is there any downside to a prius?

Sorry, I was assuming '04-'05.

 

From other posts:

Seats lack sufficient rearward travel, and have no upward tilt on leading edge of bottom cushion=real problem for tallish drivers on longish trips! Perhaps the electric adjustable seatc rummroed as option in "06 will remedy this--if I can retro-fit one!

And from me, today. My black paint adds scratches like the government adds debt. More every day!

 

deh2K: Sorry about that. Big fingers, little keyboard. Its my typiong . . .

 

It won't hold seven people, beat a corvette off the line , tool off road, or tow a fifth wheel! What do you expect? It's a mid size transportation car that gets tremendous mileage and is fun to drive.

 

What do I expect? The advanced technology of the Prius PLUS the interior design one gets in a Corolla or, dare I say it, a Civic or a Golf!! I wouldn't trade my Prius for any of them, BUT the presence of the former is NOT (IMHO) justification for the latter, Ron.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonnycat26\";p=\"100171)</div>

I guess this must be relative. A friend and co-worker who used to have an Acura complains about exactly the same thing (he's having some process done -- I forget the name at the moment -- to insulate sound in the Prius' paneling).

However, coming straight to the Prius from an old '87 Civic, I find it refreshingly quiet.

I would think BMW drivers would find the Prius noisy -- the few I've been in have been damn near silent.

 

I find the maximum weight limit to be a bit confining. The manual says it has a 825 pound passenger and cargo limit. It also claims to be a five passenger vehicle. The manual explicitly justifies the 825 pound weight limit in regards to 5 passengers by making the assumption that the average weight per passenger is 150 pounds. Obviously, it was designed with Japenese passengers in mind.

I'm 5' 11" and weight 225 pounds. I do have a bit of a "beer gut", but I definitely wouldn't qualify as grossly overweight. However, four of me would exceed the weight limit by nearly 10%.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kirbinster\";p=\"100208)</div>

This must be different for different people. It's a bit high for me. But then, I'm short.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bookrats\";p=\"100463)</div>

If you could find out how much it's costing him, I'd appreciate it.

 

Only major downside I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is the the scarcity of Prii make a replacement a dicey proposition if your car is totalled. I thought of this when I discovered that my Prius had been hit (and ran) overnight to the tune of about 6k in damage. My first thought was, "Oh God, how would I replace it with the waiting lists getting longer daily?"
Have fun.
Bob

 

Maintenance:
The plugs and coolant need to be changed at 100-120K. Coolant is more involved than in a traditional car, especially with the thermos bottle. You have to be sure the inverter cooling system is properly purged of all air or it may be damaged.

Batteries for the classic have held up quite well. Too soon to tell for G2.

Although not addressed in maintenance as when to actually change it, you should probably change the tranny fluid at 60-100K. It doesn't get the same heavy use as a traditional auto tranny. It's more like a manual transmission with long life ATF, except not gear shifting to cause any grinding wear, and no hydraulic controls to get clogged.

Brake system is also more involved if it needs bleeding, but simple brake shoe/pad change should be standard stuff, but would need to be done way less often because of regen braking. Perhaps the life of the car.

 

I have one (really only ONE) complaint and that is the low clearance. Of course I'm coming from a Landcruiser but I've yet to get used to it. 3 times I've hit the "bottom". The first I posed about where that strip came off (I did get it fixed), second I ran up on a broken down curb, my teenager is learning to drive and she ran over a curb both front and back wheels. So unforgiving -

This car is pretty easy to drive for a new learner - I just wish it had an emergency brake in the middle so I'd feel a little safer in the passenger seat when my teeny daughter's foot slips off the brake pedal.

 

The only downside I have experienced is the need to log my mileage on an Excel spread sheet and depression when I go below 54 mpg.