To Prius or not to Prius?

Since they don't make the Insight anymore, the Prius is your commuter car.

Go sit in one. Then drive it.

 

The seats are not as comfortable as some, but it's all a question of what you're used to -- I came from a Volvo 850 with some of the best seats I've ever sat in in a car, so to me, the Prius seats are lacking lumbar support and seem a bit flat, but as far as padding, they seem OK. My commute is about 45 minutes on a good day, mixed roads, and the seats seem fine for that. It's when I want to go 600 miles in one day that I miss those Volvo drive-all-night seats, and I have driven the Prius 600 miles in one day.

Going 75 is no problem. Probably not optimum if you are trying to achieve high fuel economy numbers, but you still will be using less gas than almost any other car at that speed. The stock Goodyear Integrities suck in the rain, but overall handling is not as horrible as some reviews would have you believe. I would definitely suggest the Touring Edition.

 

hi - i'm new here - great forum.

i'm very tall - 6'5" - its not the most comfortable car - my knees have trouble getting under the steering wheel when i get in and out ; plus, i'd prefer the driver's seat maybe 2-3" wider - i'm crammed up against the center console.

that being said - so far i love it - my jeep was getting 17 mpg - my prius was getting 53mpg today - i drive about 75 miles a day.

so i've tripled my mileage over my prior car - for that, i can live with a slightly cramped cockpit.

wonderful commuting car; i've had no problems on the highways.

 

There two cheap ways to make the seat more comfortable. Put a sheep skin or synthetic sheep skin cover on the front seats. If that doesn't soften them up enough for you place one of those tapered cushions with the part cut out for the tail bone under the seat cover - very comfortable. If lumber support is needed put extra padding at the back under the cover.

 

Oddly enough, I happen to own a Civic EX Coupe and a Prius. The Prius - especially since I installed the BT Stiffening Plate - is acceptable on the rural roads and high speed highways you mentioned [similar to my commute], but, it does seem more suited to the city IMO. The Civic handles better in the twisties and holds its lane better at 75mph. A moot point as you can't fit it.

I'm in the minority on the seats. After turning the Civic over to my wife [she doesn't like the Prius so it's all mine!] my first reaction after two days was that the Prius seats were kind of lame. But now after 3 months of lots of 2-hour-plus drives, I've reconsidered. The Prius seats are very comfortable for me, a no-padding kind of guy, and in comparison the Civic's now seem over designed, with too much lumbar support.

If you get one, definitely get the stiffener. The car can get pretty darty in high winds at 75 per. If you don't need the hatchback design, I would take another look at the Camry. I think it's more suited to your driving style.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacware @ Feb 5 2007, 11:58 PM) [snapback]385878[/snapback]</div>

here is a link to a front seat mod.
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=24400&hl=seat


When I first started driving my 06 prius I thought the seats were to hard and to short for the thigh area.
but now I have about 17k miles and the seats don't bother me anymore.
I guess you just get used to it.

I always use the prius for long highway trips to save on gas and HOV access, instead of my 17MPG second car.


BOTTOM LINE:
If they made a lincoln continetal tha got 45-50 MPG and HOV access I would trade in the prius and buy one.
But for now the prius is the best alternative.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacware @ Feb 5 2007, 10:58 PM) [snapback]385878[/snapback]</div>

I drive about 60 miles per day from Westchester County to Manhattan - from 65-75mph on the parkway to the normal 20-35mph in the city. I went from the LS-430UL to the Prius one year ago next month.

The Prius is fine at higher speeds although you will have to get used to the acceleration differences especially when accelerating uphill on the highways - it is not bad and you have to be more predictive of changes in speed especially the need to accelerate.

The comfort of the seats is more than adequate - not like my Lexus annaline leather but I happen to prefer the cloth seats - more true in the extreme temperature ranges - and my LS had both heated and air conditioned seats - the time it took to go in either direction was at times taxing. I am 5'11" 175lbs with (also) little built in padding.

The Prius is also very flexible with the hatch and fold-down rear seats. I have moved kids into and out of dorms with this car.

I have no regrets switching to the Prius and would do it again in a heartbeat. You will enjoy the $ you save too. It is an all-around great commuting car with great flexibility to cover other tasks that might arise.

 

Prius is not just a commute car. It's a car for cross country trips. You can drive 85 mph no problem if you want to and can get away with it. The place the car is bad is in city driving when temperatures are down near 0 degrees F! Then you need a bigger engine just to keep warm and you lose most all of the hybrid advantage.

As to the seats you have to judge them. Someone posted Volvo had better seats. I find Volvo seats uncomfortable! I love the Prius seats just as they are. I've sat in or driven cars with better seats like Citroen and Peugeot. But these seats for me are way better than Volvo or any German car.

I do use sheepskin seat covers, but have in all my cars lately.

Seriously I can sit comfortably on a trip for 4 hours or more in the Prius. In my previous Mercedes I was lucky to stand 2 hours, and even then I had to modify the back of the seat so I could sit in it even 15 minutes.

The seats are not very adjustable so they will either fit you or they won't. If not just change them as several owners have done.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacware @ Feb 5 2007, 08:58 PM) [snapback]385878[/snapback]</div>

I wouldn't call the seat a lazy boy, but then my philosophy is that driving a car should not be like driving a living room. The seat is adequate for me although I'd like a height adjustment and tilt. To *not* buy a car because of that would be sort of silly don't you think?

It operates well above 75 mph very effectively I have found.

Ride is about the same as a honda as used to drive.

Handles fine if you take off the stock tires and put on real ones.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacware @ Feb 5 2007, 09:58 PM) [snapback]385878[/snapback]</div>

Over the years, I've come across quite a number of reviews like that. They failed to make relevant points. Adjectives were used instead of clearly explained measures. Heck, put in their terms, last summer I drove up north (in Minnesota) with 2 kayaks on the roof of my Prius. It was no big deal, even during the downburst of rain at 70 MPH.

Now after just under 130,000 miles of driving Prius (both models combined), I can easily say those so-called experts have lost touch with reality. True, there are indeed vehicles that offer greater refinement. But that is a want, overkill for what is actually needed.

We surpassed the "performance ceiling" quite a number of years ago. But since "more" is what sells, that is what they keep trying to convince us that we absolutely must have. The market still doesn't have genuine hybrid competition available yet, so naturally you'll hear questionable reviews. That's to be expected in this market. After all, with so many positive comments from owners, automakers are in a bit of a panic to finally deliver something of their own.

 

As you would expect... most of the responses you will receive here on PriusChat are supportive of the Prius. Here's another:

My Interstate trips, about 275-350 miles at a time, are made cruising at 65-75 MPH and realizing ~48-50 MPG. This fuel economy will improve as the odometer miles accumulate [My 2007 Prius has <2,000 miles to date]. My 2004 Prius in the same circumstance achieved ~50-56 MPG. I find the accelleration adequate.

As for the seats, My 2004 had the standard cloth upholstery, my 2007 has factory-installed leather. I find them adequate. Headroom: I'm 5'11" 240# and the Prius provides generous headroom.

If you can find a rental Prius, it might be productive for you to rent one for a highway trip to get you own impression of handling and comfort. My 2007 is the "Touring Edition" which has larger wheels and better tires [16" wheels with Bridgestone Turanza tires], a clear step UP from the standard 15" wheels with Goodyear Integrity tires. The Touring suspension is also an improvement over the standard providing what I consider a more 'controlled' feeling - but those are subjective impressions and are compared with the 2004 Prius I traded.

 

We are relatively new Prius owners. I can't believe the amount of space in this car. Everywhere you look is another useful compartment that a smart engineer added instead of just wasting the space. The compartments are genuinely useful. And the cargo capacity is more than just adequate. Then fold down the seats and carry anything!

We live in the country 70 miles north of Dallas. My wife is in school again at the age of 50. I drive into DFW. She uses the Prius daily but we (I) drive it when we are going together or she is not in school. Her commute is 30 miles roundtrip on farm roads for 6 miles and interstate the remainer except for about 1 mile from the freeway to the school at 45mph. This is a short 15 minute drive each way. Not good for the Prius...Prii averages about 45 MPG for that! Our diesel beetle only got 37 mpg, cost us an additional 40 cents per gallon over unleaded, and smelled up the garage! And those had to be the most uncomfortable seats (the beetle's) on the planet! When we or I drive the Prius, we are usually going into a larger town at least 30 miles each way. I am used to doing 9 mph over the limit (70). The prius does this and gets no worse mileage than when my wife drives and has plenty of pep leftover. And we are rookie Prius drivers. Every tank gets better with increased awareness and skill. But you can ignore everything and get 46 mph right off the bat, just like my wife. This next tank is going to be closer to 50 MPG! This is with the heater/AC at a comfortable level like 72 degrees. This car will meet or beat your expectations as a highway or city car!

As far as seat comfort, I wish the seat had height adjustment. I am 6'2", my wife 5'4" and I wish I could sit lower. I have to duck just a bit when getting in the car but once in, headroom is no problem. I have back problems from time to time and that does not help. The seat appears just a bit small for thigh support. That said, that seat is more comfortable than my last 3 cars! We have not taken an extensive road trip yet but have driven about 3 hours at a time and had no problem regarding comfort. We have a pkg. 5 without leather but added the leather at regional port (an option). That has a liquid cell gel of some sort under the leather. These seats are really comfortable! The short seat base has not given my thighs any discomfort but I do wish I had another 2" further rearward movement with a telescoping wheel to reach me way back there. Personal preferrence is everything and this seat is what it is. The lack of height adjustment is the most problematic for me but I have acclaimated.

This is a quiet car! Engine and air noise are non-existent. Road noise can be transmitted by the tires as in any car. You will not believe what you get without a "normal transmission". This car does not shift, lurch, grab, howl, downshift, upshift, or anything you are accustomed to. It is SMOOTH! The only thing you feel is a slight vibration when the engine comes back online during slow acceleration if the engine is already warm. You will not notice this until you are more familiar with the car and learning more about it. It is a quiet, responsive, rewarding, and COMFORTABLE car to drive. I find myself slowing down and enjoying driving again. I hope this information is helpful to you in your search.

 

I find the Prius perfect for the type of driving you describe. I highly recommend it.

Tom

 

My commute is 35-45 minutes: the first 10 minutes on city streets at about 30-35 MPH, the next 20-25 on the freeway at 70-75 MPH, and the last 5-10 on city streets at 30-35 MPH. My weekend driving is a mix of distances/conditions. Over the last 13 months I've averaged 49+ MPG, which is more than double what I got on the Camry I drove before the Prius. Works for me!

My husband is 6'4" and finds the seats somewhat uncomfortable for long trips due to lack of lumbar and thigh support. There is plenty of legroom in both the front and back, and I think he finds the back more comfortable than the front, actually.

 

I travel 60 mi each day (30 mi each way). I generally travel on a parallel secondary highway (where I can travel at slower speeds, 60 mpg at 46 mph in summer) with less traffic. When I do travel the main highway I am easily part of the pack. Acceleration is excellent, although fuel economy at 70 mph drops to 45 mpg.

I installed Sirius satellite radio and also listen to CDs and recorded books. Prius is a delightful commute vehicle. I am 1.9 meters tall, fit well and am comfortable in the driver's seat. The 2007 Touring Edition has a firmer and more solid ride and is much quieter than my previous 2005 Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacware @ Feb 5 2007, 07:58 PM) [snapback]385878[/snapback]</div>

I put 25,000 mostly freeway miles on my 06 last year. Without even trying, I'm getting right at 49-51 mpg. I riutinely cruise at 75 plus, whenever I can (about 1/3 of my 45 mile commute). It does just fine on the highway, even with a few hills thrown in. Not to worry.

 

My touring worked fine for me. One thing about the touring vs. the regular is that on rough roads you will feel the bumps more. You're not in East TX or Louisiana, are you? Those roads would stress a Lexus LS460.

However, I bet if I put real touring tires on it (and invalidated my lovely extra mile extended life tires), the ride would be smoother.

What all of us are saying is that you should be fine.

 

Over 2+ years I have driven Prius on short and long trips at various speeds. 75mph is not a problem, dynamics is not worse than a minivan. Prius is light and very aerodynamic. MPG is great at any speed.

However, if you are driving at high speeds daily I would recommend upgrading tires and maybe getting 16" factory rims. Stock 15" tires are not designed for high speed maneurs. They are fine driving staight, but not for avoidance movements and not for wet and/or windy conditions. You may also want to install the stiffening bar under the chassis and many people here did.

Now, will seats feel comfortable to you depend on seats in your previous cars and your personal preferences. Of course, Prius seats are no match to 20-way BMW seats or even to 8-way Infiniti seats. They are good enough though.

Noise - again, depends where are you coming from. To me Prius is quite noisy, 4-cyl engine, cheaper tires and lack of sound insulation make me adjusting volume on the radio all the time. However, Prius is not Lexus so don't expect low noise levels or a high end car. You get what you pay for. I am sure V8 Lexus will be much quieter