Your thoughts on Quality of materials used?

The lack of refinement is part of the reason I'm starting to consider the volt over the PIP. Especially since I can get one for about $1000 more at this point. I still really want the PIP, but it's hard to argue with newer technology. I wish the prius had more competition for the past 5 years or so, I feel like it would have evolved much quicker if it did. All the hybrids that came out against it were kind of a joke tbh.

 

The Prius is not a high end car, but it is nowhere near the bottom of the barrel. Even if the materials are "cheap" looking, they fit together. They are also cheap like that because of the materials used to be recyclable and as someone else said to keep the weight low. Get in some similarly priced vehicles from other makers and with some you will see that the corners and lines don't connect straight or fit together the same.

I disassembled a Ford Fusion dash around Christmas to install a satellite radio and the inside was laughable. So many things have broken of that POS it is embarrassing for being a 2007. The plus side it was super easy, just ripped apart essentially. Conversely I took apart a Toyota 4Runner as well and it took me almost 2 hours (instead of 15 minutes) to get the thing apart and another 30 minutes to put it back together.

The CT200h is the dolled up version of the Prius. You pay for the nicer materials in both cost and weight.

 

The other thing that is easy to forget is what we use to have just 20 or 30 years ago.
Remember the interior of a VW bug? How about a Ford galaxy 500', Dodge Omni, Plymoth Horizon, really doesn't matter which car you pick, every thing is carpeted, every thing is so much nicer, so much more human factored, so much safer, if we would introduce the Prius in 1967, the VW bug wouldn't have sold 10 cars. It didn't even have heat for God sake.
Now I know they only cost $1500 or 2k. But we thought $0.65 was expensive gas. The "punch bug" was one of the most popular cars. Today Prius is that car, still think it not quality? Consider this, a Prius owner is not likely to replace its brakes for 100,000 miles. Change oil for 7000, may never need an engine replacement, will like live for 200k, and get 55 or avg mpg. No VW bug ever did any of those, at least not very many.

 

VeeDubs 40 years ago were somewhat cheaper to buy than their contemporaries. I remember ad add where pound per pound Das Volksvagens were cheaper than bologna. VeeDub had a helluva lot of ingenious adds back then...something ELSE (*cough!!!*) that's different than the Priuses of today...

 

In the mid-sixties, my dad's benchmark for a car was its price per pound. Anything more than $1.00/lb was overpriced.

 

Like one of the other posters mentioned- look at the "feel" of the doors and other parts of a light (2-4 passenger) aircraft. The doors are super lightweight and seem like they'll break if you just lean against them. Yet you still have these same aircraft that were built in the 1960's flying and airworthy today some 50 years later.
With the heavy batteries used in the Prius- the engineers had to cut weight elsewhere, so the body/roof skin is thin, the hood is aluminum, many engine components are aluminum- the dash ind interior isn't heavy 3/4" thick rubberized foam- it's 2-3mm non-padded plastic. Like NASA's spacecraft- everything was designed with an eye on the weight.
In our society- heavy equates to quality, light weight and plastics infer "cheap" product. Yes, Toyota could have used thicker/different interior materials, thicker body metal, etc... but then you wouldn't get 50mpg without breaking a sweat.

 

The Prius doesn't really compete with the mainstream sedan market. That's the Camry's job, which it does quite well. Prius competes against the new Ford C-Max, Civic hybrid, and Insight. Apples and oranges.

 

Lets see, cruise control, BT, 6 speaker stereo system, NAV, airbags, a/c, power steering, power windows, I mean most VWs were bare bone.
I'm just saying we are so spoiled, were actually picking at the smoothness of the plastic! Even with that little tiny VW beetle, tiny 4 cylinder, dune buggy engine. It only got like 35 mpg.

 

More like 25-30 mpg. Seriously.

 

You get what you pay for. My Prius does what it is designed to do and I like it. People who want a luxury car have the freedom to purchase one.

 

Let me start by saying I like the car-BUT-the interior materials are low quality. I bought a Model 5-so at $36k, the Prius is not a luxury car, but at that price point the feel could be upgraded a little. It still has a manual adjustment passenger seat. The other car I was looking at was the Avalon hybrid. it was only 8k more, and DRAMATICALLY nicer fit and finish. I bought it for a new longer commute, I just thought the finish could have moved up with the price tag!

 

Only $8k more. You can do a lot with $8,000.

 

Some VW's didn't even have running boards, fenders or heat
My favorite was pressurizing the windshield washer fluid tank with a hose from the spare tire... who thinks that far out of the box anymore?

 

I recently purchased a used 2010, with only 15,000 miles. I'm very happy with the gas milage and it's a joy to drive. I don't think of the interior as cheap, but sparten. The glove box is a plastic box like most glove boxes. Has anyone modified theirs ? I'm thinking of adding a cork, self liner to the interior of the glove box. The self liner has an adhesive backing and may be cut ot trimmed to fit the interior of the glove box. Hopefully ot would prevent items from sliding around inside the box and the cork trim would look ok on the interior of a glove box.

I'm new to this forum and I'm wondering if any owners have done simple modifications like this or perhaps more extenive ones to reduce noise ?

 

the same can be said for the PiP advanced but there's a cost to the better hybrid technology, need to reduce weight and toyota's profit on the prius line. there are comparably priced cars out there with much better materials, better sound proofing, and less rattles/squeaks (but crappy mpg!)

 

I like that idea. I might try it.

 

I think the technology outweighs the appointments. I also compared the Prius to the Lexus CT200, wanted everything about the CT but just couldn't ignore the larger car that got 10 more mpg. So, I make do.

The plus side to the plain and simple lightweight and drab interior, to me, is that it came apart and went back together in a snap when I rebuilt the audio system! Toyota's approach made this the easiest car I've worked in. It seems well built behind the appearance, panels, clips and hardware seemed decent and you would never know it was gutted. A little sound deadener in the doors and the car sounds much more solid.

 

I really like that idea, maybe Toyota could develope a sound proofing package:
Doors,
Floor
Engine
Fender wells

I'd pay for that package

 

So would I had I known how loud a Prius is on the highway at speeds around 70 mph. Also, how about a better tire package too like Michelin Primacy?