Erm, I'd say it's ok and I do between 100 & 300 miles a day in mine. Not done a 500 mile trip in it, but do spend at least 10 hours a day in it. I do sometimes get a stiff left shoulder (RHD car) which I think is due to the slightly off center steering wheel.
I have not driven on a single 500 mile trip but have taken several trips to my daughter's who lives 250 miles away. I do not have any back problems or other health problems but I thought the seats were as comfortable as any other seats that I have ridden in for these distances.
wife has done a 20 hour, 1800 km trip in a day, and it was fine the longest i have done is 9 hours, and it was great drive
We did our longest trip in ours on Sunday (only about 100 mi) and about 1/2 way home I was experiencing a bit of lower back pain. After bumping up the lumbar support and leaning the seat back a notch, the pain eased and the ride was much more comfortable for me. Although this doesn't really qualify as a 'long trip', just thought I'd share.
I was on the road for 5 hours on Christmas Eve and 5 hours on Christmas Day. I was comfortable and relaxed.
Just Bought new 2010 IV - Just drove it 108 miles home from the dealer, comfortable and warm - heated seats awesome, still fiddling around with mirrors and the blind spots, interior was great, and I have back issues. I am about to drive to the midwest, about a 820 mile journey from DC to St. Louis, so I will update next month after I do this. Taking scenic route through the mountains, so we'll see how she rolls through hills v. I-70 plains route! Oh, why buy 108 miles from home?? - best DC price beat by $300 from Fitzgerald toyota dealer in Chambersburg PA v. DC prices (including their own dealership in Gaithersburg)! And added a quick ski trip to Whitetail in the am before picking up car as well - multitask at its finest! So far, comfortable and fine!
For me, a requirement for long trips is an electrically adjustable chair so I am not stuck in the same position. Take off my sandals, zip forward. Put it back on, zip back etc. My Prius (and plenty of other cars) do not have electrically adjustable seats so I would not be happy on a long trip. I've done 30,000 mi/year in the past, not in a Prius though.
I've done a few 3 hr. trips and I have to say, my lower back was hurting. I found that I had to adjust the way I sat, had to have better posture while sitting in this car to not get that discomfort. I used to drive a '93 Toyota pickup and didn't experience the discomfort. Like I said though, I think being aware of not slouching as much eased up on the discomfort.
I drove my 2010 Prius from Florida to West Virginia with no real discomfort. Cruise control had a lot to do with that. The seats were comfortable and less tiring than the SUV I had before.
We drove Chicago to San Fran--and back. Three 13 hour days. Cloth seats are quite comfy. Car packed very easily (we took everything with us including two sets of skis and extra winter clothes). Car could use some more lumbar support. Sun visors aren't quite long enough. 50ish mpg when we could keep speed below 75 mph.
the 3rd week after i got mine we did "the loop" the loop is a drive along highway 101. we get on it where it starts on the west side of Olympia, WA and drive until it ends... on the westside of Olympia. in the middle is a very scenic rustic drive around the Olympic Peninsula along the sides of very cold deep glacial lakes on the northeastern half, thru the Hoh rainforest and Forks (for all you Twilight fans) on the northwestern half. total trip for us, 384 miles about 10½ hours with an hour stop for lunch. now, this is not your get on the freeway, set the cruise control and relax. a good portion of it is twisty curvy roads with speeds as low as 30 mph. so not a boring drive. but very comfortable nevertheless
i just returned a rental 09 prius - i keep thinking that i miss it! drove to and from newport beach to palm springs, ca - some 300 miles on concrete highways, smooth asphalt roads, dirt roads :rockon:, and winding mountain roads i was extremely impressed: quiet, comfortable, awesome visibility. I wish mine had HID, leather and a sunroof. Other than that it's a really great daily driver/long-distance cruiser. i must admit - 46+mpg is addictive... really makes up for my 11mpg car i think im gonna try the new '10 prius this weekend.
IMO, if you want long-drive comfort and have any back issues at all, go with the IV. I wish Toyota offered the lumbar support on lower end models, but no. That said, I've driven 700+ in one day (with chronic back issues) and found it pretty decent. Not like a high-end German car, but decent. edit: obviously the V would work as well
I've got the base model and that has lumber support. I'm guessing the UK and US specs are different as I get front fogs as standard too. We don't get heated seats though
I took mine on a 3500 mile 6 day trip last September. I am average size, 5'11" and 185 lbs, and it was pretty comfortable as far as the seat and driving position were concerned. I would rate it much better than my Gen2 Prius and the Corolla loaner car I had but not as good as my BMW or my old Volvo. As far as drivability, i.e. steering, road holding, and handling, It gets top marks from me. If you have them the radar cruise control and, to a lesser extent, the LKA are good for long drives. The steering, at least on my car, is very good and it requires few corrections while going down the road.
We bought the IV because of the better seats. Read some reviews awhile back recommending this. Much more comfortable than my Subaru Outback seats. Haven't driven it farther than 65 miles and back--but comfortable for that distance. Did have some shoulder problems at first, but dropped the steering wheel lower and experimented with seat back positions. Think not having power seats is a real oversight in a car of this price!
