Test drove a Prius today...

I own a 2008 prius and one of the reasons I bought the car is because it is quieter than my Honda Civics, less road noise. I have driven several prius and the engine was not loud on any of them. what year was the car you test drove?

 

Test drive a similar used one. If you still have the same feedback, then yes.

 

First, I would ask to see the Carfax, was the vehicle was ever involved in an accident!

 

The Prius brakes are a bit touchy transitioning from regenerative braking to friction braking, especially right before coming to a stop, if you are not used to it.
What do you mean by noisy like a diesel? Does that mean clackity valve noise? If so, then that is not normal. Or were you driving it full throttle and didn't like the noise when at high revs?

 

Brakes take time to figure out and get used to. Noisy, should not be, what are you currently driving?

 

Camry will be more insulated

 

go rent one for a weekend and see if you get used to the way it feels,the prius is not like a normal car..if you have concerns over the one you looked at find others to test drive or buy a new one.

 

I've driven a lot of Prii, I advise you to test drive a lot (if you really want one). I drove one which vibrated heavily above 70KM/h (not normal), I've driven one with no difference between normal and power mode (there should be a noticeable difference), I've driven one where the ICE was always active (not normal), I've driven one full of scratches ("it's normal since it's hard plastic" is bullshit).
Test drive some more cars, don't judge just by one car.

 

If you can't test drive similar used ones, go to the dealership and test drive a new one. But whatever you do, do not buy that used one until you are satisfied with the noise and brakes and everything else. Nothing worse than buying something that you really don't want (even if your expectations are too high).

Mike

 

this^^^ drive a new one so you have a frame of reference.

there is no way we can know what you're experiencing with used cars.

if you don't like the new one, move on. hycam maybe? my wife is getting 45 mpg.

 

Before I even sat in a Prius, my mind was made up. I wanted one. But when as soon as I fired one up, the engine noise was a complete turn off. It was loud, raucous, and sounded unrefined and cheap. I left the dealership really bummed because I was ready to buy one that night. On my way home, I decided to stop by another dealership. It was January and they had to "chisel it out of a snowbank" to get the Blizzard Pearl, Touring model for me to test drive. Imagine my delight when the car sounded like an entirely different vehicle!!! I couldn't believe it. I had no idea two identical cars (the other wasn't a Touring model, but still......) can be so different. I signed the papers that night and I've been happy ever since. That was almost 6, trouble-free, years ago. And if the Gen 4 is gonna be a visual dud, I have no plans to replace it.

Go try another one.

 

The best advice I've seen here is to go out and try several others. You may be enticed by the specific one you drove, it's price, color, etc., but if you're finding some annoying issues it may very well be the specific car you tested. Try a few others. If you feel the same, then maybe the Prius is not the car for you.

Good luck in your search. Hope you end up with a Prius at some point. They have their shortcomings, but are still great cars.

 

Simple answer.
No Not Normal.
If you're still interested in a Prius, keep looking.

If you'd like a baseline as to how they "normally" handle? Rent one or test drive others....New and Used.

But no, the engines don't sound like diesels and the brakes aren't touchy.

 

I may disagree with the statement about the "brakes not being touchy". I think it depends on what vehicle you are comparing it to. We are on our 2nd Prius, but I always remember my first "test drive" in our 2005 Prius. We were used to our 2007 Ford Explorer and there was a significant difference between those 2 vehicles as far as what "braking pressure" was required on the brake pedal..

 

My brakes can be a little touchy the last moment before the car comes to a complete stop.
Otherwise, very controllable and not at all touchy.