Car & Driver Says Prime Ugly, Too Slow

Car & Driver has their heads up their... If a car doesn't have lots of power or handle like a sports car, they pan it. They don't care about reliability (they have no clue about that) or economy.

 

coming from a 3 series yes the prius is slow. On the flats it moves well through the highways with other cars. I'm often driving in the left lane.

Really the only time for me the prius struggles is up a long graded hill (in HV mode) on the freeway (60+mph) . It is a small engine after all.

 

I'm so-so on the P.Prime's visual appeal. I perceive it to be better than average for recent Toyota designs, the vast majority of which leave me saying, "what the...?!" I very much like the headlights and tail lights, but the black(ish) grill and vertical lights aren't my favorite. On most other Toyotas and Lexus designs, I perceive those two particular features to look absolutely awful.

On the other hand, my wife likes those features and hates the Volt's design, so...

Performance: my P.Prime is not in yet, but I expect it to be about the same as my 2009, but a little slower in EV mode. I'm not a hotrodder (in fact, if anything, I confess to being a somewhat grandmotherly driver!), so I don't expect it performance to be a big concern for me at least.

Still better looking than the Nissan Leaf, in my view. I perceive that Nissan used nature as an inspiration for that design, specifically a toad!

 

I think there were a lot of valid points in the article, and I didn't think that it was especially negative towards the Prime.

First of all, Priuses ARE slow, but they're surprisingly drivable for their lack of ponies under the hood.
With both motors yanking you off of the line, they can seen to be fairly quick from zero to about 20, but then the laws of physics kick in and you have to drive knowing that things like interstate on-ramps will require a little more planning than just stomping on the accelerator.

Granted, I drive a G3, but that's exactly my point!
Last generation's Prius was met by the kids down at C&D with TRUE derision!!!!
This is partially because in addition to some BADLY needed tweaks in road handling, the good folks in Aichi fixed some of the interior feaux-pas as well.
If you put your hackles down you'll notice that they actually said some nice things about the Prime.

As far as styling?
Well.....while it's true that beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes all the way to the bone!!
Is the Prime ugly?
Yes.....to some, but I'm betting that Prime Owners are not of that opinion.

Prime owners should enjoy their cars for what they are, and not worry about what the Volt owners and the car mags say. The true acid test will be which one works best for each owner.

A better test will be which one is still around in 10 years.
I was a little worried about Toyota even offering another PHEV, but the market responds........

 

50 to 70 in 7 seconds is probably verging on dangerous if you intend to pass anyone on a two lane.

 

Pounds per horsepower is a bit worse. Overall horsepower the same, comparing with base model weights:

 

No it's not. I do it regularly since my route to work is on a regular truck route due to the fact that my office's neighbor is a rock mine. Passing those trucks on that two-lane road is so easy I never even floor the pedal, and that's with a 2004 at 6,000 feet of altitude.

You'll do better at this if you know what you're doing. One time I passed a half a mile of bumper-to-bumper 40mph old-timers (cars and people) on a 65mph road.

 

if you find the prime ugly or too slow, buy a volt.
but there a re a myriad of other factors that go into car buying decision making.

do your due diligence so you don't get buyers remorse.
start by studying all the features of both cars across all packages, then test drive each. analyze how many ev miles you need on a charge, and what mpg rating you prefer.

then make your best deal on the one you prefer, or both, if it's a tie.
all the best!

 

I pass from 70-90 mph on two lane roads. Even 18 wheelers. The car has adequate power to pass.

 

I just recall this, my friend had a 2005 Camry with the V6. It's 0 to 60 time was faster than some of those iconic pony cars of the past, and it surely handled better.
Very few cars available for sale today suffer from being under powered.

 

You can't imagine how much it cost me to get Car & Driver to print that article. You see, if people go for the Volt then Primes will make their way to the Midwest sooner. It is pure evil genius. WooHaa.

 

Maybe I'm odd, but I didn't buy my Prius based on looks. In fact, the past 10 years, none of my vehicles were purchased based upon looks. Though I do realize it is a huge factor for many buyers.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

The Prime will be faster than the previous generation Prius years.

 

For whatever it's worth, here in Austin TX, there are some pretty-steep climbs, and I've found my 2009 Prius to do quite well on those climbs. Electric motors do have a lot of low-end torque, after all.

 

My Prius is absolutely the fastest vehicle in my company's parking lot. I easily double or triple the speeds of any BMW or Mustang. Fact is, I'm driving solo in the HOV lane. They put up a good show speeding up to the freeway metering lights as I slide by them in the empty HOV lane. They pay $5 to cross the bridge. I pay HOV discounted $2.50. And while they pull into a gas station near their home, I'll pull into my garage and plug my car in.

They can enjoy their stop light races. I'll enjoy more time with my family.

 

Not a big factor for me either. I mostly want a reliable most-of-the-time EV with no range limit (practically speaking).

I do like the headlights and tail lights though, and while I didn't like the white accents on the steering wheel and shifter, they're starting to grow on me. Still not sure...

 

my wife loved the white accents and glossy black. though they would be much esker to clean than the textured plastics.

 

About those accents ... I was wondering how easy it would be to pry them off for a little painting session ;-)

 

I have no trouble on two lane roads. The ONE time I felt under powered I pulled out to pass a harvester only to discover there were 5 in line. I was out there for a while but was going 95 when I pulled back in my lane.