Question to those who owned both generation 2 and 3 Prius.

I think that there are a host of minor issues and 3 key ones

Drivers seat
AS others have said the Gen 2 is no good if you have long legs. The Gen 3 seat is OK for nearly everyone.

VSC
Vehicle stability control is standard on the Gen 3 but not on the Gen 2. When I started looking I thought that this was a frill but as soon as I saw the info on fatality reductions it became a must have and I would not consider any car without it regardless of other merits.

Traction Control
There appears to be general consensus that the traction control in the Gen 3 is a lot better than in the Gen 2. This can be a big deal depending upon where you drive.

 

gen 3
a lot better on the road i dont like the sporty firm ride of the gen3
i want comfort not a hard ride

also do not like the center console of the gen3

 

i drove the gen. II for over 4 years and now own the gen. III since nov. 2010. i'd never go back.
- the drivetrain is much more comfortable in the new one. not howling all the time when you push the pedal, lot better e-range due to better recuperation.
- the led-headlight is great,
- the ipa is super and i can't wait to see/feel
- the solar roof work...
- i had to buy the jbl-pack to get real premium sound. the common 'premium' system here in the eu is quite poor.
- legroom in the second row is more narrow than in the gen. II, since its possible to put the seats in the first row more backwards.

if my gen. III makes just as 'many' problems as the gen. II - zero, nada, none! - i'm sure going to love it.

but the most important thing:
the gen. III looks much sportier in- and outside. it is great!

kr
W.

ps: nearly forgot: i love how they edited the hybrid stages in the gen III. in the gen II this "idle check thing" at the end of stage3 was really annoying.

 

Which Gen III model did you drive? The Gen IIIs I drove all rode better than my Gen II, even the package V with the 17" wheels, but for sure a Gen III with the 15" wheels will not ride harder than a Gen II, unless theres something wrong with it.

I wouldn't classify our Gen II as a "comfortable riding" vehicle by any means...its okay...it rides like any other live rear axle economy car...its no Cadillac or Lexus.

I wasn't trying to admonish you, but these threads are everywhere. I can think of 2 or 3 on this very subject just off the top of my head. Its not really something you can search for because the titles may all be different, but the purpose of the thread is the same.

The fact of the matter is...the Gen III is a newer, more modern, better car than the Gen II. It has more interior room, better economy, better performance, more safety and convenience features than the Gen II. Some may quibble about a display, or a console they don't like...but spec for spec...the Gen III is more car. People on here who have Gen II's and blindly believe they are God's gift to the automotive world will say that the Gen III was a step backwards because of a console or a display, and if someone gave them a Gen III they wouldn't take it, but those people aren't being impartial, lets just put it that way.

Best thing to do is go drive them both, at length, and see which you prefer.

 

Hello Dutchman! In your post, did you mean that you don't like the firm ride of the gen2? I am going to test drive a gen III tomorrow. I love my gen2, but I have a bad back and the ride after owning it for a year is beating me up a bit. I read quite a few posts about the genIII, but not a lot specifically about the ride. I researched tires when I bought it (ones on it were bald), and figured that would make a big difference (but not much better). Is their a noticeable difference in ride quality when you drive a genIII, as compared to genII? I'll thank you in advance for your response.

 

What do I miss - The shrinking gas tank in Winter.
Would I go back - No

 

You may know this already, but thought I'd reply just in case. The 2010 Prius has a seat height adjuster (below the seat back adjuster) that allows you to raise and lower the seat. I find that when I pump the seat up it feels like my 2007 Prius.

 

I had a 2004 package 9, and now a 2010 package V.
I like the style of the 2004 better. As was mentioned, in those early days, driving it was like what British sports car drivers experienced in the late 1950's...each time you met another you would wave. And drivers of other vehicles would give you a 'thumbs-up' at first. Sadly the digit displayed changed as the car started to become more commonplace.
I like the inside storage better on the early car.
And reading the various mileage displays is easier on the early car.

The new car as mentioned, has much better seating. Love the height adjustable, heated, lumbar, drivers seat. The seat does have more fore and aft travel, so gives the old car the illusion of having a limo-like rear leg room, at the expense of taller dirivers, even though overall the new car is a fraction roomier.
I notice the new car handles much better, though the V, with its 17" wheel low profile tires does impact certain sharp bumps a bit harder. Like all the other features mentioned also. In addition the V/Advamced Technology has the Radar adaptive cruise control, Lane Keep Assist, LED headlamps with washers, Parking Assist, pre-collision, and more.
All new cars also offer satellite radio and USB plug ins. And Safety Connect.
I miss the cassette player from the old car...still have a bunch of them.

 

sorry think i made a mistake i prever the gen 2 over the gen 3
i like american suspention and the gen2 EU version is not like that but the gen3 is even more hard like EU suspentions standard
i dont want a sportscar i want a car that swags tills and floats over the road the gen2 is better at that then the gen 3 EU

 

The search functions on forums aren't great, I was more telling you what kind of responses to expect than suggesting you shouldn't have posted your thread. IMHO, people can just not look at threads they don't want to see!

Thats just not true. When you say "EU" are you talking about the european car? I can't speak to that, but that is certainly not true of the US Gen III Prius, nor is it applicable to the OP's situation since they are in the US. I have a Gen II, it doesn't ride poorly but I wouldn't say it rides well, I've driven 4 or 5 different Gen IIIs and all of them have been smoother and quieter than my Gen II.

 

Very useful thread overall, I was debating whether to go with gen2 or jump to gen3 for my personal use. I drive a gen2 as a taxi cab and put 130K miles on it in little over a year.
Just yesterday I got the chance I've been waiting for a while, my wife's best friend got a gen3 with a solar. We were heading to Vail for a wedding and I asked her if I could drive her car, she happily accepted my offer since she doesn't like mountain driving, which would be a perfect opportunity for me to see what really this car can do compare to my gen2.
Bigger engine really puts the difference on the road even with 4 people in the car, ok it's not hauling ....ss like a tahoe or a Cherokee when driving over the passes but definitely better stronger and quieter then my gen2 when only 2 people ride in it.
I also kept in mind that my cab has 225K miles and hers is barely 16K but still the ride characteristics are way different, I believe many other posters mentioned that above.
I also personally like the sharp sporty appearance of the gen3, so we came back from the trip today and I can easily say that I made up my mind. I'll go for a gen3.
Hope this helps to answer your questions.
Cheers

 

Not surprised - basically the 3rd gen feels more robust wheras the 2nd gen feels more 'frail'. Don't know for sure, but would think the 3rd gen feels more robust than the 2nd gen touring also. Larger engines have a way of doing that.