Our Prius V gets 3X the mpg of our 2005 Outback 3.0R in the city. On the highway at 70-80, it's pretty buzzy and doesn't get much better mileage. Horses for courses....
After 8 solid years with my Vee, yes, it's slow. Depends on where you drive. My commute involved bigger hills, windy, cold winters. Many times I asked myself why I did this, as the cold winter and hills ate up my gas mileage. But in warmer months, the Vee would happily tour around the highways at 75 mph and deliver mid 40's to even high 40's mpg, depending on various things like wind and hills, much more so than speed. For a fast highway situation this is not the car I would consider. I'd much rather be in a normal Camry or Camry hybrid, both far superior a drive. I bought mine for the cargo room mostly, as a wagon. But if you want to be able to pass traffic quickly at speed, well that's why I just traded my Vee for a 2020 GTI. LOL. Mid life crisis? Covid-related cabin fever? Not sure but it's a lot of fun.
