Why did they uglify the 2010 Prius?

Agree with you 100%. Wonder why the recent Celica didn't do so well. Maybe a bit too "agressive" than the RSX.

 

Edmunds has these Figures: '09 Prius: 10.4 sec and Insight 10.9 sec.
Oh bummer, a split sec.
2010 Honda Insight vs. 2009 Toyota Prius Comparison Test and Video on Inside Line

 

I really love the look of the 2004 to 2009 Prius, but after seeing the 2010 I think the iconic prius looks dated. I adore the new look and I'm 47, married and have a teenage son. Broke the mould I guess.

 

I think the new Prius might appeal to more drivers with family in the car who might be needing to outrun an SUV while merging onto a freeway.

I don't think most want to floor the accelerator with a couple children in the back seat wondering if flooring the gas will be enough to get ahead of that SUV w/o getting run over.

Look at the 0 to 60 specs of many cars and SUV's out there - so many of them are in the 8 second range or less, they are quick and powerful.

Most people don't care about a car that gets 65 mpg at the expense of safety and comfort.

Unfortunately, sometimes safety is accelerating ahead of a rude driver who will not yield while you're merging. Fact of life.

 

Uglify? I dont think so. Not even close.

As for prius vs insight comparison I think it is unlucky. Insight is not only smaller than civic hybrid, but with weaker efficiency even against it.

Now, performance wise 0-60mph on a flat road doesnt tell the story about power. Try to accelerate from 50mph on a cliff road and you ll remember me.

By the way I find the HSD logo cute.

 

As for the new look... it's fine by me. I am glad they didn't change it as much as between Gen I and Gen II. But then again, I didn't buy my Gen II because I thought it was pretty or aggressive or macho or tough looking. I bought it for what's under the skin anyway. Kind of like learning to like beer...

I would say that for most of us 0-60 mph is rather irrelevant. In the Denver area there aren't too many times when you need to accelerate that quickly, and when you do, you'll have to brake to join the other folks going 20 or 30 mph anyway!

I was intrigued and may to have research it... last time I looked for an SUV (admittedly 8-9 years ago), few got to 60 mph in less than 10 sec. Of course, the definition of an SUV has changed. An awful lot of the "SUVs" I see look like station wagons to me. It can't go off-road? It doesn't have 4WD? It's not an SUV to me!

 

This is like arguing about which of the ugly stepsisters to take to the ball. I'd take the 3rd, pretty sister, but her coach only gets 10 MPGs and might turn into a pumpkin a any moment! (Of course, she probably wouldn't have me in any case! )

Seriously, I was disappointed they didn't change the dork mobile even more. This is a car you buy in spite of its looks, not because of them. I understand Toyota had to keep the same basic "iconic" shape for marketing reasons. There are obviously more attractive ways to get a .25 CD. I assume Prius is shaped the way it is to get a good .cd and squeeze out as much interior space as possible, so I have no real complaints. IMHO, the new slightly sharper lines are an improvement.

 

Just to make the distinction here, I do like my Gen II's looks now. I never thought it was really ugly, like a Pontiac Aztek, or... let's not go there guys and gals!

 

2010 Prius is beautiful

I agree. I like the look of the 2nd generation Prius but think Toyota made some good styling choices when they came up with the exterior of the 3rd generation. It's not that the 2G is bad looking, but it looks somewhat bland compared to the newer model. The 3G looks a bit sportier but not too aggressive. Maybe after a few hundred thousand 3Gs are out on the streets, the novelty will wear off . . . Maybe.

The 3G interior is now my home computer's desktop background, while an exterior shot is on my work laptop. Hope that helps until I plunk down the cash for it.

 

I owned a 2002 Prius and plan to buy a 2010. The looks of the Gen III overall are a little better than the 2009. I agree with others that the side profile of the car is better, but the styling of the front end is a minus. Toyota's continued use of the little "pig nose" corporate logo in the grill is unnecessary as well as ugly and is the most unappealing design trait of the Yaris. Also, the "Z" look on the top edge of the headlights is also a minus. The car looks like someone forgot to line up the front hood with the fenders. Too many designers try to use headlights to style the car, and more often than not, the results are not an improvement.

The "hybrid" badge on the side of the car should be deleted. It just another obstacle to wash and wax. Most everyone knows that a Prius is a hybrid and the few who do not could care less. Besides, there are plenty of labels on the hatch lid.

 

Just curious, what positive points drew you to the 2010 versus the 2009? And will you be keeping your 2002 alongside your new Prius?

 

0 to 60 mph is very relevant in the SF Bay Area - Many short freeway onramps with control lights and dual lanes. And lots of big, powerful SUV's and trucks.

 

I think uglified is too strong a word. There are changes I like, and some I don't. It looks better in person, and even better still in motion. A little more power is quite welcome for large loads and mountain passes.

 

There is so much discussion about the side "hybrid" logos. It's easy to take them off with a hair dryer, dental floss, Goo Gone and some wax. I think it's a little moot.

 

Have you seen the size of GM's hybrid logo? It literally spans the entire length of both doors. This discussion is nothing compared to the complaints that stirs.
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I predict LOL, you heard it here first:drum:That body shops will absolutly love that big, lower, boxy, screaming let me hit a parking lot concrete bumper(or some other low object) nose. Otherwise i love it!

 

My first reaction to pictures of the 2010 was that it is just plain butt ugly. I think the new Insight is far more appealing, although the wierd red plastic treatment around the hatch could be styling bummer.

 

For me, I have found that my eye likes what it is used to. That is why I'm giving the look of the 2010 some time. The more time that has gone by, the more I'm liking it.

When the 2007 Camry's came out I thought they were butt ugly compared to the previous generation.... Now I can't believe that I actually though that....

Same for the new Accords. Hated them at first, now I like them.

The Insight looks familiar to all of us....

 

My point was that most of our freeways are pretty crowded and rarely go 60 mph during rush hour anyway. And I have an industrial area in between me and the freeway... so usually we all get to follow semis onto the freeway anyway!

I do love power, but I think 0-30 and 0-50 times are more important now and will be increasingly so in coming years as traffic congestion increases even more.