Is Prius an Econobox?

Toyota's got a lot on their plate with this car and others - they're working to be green with eco plastics. It will get better. Heck the Civic in on 9th generation! Accord, 8th. Corolla 8th?

Prius is like a college freshman, it's on its way, but still getting refined

 

Can still get a GTI with leather. Yum, that's a 'driver's car'. Damn they do the ergos weil

 

The cheap interior is necessary to keep the price down. There is a lot of necessary expensive tech required to make the HSD system work, they needed to cut corners someplace. I have no objections to where they cut costs, but my dealer was out of Kool-Aid the day I bought mine, so I can still see the cheap plastic.

They also found out that if they put some bits of leather in the sea of hard plastic and add some gadgets and bling in the high end models they can not only charge a lot more, they will have customers calling it a luxury car.

 

Without us lowly jealous Prius II owners (oh the shame), how would you possibly feel good about your Prius V?

I don't think lumping us in a group is very smart.

You at the other end of the spectrum are acting just as silly.

I'm not jealous of the V or their owners. I could have afforded to buy one, but I didn't. That doesn't make me jealous, just cheap. I'm willing to admit it.

Now perhaps you should admit that you have a need to own the greatest, or have a need to always one-up someone else? You do seem fixated on how great and wise your decision was, in the face of others. You seem to look down upon people quite a bit.

Are you just sad that your V has to share the same body and platform as the II-IV. It's a crying shame that there's not a giant bumper sticker on your V that says "This car is $35,000, not an econobox".

 

All last year Thai, Toyota Sunnyvale was ad'ing the Prius V for about $27,900, no ATP, like 5 or so at that cost. They're a very straight up dealer.

that was when they'd have like 100 Prius in stock any time. Now, 13 in stock. Bummer.

other than that, it's really tough to get a 'perfect' car, IMO. It seems there's usually some weak area in the car. Prius is very good, but has some weaknesses.

Cars like an Accord EX-L are so freakin' dialed in interiorwise, but they suck gas, and have some other weaknesses too.

I suppose luxury cars eliminate just about all the weaknesses, at a high cost.

 

None better .... at almost any price range ... at least the ones a few years ago ... and maybe even on the current upscale trim levels. VW is getting a lot of heat for cheapening the tactile qualities of their interiors and switchgear this year. From what I've read NVH is up considerably.

I tested a Jetta TDI, but couldn't get past VW's spotty quality and repair issues.

As many have said here ... maybe even you CD !

The VW is the car you want to DRIVE, the Prius is the car you want to OWN.

REV

 

What are some of the major things you'd like to see improved on the Prius, Thai?

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh .... thai may be listening .... LOL


REV

 

Not to be a Honda fanboy, but go sit in a Honda Accord EX-L, brand new. Reason I say that is it is very comparably priced to Prius. Just sit in it and get comfortable. better yet, drive it around. Very refined car at that price point.

This is where the Prius needs to get to - being very refined so that there's very, very little to pick on.

Then again, some pick on Accord's base model seating, so options make a difference.

 

J/C What's wrong with the V seating for you? You mean mechanical adjustment 'ruins it'?

I like the 270W system in the coupe. It's over the Pri JBL a little bit, to me.

btw, most of Accord noise is from the tires, need to insulate wheels wells I suppose.

--------------------------------
I think it's right on with a powereded seat. Even if it only powered on the seat bottom which seems to be a huge hassle for many to get just the right tilt. Seatback can still be mechanical to save weight from a motor there.

I totally vote for powered driver's seat in 2016 Prius leather models.

 

So now you bought it out of necessity, not out of desire.

If you need the V out of necessity, then why do you care if its an econobox, not an econobox, luxury car or whatever.

That's the point.

 

CR not showing bad Accord tranny since 2003. I'll keep eye on that, and brakes.

 

What is it about the V that makes it a necessity for you?