Opposition to Prius - Why?

Here's a suggestion:

Decide for yourself. Rent it for a few days and see how you like it before going all the way. I wouldn't care about any other's opinion as long as I'm happy with the design and the aesthetics in my own mind.

We, of priuschat, probably all love the prius (and we're biased). But don't let peer pressure cloud your own judgment.

 

I think there are three primary reasons why you get those types of responses:
1. Toyota has done a poor job of educating the public about how the prius works.

2. If the prius had a real competitor model in one of the american car companies, i bet there would be much less prius hate, but until that happens there will be too many people who view the prius, a flagship model for profitable, foreign car companies as the nemesis of the big three and a 'cause' for the job loss and poor operating results of said companies. The chevy volt, with its current estimated price, is not affordable enough to appeal to the people who would probably come around to hybrids in general if they were american, so i dont see this changing any time soon. Ford hybrids have the best chance, but need significant gains in MPG before they can really compete as well.

3. The prius is not an attractive car by american standards. Americans like bold sporty styles, and the prius is demure and reserved in comparison.

 

It's usually justification for them to drive their truck/SUV of choice, usually American made.
If the Prius isn't as good as "the media" says it is, then their choice isn't as bad. So they just have to come up with a way that it's not as good as the claims that are made.

This has been debated time and again, in detail if you want to do the searches, but in general I'd say:
* not as safe - it's got good scores on crash testing, lotsa airbags and the other features, it's a substantial car with more weight than it looks, so it won't get pushed around. How big do you have to get to not worry about the next bigger thing out there on the road? Case in point:


*ugly and the batteries die out - can't argue on the ugly part, that's totally subjective. I don't think it's a great style, but it's functional and effective - lots of interior space for the size. About the batteries, they're under warranty for 8 yrs/96K miles minimum, many people who drive a lot have gone over 200K miles on the original batteries, but the full story isn't in yet, since the car is still young. You can get used batteries online if needed for about $300. (That's the base price that Toyota pays to keep them out of the landfills).

*queer, hideous interior - same thing as ugly, no use arguing that
*save money for a better car - ??? And then spend more to feed the terrorists that depend on oil exports? I don't get that logic at all. Particularly if the other car isn't even a domestic brand, that's the usual argument is to keep $ in the U.S. In which case I say I'd rather send my $ to Japan than to Iran.

 

I've had my Prius for 1.5 weeks now....but after my first extended drive, my verdict is that it is a good value. It might be more expensive then a compact or base mid-sized sedan, but I decided to fill her up once I got 3 bars on the fuel guage. I was floored that I had gone 350 miles, and it was just 6 gallons. Whenever gas prices go up again, I'm going to be laughing to the bank.

Subjectively, you'll always hear some negativity. It's probably even more so in the NE. So far here, even though I do see plenty of Prius on the road, most the reaction I've gotten is curiosity. People wonder how a full hybrid works, and most think my car is cool. The only person who couldn't see a use for the Prius was an offroad truck enthusiast....but he still said that he could appreciate what the Prius is about.

 

I think that it's sometimes because:
- the Prius is the car that at some level they realize they really should drive,
- they don't want to buy it but their reasons are not that rational
- belittling it helps them feel better about a bad decision

 

always test drive a lot of other cars.

when you finally decide you'll end up being happier with your decision.

 

who are these people you are asking for advice? do they drive fuel efficient cars? prius is anti american. land of the free and home of the suv.

 

its your money buy what you want to buy

 

Hi panka...,

There is a very active gorilla marketing against the hybrid car in the USA. That is the source of those falsehoods.

We saw this from a company in the Pacific NW that published comments that a Prius was less enviormentally sound than a Hummer.

On the interior, the Gen III was made more like other cars - a step backward operationally in my opinion. My Gen II is well laid out, and very usable. Its different, but its much better. The Gen III is just like other cars, and has the same operational issues as those other cars in my opinion. But, hey, that is what they are selling now.

In the early days of Prius Chat we had a US Marine Corp Pilot/Instructor (Harriers) on here. He related how he got a visible reaction from people, when he would roll into a gas station, in his Prius with dark glass treament (in Florida), then he would pop out the door in his Marine Corp dress uniform, with a chest of medals. So much for wimpy/gay stereotype lazy car company execs would have you believe.

The Gen II Prius has a bad handling problem. 90 % of that is fixed with one simple modification. This led to car reviewers getting a bad opinion of the car. The Gen III has fixed this issue outright - reportedly.

Just as with SUV there is a viseral reaction to the oversized appearance of such vehicles, the shape of the Prius which is form-for-function, causes a phsycological underestimation of the size of the Prius. For example the Honda Pilot SUV, actually has less leg room front and back than a Gen II Prius.

As to ugly, well, take a look at the Art-Nouvea period arts. In the early days the airplane that was copied was Ford Tri-motor. Which is kinda like the Aeronautical SUV of its day. By the end of Art-Novea it was the Douglas DC-3 that was seen as the elegant moderne. The 2nd Gen Prius to me, is the car version of the DC-3 in shape. I even have aircraft style wheel covers on my car. In time, the Prius will be the elegant, and stylish, and present perceptions will fade.

As far as crash safety, the Prius is made with high strength steel. In one crash with a Chevy S 10, the S10 was obliterated, litterally torn into shreads, and the Prius was crushed short of all the way to the A pillar (it was a head-on). The Prius had gone through the S 10 like a missile. In another crash, with a Silverado, the Prius was crushed back to the A-pilar, but the passenger compartment was intact. That driver, died, unfortanetly due to the paint can from the trunk (he had not secured his tonaue cover).

And as to the Prius being a Japanese car , this is clear only in manufacture. The Prius is American enginuity, that was repantented in another color, after American car companies never took advantage. I have no qualms about having to buy American know-how from a Japanese company, if the American auto industry is so screwed up they cannot put stuff they knew how to do 25 years ago, on the road. The Prius transmission concept was originaly proposed by engineers from TRW. The Prius battery was invented in Livonia, Michigan. And the software used to engineer the drive-train engine/motor setup was a combination of an American Software Products (Matlab / Simulink) and the US NRE Lab Advisor code that runs on that software. The Valve-train concepts (crucial for low power efficiency so lacking in standard cars) in the Prius were originally invented by an American in the 1940s! Although the Toyota implementation of these concepts with mechatronic controls is first rate. The motor magnet design was revamped at the US national labs, from the initial concept in the Gen 1.

 

Hello - Welcome to PC!

I am planning to purchase a new Prius very soon. Since I am planning to make this a financially sound purchase, I am waiting a couple of months to build up a substantial down-payment and reserves. - Good for you and a wise decision to be in a financially sound position before dropping 20 - 30k on a car.

Meanwhile, I am diligently researching my leanings for a Prius; vociferously reading everything about it, and asking people around for their opinion. Read away, this site is excellent for the amount of information (and refuting misinformation) about the car.

What I am most surprised is the strong reaction I get, when I mention that I am planning to purchase one. Most of it negative and loaded with clearly unverified hear-say. Well, this car does seem to illicit a strong reaction.

Here is a sampling:

1. "I hear they say that it is unsafe during crash." 4 - 5 star rated crash tests. There was some concern about firefighters being scared that they'd get electricuted when using the jaws of life on a Prius. I don't think this fear was borne of any real data.
   
2. "It's Ugly and the batteries die out." Looks are subjective. Yeah the batteries will die out (duh!) the real question is WHEN. They have a long warranty (and even longer if you are in a CARB state as do the hybrid components). Many users have gotten well over 100,000 miles on their batteries and many have reached 200,000 miles. The amount of battery failures is fairly low, in fact when people do post about it, the thread gets a lot of attention, due to its rarity.
   
3. "It's queer." (This by a woman who knows I am pro-LGBT HRC supporter - clearly a gauche moment) Wow, don't know what to say. Some people lack tact, intelligence, both. But for what its worth, we do have gay prius owners on the boards.
   
4. "Hideous interior." Looks are subjective. I like my car's interior.
   
5. "If you're going for it, why not save some more and get a beamer dude! Prius is wimpy!" Heh! A coworker has a BMW M5. He just spent at total of $1600 for TWO tires on his car. TWO TIRES. Premium fuel vs regular unleaded. 20 mpg vs 50 mpg. Mucho expensivo repairs/service. No thanks.
   
6. <<a sick expression on their face>> Maybe offer them a barf bag?

None of those reasons are logically sound anyways. But the strong reaction certainly amuses me. And this is in color-your-house-gray, keep-emotions-to-a-low east coast New England. They aren't. I chose my car because I wanted the best gas mileage car I could buy and could fit my family in (a total of 4 of us). Inexpensive to operate is a very valuable characteristic of this car and I appreciate it.

Although I am concerned a bit about a frustrating NAV experience -- I am a big on-the-road guy and the Prius III w/NAV is attractive to me for exactly that reason. Many complaints are preferences. If you have a Garmin (or Garminesque device) you can use that instead. I have the NAV on my car. I don't use it too much, but it is VERY nice to have when I do need to use it. It won't operate while the car is moving (i.e. you must type in your destination while stopped) but that is about my biggest complaint with it.

And I intend to check out most of my comforts thoroughly during my test drive. Please do. I opted for a package IV because I didn't like the quality of the fabric interior and the gritty feel of the steering wheel. The leather is nice and supportive. The lumbar seat works well for me. And I love my leather wrapped wheel. Of course, you could get a III and get aftermarket leather. Do consider the seat comfort, especially if you are on the road a lot. I expect to put 20 - 25k miles per year on my car due to my commute.

But - What is it about the Prius that elicits such perceptions? I mean surely top of the class MPG is one of it, but is it all of it? Many people don't value MPG. When gas went above $4 per gallon, THEN people started to value it. But they have short memories and are drawn to the sexy and powerful cars rather than practical ones.

Personally - I just got out of college and I am still driving my first car - a 1991 Nissan Sentra that is just begging to be put down. I was in a 1989 Integra for 11 years before I got my car. And back then the Integra was luxurious compared to the Sentra. I understand why you'd want a more updated car.

As a rational person - I can see through most of the complaints for their clear bias - but I cannot help but question -- is there any truth behind the loaded connotations? The Prius is not perfect, but it is a darn good car and design. I love my car, it does everything I wanted it to do and then some.

My question specifically to all Prius owners here is -- Objectively, is your Prius a happy and balanced place between value for money and comfort? I think so. It is expensive (relatively speaking) but if your thoughts are to drive the car "forever" (or the life of the car) it is definitely worth it. You can grow in this car. From no family to wife and kids (my first "new" car was a 1988 CRX-HF, I had that for 11 years until my first child was born....sigh...I really liked that car too). Comfort has been great. A/C works, even when stopped. MPG's are great (for my commute) the car is tight, no rattles for me (although others have had some issues). Nice stereo. But realize, I did come from a 20+ year old car, so everything should be fantastic relatively speaking.

Take a test drive. Rent one for a few days if you can. See if the dealership will let you rent one in the package style you like. Do at least test drive a V (for handling differences as well as the nifty LED headlights) and a lower package to see the handling and interior comfort differences.

 

THe former director of the CIA drives a prius. Try telling him he's queer.

Everyone who is opposed to the prius is just jealous they can't get 50mpg, fill their car with $30 worth of gas and drive at least 500 miles.

What i tell my republican friends (the ones who dont give a rats a** about the environment) is that oil money goes to the middle east which in turns goes to terrorists. I say im doing better fighting the war on terror by saving gas (and thus sending less money to the middle east) then they are by blowing up innocent people.

But i wont lie. I was itching for an Infiniti G37 (its a fast car what male doesn't love that) but my dad eventually got me to buy a prius at the last second. I wasn't as thrilled, but the car grew on me as i drove it. Sometimes i still find it shocking i can drive past 400 miles on the ODO and still not have a low fuel light.

 

Oh right, and you to your other question(s):
-Nav isn't as terrible as the complaints. I wish the screen responsiveness was faster and had a more 'cell-phone-like' interface, but you are just out of luck in that department. Mazda and Hyundai's navi's are quicker, but not significantly so, and definitely not make or break. I don't have any issues with it once my destination is input.

-I think value is a given - MPG and low maintenance will balance out other factors. As you are just getting out of college, if you are taking a job that involves driving or offers mileage reimbursement, the Prius will make all of your co-workers jealous. Last week I had to drive to a client site and back 180 miles for 1 day. At $.50/mile, $90 is three+ fill-ups of gas but only 1/3 of my tank. The rest is pocketed profit / going to pay off my student loans years ahead of schedule. Even without mileage reimbursement, the savings compared to your old car will probably be noticeable in your budget.

-My biggest complaint about the drive quality is that I don't like the seats due to the headrests always pushing your head forward, but you get used to it. My bf has a prius and he LOVES the seats, so definitely personal preference and it will depend on what you are used to.

 

Bob, in an earlier post, hit the nail on the head - "decide for yourself".


But my responses to your sampling are:

(1) Wrong. The G3 got 4 and mostly 5 star crash test rating. But it is a light car, and the laws of physics usually favor the heavier car or truck. Like most cars it's size, the Prius is safe. But get T-boned by a 5k truck going at high speeds, well, there are very few cars that will protect you in those types of crashes.

(2) Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. But know this - the exterior looks are by design...very low Cd, which translates to higher MPGs. Everything on the prius has been thought out, and has a design purpose.

No, the HV battery (the big, expensive one) does not die out. If the battery was a problem, Toyota would NOT warrenty for 100K in most states, and up to (I think) 150K miles in a few others. Check around...the high voltage battery should be the least of your concern.

(3) My teenage boys use to say that about anything they didn't like. That should tell you something about the intelligence, and maturity level of those using this descriptor.

(4) Actually, I like the interior more than most cars. I especially like the "flying bridge" design. Very new, novel and fresh looking. It's like contemporary homes...most people don't like them because they look odd...but find me an architecht that doesn't live in one? You won't. Most Americans are sheep. Plain and simple. Just imagine what our cars would look like, today, if there were only American cars.

(5) Well, compared to a BMW, yes, a Prius is "wimpy". But again, what was the Prius designed to do? It's not meant to compete with sports sedans.

(6) When (and it will) gas begins to push $4/gallon...their smirky/stupid grin will change.


Once you fully appreciate and accept what the Prius was meant to do....all the looks and comments will be noise. Good luck.

 

As I have the car now, I can think about some negatives. Especially if the concern is with the significant other If your significant other likes acceleration and screams at traffic, then there might be some arguements. I've been finding that I really want to go out for extended drives just to see how well the trip's mpg indicator does (for some reason, I find it's lower then my calculated mpg). If you buy a prius and are a member of this forum, chances are you're going to find yourself slipping into "eco mode" and trying to change your driving habbits to eek out the most mpgs. That's just a sad given that a Prius changes everyone's driving habbits (with my old car, I'd usually stay 5-10mpg over the speed limit all the time....now I'm always thinking about mpg).

The other thing I thought mentioning, was that I decided to get a solar roof package....even though I had seen bad reviews about the Prius's Nav package. I read some reviews where people claimed that the GPS couldn't even track where your car was. But I haven't had such problems with my car: the mapping capabilities of the current Prius software seems sound. I was also surprised that the Prius found my home address (where most GPS systems fail). The major problem I've found with it is the ETA: so far my system has overestimated the time it takes. I also haven't seen XM traffic ever work. Lastly, it takes a bit to get used to the USB/Ipod interface. To scroll through a whole artist list, takes some practice (you have to time it just right to be able to scroll through the whole list without the system pausing and playing the first on the list). I suppose I haven't had the unit long enough to really put it through its paces....in the end it's really up to you. I think that there's probably a better value at having a hand held GPS....but it's nice that the factory Nav has a full USA map (unlike my previous GPS unit).

Also, what passes for "queer" is always funny. I think people who are concerned with such things are questioning their sexuality anyway. I'm pretty secure myself....but just phobic enough that I might question ever driving a VW bug: I find my car is more substantial then some other alternatives I've seen in my neighborhood (one of my nieghbors drives a Smart car and another drives a Mini). In the end, the Prius seems a lot more utilitarian then most mid sized hybrid sedans (which sacrifice cargo space).

 

I got stronger negatives before I bought than once I bought. Like most cars there are some negatives, and this car brings out strong opinions. Some buy it to make that statement, I'd rather have it a little more incognito. In my last car a Lexus GS with gold package, random people especially black would tell me they liked my car. Now random people ask me what mileage I get. hmmm....

It is not a tank, and if you have a nasty accident you may get hurt or killed. It does have crumple zones and airbags and I don't think its significantly worse or better than similar cars. Its safer than a pinto but its not going to be safe as a volvo s80.

U-L-G-Y you ain't got no alibi its ugly. Well not as ugly as some other cars. On the exterior form follows function and I think it looks better than a lot of cars out there. IMHO it looks better than the previous prii. With 17" rims in the right light the car looks good. The battery thing, well they do run out. It should be many years, and your covered by a warranty. The prius should have lower maintenance costs than many non-hybrids.

I never quite understood how cars had a sexual preference. It is not the most masculine car. From your views, I'm not sure if you should take it as a compliment for the car.

The interior, leaves a lot to be desired. Decide if you like it or not. I decided it wasn't bad enough to not buy the car. Some people love it. I put in an aftermarket HU, and the 7" screen with a moving map and song information distracts from the cheap plastic and gives it a minimalist, high tech look.

I like bmw's, the prius is a different animal. It is much less expensive, likely more reliable, and provides better mileage. Decide what you really want. I gave up a lot of power, luxury, and handling to move over to the prius. I would rather have the prius when in city traffic or when parking in a marginal neighborhood.

conform if you want. don't if you want. I have a friend that moved to south florida, his neighbors didn't seem to like him when he drove a pick up truck, they were much happier when he got a Mercedes.

 

You are a VERY MATURE young person who thinks with your head. You must've graduated with flying colours! I'm not a psychic but I can predict a very bright and happy future for you.

Unfortunately your "friends" who gave you those biased comments are from a completely different (lower) calibre, I'm afraid. They think with their ears (hear say)/nose (give people the "air")/face (superficial), but not their heads.

As for the asnswers:

1. "I hear they say that it is unsafe during crash." just check the facts.
2. "It's Ugly and the batteries die out." I personally find the GenII Prius' looks not too appealing, but the GenIII looks gorgeous, especially the Pearl while ones with dark sun-roof and solar panel (mine is like that). It looks so futuristic it's out of this world. Once I got a truck driver honking and sticking his head out his car window shouting at me. I thought I was in trouble untill I saw his smile and his thumps up pointing to my car. As for battery check the facts. It's not even too expansive to replace it, not to mention it'll be better and cheaper 8-10 years later.
3. "It's queer." (This by a woman who knows I am pro-LGBT HRC supporter - clearly a gauche moment) If a person has homophobic discriminations against a car he's not worthy to be heard, period.
4. "Hideous interior." If this was describing a Yaris then I would agree (forgive me, those who also owns Yaris). Even the base model Prius feels quite up-scale inside, not to mention the IV's leather interior is right up there with Lexus looks & quality, IMHO. Oh did I mention the limo-like leg spaces front & rear?
5. "If you're going for it, why not save some more and get a beamer dude! Prius is wimpy!" First of all, you'd need to save a lot more, way more, and keep saving for the operating expanses for a beamer. With a Prius, you are actually saving while you drive. As for "wimpy", that's only if you drive it wimpily. With the GenIII Prius' increased power you can actually drive it "like" a sporty car. I'm using the PWR mode all the time and surprises a lot of sporty car owners on the road. (yet I still average 57mpg but that's a different story).
6. <<a sick expression on their face>> Tell them straight to their face that they are sick, as in they have a sick and not open mind to disrespect your intention to buy a Prius, without even getting the facts right.

 

You came to the right place for some unbiased advice! Out of all the cars I currently owned, the Prius is not the most fun to drive, its not the sexiest, its not the safest, nor the fastest, but I do like driving it. I just like the fact that I don't have to pay Big Oil anymore than I have to, and that makes me feel GREAT. Everyone has their own and unique reason why they bought the car, and you will too!