My Prius Review: I HATE THIS THING!

baa humbug

 

So sell the damn thing!!!

 

Funny. In an earlier post, you said just the opposite:

I was a moderator on a Honda VFR site and found it interesting that some people's very first post was a complaint. At least this guy waited until his 3rd or 4th post have his head explode.

 

I got a kick out of this. You are the type that drive "for the experience" yet you own a Sebring convertible...*yawn* However, the C6 Vette MORE than makes up for the Sebring as it is a BADASS car.

I have Prius as my daily driver while the weekend car chills at home, perfect compromise.

 

All valid points, that bug You more than it bugs Me.

However, exactly what was your maintenance costs total?
Then take your last 3 cars, maintenance costs.

Add, subtract, plus the $$$ you'll get selling your 2005 even with 110k miles. How much would you have gotten for a non-Toyota/non-Honda with the same mileage?

While far from perfect, just look at the G1 Prius, how much of a Big Step UP the G2 was, and now the G3 !

I predict you'll have a hard time going to an econobox running with 1990 technology and repair/maintenance costs way WAY beyond that of tires.

IMO, *any* car you look into changing tires after some 35k miles, especially if you don't rotate with winter tires.

 

It is your review and your opinion, so I can't fault you for anything relating to the car except this:

If you hated it so much, why didn't you sell it? About 18 months ago you could have sold it at a near profit. Another year or so before that the demand was so high you also could have done very well selling your 2005.

Also, you may want to correct this thing:

There are two classes of people who drive cars. Those who drive them to get from point A to point B, and those who drive as an experience. Prius drivers are clearly point A to point B people. I regretably am the later. I personally own Sebring convertable (32 MPG) and a C6 Corvette (28 MPG).
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I believe you may as well say:

There are two classes of people who drive cars. Those who drive them for the experience, like I do, and those who don't know any better. Prius drivers are clearly the latter, while I, to my humble credit, am the former.
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How is it that you know who I am, how I drive or even what lack of experience I have while in my Prius?

 

It's interesting to read those comments... mostly because so much has changed since then. Your assessment of the 2010 would be quite different.

Too bad we weren't able to get your expectations prior to purchase. I got the impression you'd be disappointed with pretty much anything in the 4-cyl Corolla/Camry realm.

As for the tires, that was your own choice. Once the first set wore out, it would have been wise to purchase an alternate type. Many owners upgraded afterward for the same reasons you had.
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He probably would, but it is his wife's car! That's the best part about the whole rant, puts a big grin on my face.

I would rate the stock handling very low, but the front strut brace and rear stiffening plate did wonders for it. Running with sufficient air pressure should eliminate premature tire wear...but then again, the OP is complaining about a lack of power which suggests he sucks at driving it. When I've needed the go pedal, it is there and the electric motor torque gives it zip at critical times. My tendency is toward the lead foot side of the spectrum.

There's actually quite a bit for an engaged driver in the Prius, but it's a different kind of entertainment from running at the limits of adhesion through turns. I enjoy both, but the OP seems to lack the versatility.

Can't speak to the 2005's interior as there were some updates in 2006 that carried through until 2009. Mine doesn't feel cheap and I've always preferred the hatchback versatility to a sedan. I've ridden in/owned econoboxes and the GenII is nothing like one of those.

The MPG comments are of course referring to the earlier less conservative EPA ratings 51/60 (which other cars also couldn't achieve easily...especially with a lead foot at the pedal.) Driving it too conservatively I've actually found counterproductive. It does better with moderate to brisk acceleration. Of course, unlike the OP I'm not trying to get lots of regen...another clue to a problem in the driver's seat.

 

Hello, Mr. Pot? Mr. Kettle is calling.

What makes you think that your personal opinion is an indication of ". . . where the Prius falls short?" If you're disappointed, then you're expectations were not realistic. But your opinion is just that - your opinion.

Geez, the Corvette can't accelerate nearly as quickly as my much less expensive and way more efficient Honda motorcycle. Does that mean that the Corvette "falls short?"

 

OP, fortunately, almost all of your criticisms have been addressed in the Gen III (2010) models.

Also, given a minimum level of response -- which I think the Gen III has -- the fun in driving, to me, comes from the whole process. When to accelerate, when to glide, when to push the battery more heavily, when to pull in the ICE, etc, etc. Even the different sounds of the car (regenerative braking, etc) are a treat.

I might feel differently if I commuted along a winding river on a two-lane, lightly-travelled road where I could think about my arc through the curve, etc, etc. But I don't. It's not a Corvette, but if you can't go fast and curvy, exactly what does a Corvette bring to the table?

 

"The Prius is not a sports car."

Could have saved 814 words.

 

The Prius is hardly the car for everyone, and you are entitled to despise it, hate it, laugh at it and form, as well as broadcast, any opinion you desire about it. AND, if you've owned and driven it 100,000 miles, then you've got a pretty good idea of how much you like or don't like the car. I won't dispute your right to any opinion along those lines. Still, your experience doesn't set the stage for an understanding of everyone else's Prius experience.


Yes, perhaps I've taken it personally. It isn't because I dislike your opinion (though I'd rather you liked the car), but it is because your comments about Prius owners were so demeaning. I'd probably let it go, except for your response.

How about a bit of hyperbole to emphasize the point?

What if I were to say something outrageous like this:

There are two classes of people who drive cars. Those who find it economically and ecologically more responsible not to be wasteful of resources, and those who don't give a rip about anyone else's rights to space or resources and are completely self-centered. Prius drivers are clearly the former. You, regrettably, are the later, as you personally own Sebring convertable (32 MPG) and a C6 Corvette (28 MPG).

I doubt you'd find it in any way an appropriate statement about you, but only a statement of my own pompous self-indulgence.

I don't have the above opinion, but it is a rather stereotypical one that does exist. I'd prefer to think there are just about as many reasons for owning and driving a Prius as their are Prius owners.

 

so why did you drive it 100+ miles, I had cars I hated gone within a week up now to 71 so far in 12 years and dont let me start on h0w crappy my vette was 54K down the drain

 

Sadly, for you, so many owners of the Prius are wanting a 'green' and/or fuel efficient tool, that those who want a visceral thrill are not driving the future direction of the Prius. I would point out that, as a company, Honda (or even Mazda) makes many more 'thrilling' cars than does Toyota. Looking at other Toyotas in advance might have tipped you off that the Prius would not be the car for you.

I wonder how much of the mechanical issues stem from trying to get a visceral thrill from a tool. I read up on the Prius (I had the advantage of buying an '09 so there are 5 years of owners to tell me what they hated: I put a stiffening plate under it the first month and had the dealer promise in writing to provide labor to repair HID headlights, before taking delivery) I suspect that your driving style would have benefited from wider wheels and tires. (Or at least better tires, a tire upgrade is in the future for my '09)

I have a 55 mile (flat and straight roads) commute on a typical day, to some client who needs networking help, so a fuel efficient car with the ability to carry a great bulk of electronic gear suits me. It makes me happy I am polluting less than I did in my Forester.

I suspect a Mini Cooper, Miata, Honda S2000, MazdaSpeed 3, or Subaru WRX would make a small car with reasonable fuel economy you could enjoy. (The Smart seems a bad idea for you) I wish you luck with your future car choices, hopefully the Prius was a learning experience for you, and helped you define your automobile preferences.