Dumped the 07 Prius after 5 weeks

After 5600 miles, I can say 100% this car does not have handling issues. The fact is, the steering is TIGHT! That is why it is twitchy. Cross winds are a bugger, but that is mainly due to the design of the car, it was designed for low drag facing the wind, the sides act like sails in cross winds. Makes you a better driver, thats for sure. Drove through WI, MN, IA last weekend, through wind and rain, 3 kids in the back, wife up front with me, did not feel the need to pull over every so often to stretch like I did in some cars. I have had at least 18 or more cars since I started driving, and out of all of them, this one handles the best, and is surprisingly quiet for such a small car, there is almost NO wind noise driving 80 MPH, and the ride is really smooth, even over I90 in MN with the railroad tie surface, the noise was more annoying than the ride. Passing trucks, trucks passing me, never once did I have to worry about being tossed around. Only when there are 40+mph cross winds do I need to be aware, those do tend to push you a bit sideways, but my F350 gets pushed just as much, just not as quickly due to its size and weight.

 

Twitchy? HA! Drive an RV sometime across I-40 in northern Arizona with gusts up to 80 MPH to see what twitchy means!

Kids today, I tell ya, they got it too good..grumble... <stomps off shaking fist in the air>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Section 31 @ Jun 8 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]457978[/snapback]</div>

Yah right, try an 18 wheeler across a very long bridge across a windy gorge! There is a pucker factor of 12 I tell you!

 

This is my first post as I've recently joined the forum. Don't be too hard on me.....

I had a 2005 #5 Prius and absolutely loved it. I mainly got it for the tax deduction at the time. I traded that in last summer for a 2006 #8 to get the tax credit and love it as well.

I have been on several trips over 200 miles at a time and have noticed a little sway when passing/passed by a tractor trailer, but no more than in any of my previous cars. I think the benefits of the car greatly outweigh the minor sway especially when other vehicles do it, too.

My car is stock and I've adjusted nothing on it. So far I am extremely pleased with it and I have a few family members that want one including my wife (who is a diehard Honda fan).

 

My wife got blown (not hit, literally blown) off the road in a torrential downpour on I-85 when passed by a 18 wheeler but it was in our 2002 VW JETTA.

It was right as he passed her on a solid concrete walled bridge and as they both exited the gust tossed her into a spin and off the road to the right. The combination of a tunneling effect of the solid walls and the sheer mass and air displacement of the 18 wheeler against a tiny VW Jetta was no contest. She lost but walked away without a scratch. Jetta was totaled.

Simple fact, in the right conditions, ANY small car can/will have problems with wind and handling.

If you don't want to be blown around, go back to a gas hungry heavier vehicle. One trade off for better MPG is less weight, thus easier to get blown around in the right situations.

Now, so far I have only noticed the wind affecting my Prius when its stormy and the trees are already bending and blowing around. But the effect is minimal and nothing an experienced driver needs to worry about.

In a windy senario I expect to have to pay more attention and that I might get pushed around a little bit but I've not seen anything that would make me even consider the insanity of taking the reaming of trying to trade a vehicle after only 5 weeks.

Sorry CheapChic but your post has the stench of Troll and BS and like many others I'm not buying a word of it.

 

Ashame. But if you are used to a Big Sedan like ride you will dissapointed.
The Prius is very comfortable for what it is: basic transportation.

As early adopters of this technology (10 yrs young) ppl shouldn't be expecting a Camry like product just yet no matter that it is a Toyota.

Howver, the Prius has many fine qualities that are > than avg sedan.

 

The last few posters must be delusional. Don't you need a BT Plate to feel in control of your car? :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tyrin @ Jun 8 2007, 11:34 AM) [snapback]458026[/snapback]</div>

Knew that was comming.

 

I used to drive a VW Jetta before I got my Prius, and to be honest the Jetta felt more stable on the road. However, I knew that switching to a Prius would likely mean that it wouldn't feel as solid on the road. My Acura Integra also felt fimsy compared to my Jetta.

I have experienced heavy crosswinds in the Prius which pushed me back and forth in my lane. When you're hit with a gust, you get pushed, so you steer a little bit to compensate. Then when you exit the gust, the car lurches in the opposite direction, into the direction of your steer, and moves even more. It's often windy here in AZ, and I'm still getting the hang of driving properly in heavy crosswinds. Add a semi rig to the equation and you have a very fun drive! LOL

I don't understand why the Prius wasn't designed with a lower profile to minimize the impact of crosswinds. Reducing the overall height of the vehicle would certainly improve its performance in both headwinds and crosswinds. In heavy winds, honestly, sometimes I feel like my Prius is going to take off into the air. I feel like Dick Van Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (lord I'm dating myself).

 

If they lowered it any more than it is, the car would be uncomfortable to drive, having the head room it now has is a nice thing, I can deal with the cross winds more than hitting my head against the ceiling.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tyrin @ Jun 8 2007, 08:34 AM) [snapback]458026[/snapback]</div>

Exactly. I've driven dozens of cars, and I don't like the idea that you *need* a BT Plate in order for the Prius to handle well.

My 2007 Prius is a very good-handling car. Maybe Toyota did some tweaking to the 07 model after complaints from the older ones came in? I feel no need whatsoever to spend nearly $200 on some plate that most likely doesn't do a thing anyway. The hype is exactly that, just hype, get over it.

-wiiprii

 

I am glad to say goodbuy to my 2004 Prius.
After 3 years of ownership (as a second car driven mostly by my wife) I am fed up with its PS3-like handling.

Three recalls, change of display, change of armrest - annoying, but tolerable.
However, three years was enough time even for my wife (much less demanding in this respect) to realise handling deficiency of this car.

After couple of times on the motorway we decided to use Prius only in the city - flat surface, stop and go traffic is ideal environment for it.

People who claim that it drives well simply don't have experience of driving decent car.

Toyota is overrated, IMHO.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusBoyAZ @ Jun 8 2007, 03:38 PM) [snapback]458230[/snapback]</div>

I don't think it was designed as a separate car model. Quality of interior tells it is a derivation or Echo or Corolla, too much cheap plastic and seats are really cheap for the car priced in $25K+ region.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiLaker @ Jun 8 2007, 05:31 PM) [snapback]458296[/snapback]</div>

Absolutely. Same here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiLaker @ Jun 8 2007, 04:31 PM) [snapback]458296[/snapback]</div>

So, what you're saying is, by not having "experience of driving a decent car", I can handle my Prius better than you handle yours? I drive it across the windy plains on the highway every single day, never had any problems whatsoever. What you have basically said is that YOU can't handle the car, and need one with better control built in. That doesn't imply to me that the car is the problem at all...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ACD @ Jun 8 2007, 02:58 PM) [snapback]458246[/snapback]</div>

How tall are you? I'm 5'10" and sit bolt upright and still have at least 4 inches above my head. The Prius is WAY too tall, like they designed it be be a little minivan or something. The seat sits too high for my tastes as well. That is why I liked the Civic Hybrid so much better, it had a car seating position while the Prius has the "command" seating position from a SUV or minivan. I hope they fix this in the next generation. It will not only help with crosswinds but also reduce the frontal area and increase fuel economy as well.

The Prius in general handles like crap, there is absolutely no sportiness at all the the driving dynamics. It defaults to massive understeer when pushed hard into a corner and has huge amounts of body roll. Anyone who says a Prius handles good must be comparing it to a 70's body on frame car with a live axle. Then again, my 61 Buick Skylark handled about as good, but didn't stop nearly as well with the drum brakes.

 

People have totally different expectations on different aspects of a vehicle. I personally think the Prius handles great with crosswinds, and driving from Minnesota to Oklahoma and back two times and out west to grandma's in western minnesota several times, I have experienced a great deal of crosswind (for nonAmericans, these states are in the middle of the US where the wind almost always blows stiff and strong). My previous vehicle was a Chevy Astro van and I have driven many different GM SUVs (my parent's vehicles), which did much worst in windy conditions (as expected), so perhaps in HiLaker's opinion, I haven't drivin a 'decent' car in my life - so what the hell do I know, right? However, the Prius is not a Lexus or some overrated European 'luxury' car (my extrapolation of what he means by 'decent'), and if your opinion is based on expectations of high priced cars, then you should reevaluate your expectations. Don't buy a 22,000 US$ car with the expectation of it being a $ 60,000+ car. I agree that the steering is tight, but I appreciate that - tight steering gives me more control in accident avoidance. I like a car that responds to handling, and I like the higher profile because I am fairly tall.

 

I cannot help but agree with some others on this post that you must have bought a defective car. I have been driving my Prius for 18 months (2005 stock). My wife drives one as well (2006). Before the Prius I had a a BMW 540 and she had an Audi TT. (I've also owned a Porsche Boxster a few years back.) So we have had plenty of performance cars known for great handling. But I wouldn't give my Prius back for any of 'em.

I drive the Prius on the highway every day commuting in Houston. I have never had any of the problems you describe. Love the car. Love the gas mileage (51 but cannot be bothered with this "pulse and glide" stuff). Love the interior room (I'm 6'2" and the head room is really great especially versus the Audi!) Okay, I don't love styling. Not even a little. But a great car and a terrific value. More room than the BMW with 3x the real-world gas mileage. So far, in real world driving and versus the BMW I traded, I have saved around $3,500 in fuel costs. That ain't bad for 18 months. Oh, and my kid's teenage friends think we have a "really tight" car which was certainly never the case when we had the German uber sedan. Go figure.

It's unfortunate you had such a bad experience. But with one million hybrid units sold, I guess that Toyota has a few lemons just like everyone else. I think you must have gotten one of them.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarkMN @ Jun 8 2007, 05:21 PM) [snapback]458323[/snapback]</div>

Compared to a Astro van, the Prius may be a step forward, but the Astro van is a body on frame with a live axle and leaf springs design that hasn't changed much since the 60's. Compared to a modern car like a Honda Civic or Accord, or a Toyota Corrolla or Camry, the Prius is a step behind.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jhinton @ Jun 8 2007, 05:08 PM) [snapback]458320[/snapback]</div>

I am 6'1" and I have about an inch over my head in the Prius - my turso is a bit longer in proportion to my legs than most people, so I sit disproportionately higher than people of similar height. I test drove a Corolla, and my hair touched the ceiling (and I don't need a car that will mess up my hair everytime I drive). The slightly higher seating than what is found on other cars is mostly trivial, but also nice when you are a little tall because you have to crouch down into the seat less. I hope they don't change the height of the car or the seating height when they redesign, it is an attractive component of the vehicle. I also hope they don't redesign the car to make it wider. I live downtown and drive and park on narrow roads and parking spots, and adding just a couple of inches could make driving the car through tight spots less comfortable to me.

 

I have owned a 93 E Class Mercedes and a 95 S600 Mercedes Sedan, V-12, Honda Accord and 2003 Beetle Convertible.


The Prius handles just fine for a $23,000 fuel efficient, 5 seater, hatchback sedan. It is what it is. It does what I need. It is not a "performance machine", as far as a "driving machine". In it's own way it is fun to drive.


My Mercedes E Class had tight steering, as well as the Beetle. The S600 would have body roll when taking a corner too fast. Hell, I guess so it was a heavy car. The S600 could also move from 0-60 mph in an amazing amount of time for a big car. But it cost $135,000. The Beetle had absolutely no pick up. and it was a $25,000 car. The accord was always blown all over the road, but it was a great car in most ways.


Every car on the road handles differently. You have to get a feel for your car, and deal with it.