in perspective, there was at least 3 BEVs at every stop light too.

BTW, the "poll" is defective. I could not enter my 2024 Prius gen 5 PHEV along with my 2002 gen 1.

 

You may have seen Gen1 off & on & not realized it - because Gen1 looked so much like the Toyota echo. Our SoCal next door neighbor had a (what seemed like a dark) jade green 2002 Prius ... which was our introduction just a couple years later w/ GenII. Gen 2 always seemed to be cargo roomier than all the subsequent models - even though the outside was smaller.
.

 

I owned a gen 2 and tested out a gen 3.
The cargo space difference was not that much. At least, useable space wasn't.
Maybe they were counting the cavern under that abomination of a bridge

Edit
Perhaps you meant a gen 1?
From what I can find, the second gen had 27.4 cu ft.

 

i had a gen 2 and gen 3, and whatever difference there was in cargo space was not noticeable, it couldn't have been much.
gen 4 prime lost 3" of floor height, so i passed, and gen 5 prime hatch looks narrow to me.

 

Odd, I would guess both sources used the same incorrect data.
Or, they changed how they measure cargo space (seats up vs seats down??).

 

The EPA requires interior volumes to place the model in a size class. While they round the numbers, they do set measurements to a single version of the method from the SAE. There are other versions which a car company can use for marketing, or even their own for that purpose.

The EPA gen2 is 16 cubic feet, and the gen3 has 22. The gen2 has 2 more in the cabin, which will bring the seats down numbers closer. Consider the shape of the space, and they can be close depending on what is being packed.

The gen4 Eco has 27 cu.ft. of cargo, but it doesn't have a spare tire nor under floor space. Gen4s with those have 3 to 4 less space.
Compare Side-by-Side

 

A two week Gen2 rental in 2008 sold me on it too. I bought a Gen3 not long after they came out in early 2009.

The rental clerk tried very hard to up-sell us to a Prius, telling us how much we'd save on gas, during the peak of the 2008 gas price spike. But I could easily compute that the gas savings for our trip would not cover the $150 upcharge, so declined. Two price cuts still weren't enough, so we were directed to pick anything in the Compact car corral.

There were many compact model choices in that corral, but directly under the Compact sign was: a Prius! So we got it for no upcharge at all.

 

I bought a new 2007 Prius for wife, then bought new 2008 Prius for me. Then bought new 2010 Prius for me and new 2013 Prius V for me. Now just bought new 2024 Prius Limited AWD (loaded). Wow.... what a nice car. at 1000 miles ODO I'm getting 52 mpg. Never had any mechanical problems other than rear brakes wearing prematurely, 12 volt battery, and normal tire replacements. Prius is outstanding design and very reliable.

 

In 2014 I inherited a 2010 Prius when my father died at 93. He had owned 2 of them and thought they were the best car on the road! I drove it for a year, decided I didn't need a 3rd car and sold it. Having downsized in '21 after a move to Florida we realized our mid-sized Lexus was crowding the garage some next to our Mazda SUV. So looking for a smaller car I thought about the Prius, took a look and was pleasantly surprised by the new, sportier looking body style. They were in short supply but after shopping around for about 3 weeks we found a nice XLE that had just arrived at the local dealership and bought it the next day - Dec. 30th 2023. So far it's been a real joy to own and drive. Plus it's a little smaller than the Lexus and fits just right in the garage.

 

I could check only one box, so chose Gen1 since my Gen5 replaced it. My wife has a Gen3. My icon is a fave pic of my Gen1, Gen3, and Gen5. Gen1 still works, I gave it to a nephew for his 50 mile commute. Original battery and brakes still after 20 years and 220K miles.

I kinda liked the look of the Gen1, but know that is a minority opinion. Way loyal clearly!

Will