Hey Everybody. I've had this Prius for a week now and I'm loving it. Before this car, I had a BMW that got me about 16 miles a gallon. I drive about 130 miles round trip every day, so you can imagine I'm loving the new mileage! So far I'm getting 48.4 mpg. I can't wait to share my news and pick the brains of the experts here.
So Mr.-used-to-BMW-quality, how are you liking the Prius? Do you feel like it's a step down in any way?
Well, it's like apples and oranges. Everything is different; some in the plus column some in the negative column. In the negative column: 1) I hate the feel of the steering wheel. It feels like the cheapest foam compressed rubber imaginable. I've remedied that by ordering a wheelskins perforated cover. That should be arriving soon. 2. The center screen could be designed a bit better and look less like an old atari computer screen lol. The Prius is mainstream now, it could look more mainstream and still be a Prius. Sames goes for the gearshift lever. Makes it look like a toy. 3. Better materials for the interior would have improved the car greatly at very little additional cost. Positives: 1. I love watching the mileage as my hybrid driving habits improve. 2. I actually like the looks of the car. I have running battles with people who say that they hate the Prius. But I think that's more of them trying to justify driving a gas hog SUV. I like my car. The BMW felt more solid that's for sure. But I know the crash ratings are good for this car and that makes me feel good. I drive this car in Los Angeles freeway traffic and believe me, this car keeps up with every other car on the road!!!
I have had my 'new' 2007 Prius for just over a year. I used to drive a 2004 VW Passat, drove it 16,563 miles in 3 years and 3 weeks. I never really "bonded" with the VW, although I still love & own & drive my first new car, a 1978 VW Rabbit. I visited a buddy in Florida a year ago, we drove a 500 mile round trip from Sarasota to St Augustine, and I fell in love with his car! I was driving my new Prius 3 weeks after I returned home - Bought it on 02/11/2007, and have all of 5396 miles on it.. So far, I LOVE just about everything about this car! I am back for a visit in Florida. We had to take my buddy's 2006 Prius in for a new under-hood water pump, his was squawking when he first turned on the car. Other than that, he has had no problems with his 2006 with 34,000 miles on it in 3 years.
