How would you rank Prius in the world of new cars?

Best car I have ever had 35 years. The previous cars were not bad cars and 3 were bought new.

 

I have had quite a few cars, from a Pontiac, to BMW and Mercedes. This is one of my favorite cars so far. I never had built in NAV, or iPod control before.... The DRCC is amazing.

I have never kept a car for more than 3 years. My goal with the Prius is to see how long I can keep it, and how long I can keep it on the road. I love it.


- Bill -

2010 Toyota Prius V w/ATP (8/10 build) - Barcelona Red w/Dark Gray Leather

iPad ?

 

It's a little early for me make a definitive statement, but it's a decent car. A little utilitarian maybe, but then again 90% of the decision to buy our Prius was for the gas mileage. We were both driving/commuting in vehicles that were getting 14/15 respectively, one with 105K miles and the other approaching 160K. When you do the math, the savings in fuel costs alone will pay for about half of the cost of this car. And that only gets better as the price of fuel increases.

I've been fortunate in that I've owned some decent cars, but nothing I'd call a luxury car, not that I wouldn't if I could afford it, but it's never made financial sense to me. In fact, almost every car I've owned has been somewhat uniquely different from the last. 1978 Chevy Nova, 1982 Honda Accord LX Hatchback, 1992 Honda Civic DX, 1997 Nissan 4x4 PU, 2002 Nissan Maxima XE, 2005 Honda S2000, 2005 Chevy Tahoe Z71, and now the 2011 Prius 2. I still have the S2000 and Tahoe BTW.

If I didn't own the other two cars I can't say that a Prius would have been on the list, as I have a insatiable need for speed, but I'm also a little geeky when it comes to tech stuff, therefore I do enjoy the technology the Prius incorporates. And as I've mentioned before, there's a certain satisfaction in watching the look on a friends face when you tell them you're getting 45-50 mpg.

So my initial impression......comfortable, unique, mpg's of course, techy, roomy and the wife likes it.

 

I've bought more than a few new cars ranging from my first NEW '86 "Chevy" (Isuzu) Spectrum to my most recent which is an 09 Sierra with some pretty interesting choices in between. 94 Miata (BEST car I've ever had bar none!) 89 Toyota 4x4, 90 and 91 300ZX, 89 Ford escort, 95 Protege, 88 Toyota Cressida, 96 Geo Metro, 02 GMC 4x4, 07 GMC Sierra...and some others. Sports cars...sedans...trucks, and a minivan. I might be off on some of the years, since I'm starting to get CRS.
I've had many different types, from many different makes, especially if you count used cars from which I can add a dozen more that I've had stick time in.
"My" '10 G3 is a company car, but I'm the sole operator (less 400 miles) and I have 25K in type. This means that my judgment of the G3 is not altered by the fact that I had to strike a check for it, which may cause me to love this car more or less---depending on how you factor in the whole "Pride of Ownership" thing.
Probably my worst car was either an 05 Saturn L300, or the 300Z's.
My two best were Mazda's with the 95 Protege, and of course...the Miata. The 02 GMC 4x4 gets third.
OK....
So....
If I were to judge the G3, I'd give it exceptional marks for fuel efficiency (of course) but only mediocre scores for comfort, and very marginal scores for interior fit and finish. I kinda like the looks of the G3, and it seems to me to have an superior drivetrain with a very light maintenance schedule. It's THE BEST car for getting from A to B with the fewest pennies that I know about....over a typical life cycle.
However (comma!) there is a price....
Visability is abysmal for a car with this much glass, and the seats and ride quality in an '11 Corolla that I got some stick time in were an order of magnitude better.
I don't "mind" driving it, but the CVT and the "electrolux steering" aren't anything to write long glowing reviews about. Ergonomics aren't too bad if you can forgive a few feaux-pas like those &*&$@! visors and the reverse beeeeeeep beeeeeeeeeps, and I always have to scratch around for the mirror controls, which I do have to adjust for curb side parking if I don’t want to ding the plastic (!) wheel covers.
This is all very VERY subjective of course, which is why I spent so much time explaining what cars have led me to my present preferences. Many of my previous cars had clutches, and I enjoy shifting for myself when given the opportunity to do so. I've also developed a preference for ride height, which I'm going to have to wean myself off of if I ever get to the point where I have to pay for a lot of my own fuel.

RIGHT NOW...my next car will either be an Elantra or a Corolla---replacing the 09 Sierra for a tow vehicle. I actually tinkered with the idea of getting a G3 as a fifth vehicle (third car) but those thoughts died of loneliness when I found out that you can't tow with one, and THEN prices started going stratospheric. I remember in '10 everybody had them on sale, and it was not uncommon to see a base model advertised for 19,999.99.
Those days are gooooooooone forever.

Still.....it's a GREAT car. If I were commuting more than 20 miles to work, that would have a major impact on my calculus. If the "c" model had the G3's drivetrain, and if it lived up to its price point, I might have had to forgive the 0-pound factory tow rating and buy one of THOSE.

As always.....

YMMV!!

 

After 18 (soon to be 19) cars in the past 20 years, I consider the Prius to be outstanding at what it is - a reliable, moderately priced mid-size car with good interior flexibility, OK comfort, and great mileage. It works great for my ~1hr. commute and running around town. I wish it had fewer squeaks and better quality interior plastics, but those are pretty common complaints for many vehicles priced in the $20s. My girlfriend likes my Prius better than my Lexus LS "Old man car". While that sounds like a good thing, I have a feeling that she may adopt the Prius as hers as our relationship matures.

 

It's a nice practical car that gets excellent gas mileage.
If gas were still $1.50/gal, I would have bought something else, like a Suzuki Kizashi or some other zippy car.

 

Going on 2 plus years and I still love my Prius! Comfortable, lots of room, quiet and a tank of gas lasts forever! I'll start doing upgrades on her this year, LED interior lighting, Wheelskins, Clazzio leather seat covers and probably a nav unit!:rockon:

 

:biggrin1:

I got a "FIX" for You !!!

 

I would echo much of what others have said. Great gas mileage, utilitarian, interior could be a little nicer. My vehicles have always been practicable, so this one falls in line.

But I do like it a lot and it will be hard to part with unless it is replaced with another Prius.

 

I previously bought a 1998 Acura Integra GS-R (stick shift), 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited wagon (turbo engine, short-throw stick shift) and now my 2012 Prius Four with solar roof package, all as new cars. I've really enjoyed all 3 cars. The Integra was lots of fun to drive, the VTEC engine and shifter were great, and it was incredibly well made and reliable - not a single unscheduled maintenance before I sold it with 110k miles. The Subaru was also lots of fun to drive, very fast, and had more passenger and cargo space than the Integra. The Prius is fun to drive, has lot of fun nav/audio/etc. features, and I've become obsessed about getting good mileage (;-), it's a smaller car than my Subaru wagon but has plenty of passenger space, and I'm hoping (based on what I've read) it will be reliable. I was afraid I would miss the acceeleration of my Intera and Legacy, but, I really haven't, my driving style has changed with the car. So I'd say all 3 cars were great and I was happy with all of them, for different reasons.

 

So far, the Prius is up there for me. Before my Prius, only sports cars, luxury cars, and niche vehicles like off-road wranglers or mini coopers were able to seem "cool." The Prius is the first practical vehicle I've owned that's been able to offer that "cool" factor.

 

If I didn't live in an apartment complex, the PIP would have been a top choice for me.

 

Funny, I owned Wranglers, Minis, Miata, 370Z, Corvettes, Porsches, and other sport cars also and feel the same way. .

Every car has compromises and draw backs. The Prius is my first non-sporty car in 10 years.

It is a exceptional practical daily driver. A huge appeal is the technology and mpg. The Prius is the by far the most practical car for bumper to bumper daily driving I have ever owned. I will say it is kind of boring once traffic opens up, not so fun in the handling department. The steering feedback or lack of it was weird at first. Throttle response is what it is. I still enjoy driving it though. Great car so far!

 

1'st car was a Renault Dauphine, drove it from Daytona to Syracuse for 12.50$, several different autos since then, none were as much fun, tried an Audi A6, dropped it with nice springs shocks and tires, it was a piggie, tried an A4 it didn't get great mileage but was a blast pounding around on snowy or dirt roads, got a Prius 2nd gen and stiffened it up, it was more fun then the A4, more crisp. But I admit the Gen 3 is the best car yet, hanging out at 59.1-.7mpg and am looking forward to making it tighter(safer).

 

By bolsters, do you mean the 'wings' on either side of the seat pan?

We're looking at replacing a 2005 Kia Spectra ("It'll do" is a fair review of that car) with a Prius II or maybe a C. The seats in the Kia suck. Oh, they are terrible. After an hour and I can feel my thighs getting sore from the wings digging in. Long roads trips feel like the seat is waging war against me. I truly hate the seats in this car.

I realize 5'7" 205lbs is not Iggy Pop but it ain't Chris Farley either.

We took a short test drive in a Prius II and while they seats were not Caddy, they felt right off better than the Kia.

So, how do y'all like the seats after an hour? After 3 hours?

 

I'm 5'10.5" and 175 pounds, and I find the seats comfortable. I bought the car in L.A. and drove it off the dealership lot and hit the freeway for 7 hours and the seat felt fine. For me it's more comfortable than the seats in my 2005 Subaru Legacy or our 2008 Honda Odyssey minivan.