Prius-my opinion- My feelings after 4-5k miles (negative) sorry.

I understand, your entitled to your opinion, but really, it's not as bad as you make it sound. I know you just came out of an Audi in all, but you have to give the Prius some credit.

 

I understand what you ar esaying. I've got two weeks into my Prius and yes in some ways it is unrefined compared to many traditional cars. You do not even need to jump up to the Audi price level, a lot of mid-$20,000 cars feel a lot more expensive than the Prius. Point taken.

It sounds like you would have been much happier with a light hybrid, something that got slightly better gas mileage, but still felt in all respects like a "normal" car. Full hybrids are not for everyone. Before I bought my Prius, I wondered why people would buy a light hybrid with very meager mileage improvements, when they could get the real thing and save lots of gas. But it makes sense now to me, most people want what they have now without making the trade-offs that a full hybrid requires.

 

I respect your opinion, and some points are valid, but coming from an Audi or other luxury class to a base Prius II yer gonna notice some cheaper feeling surroundings!

And it isn't Sudden Acceleration! That is another car, another situation! You experienced a transition between regen and friction braking!

You don't like new car smell, ok!

 

To the OP, you have a few valid points but let me ask you this, "what is the reason why you gave up a luxury car foe a prius?" it's definitely not for the luxury you have in your Audi. And I don't know what you mean when you say the car feels clanky at speeds over 60mph? I've driven the car for over 10k in less than 5 months I owned it and took it for a 3000 miles road trip with speeds at 90 mph without any issues. STOP COMPARING APLES TO PEARS FOR THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.

 

Normal regenerative braking behavior, and it's not actually sudden acceleration.

That bad for you? I thought it had the weakest new car smell of all the new cars I've purchased.

It's a Toyota, not a Lexus.

I can think of other worse qualities, ride harshness, crappy NAV display, etc.

Maybe you should have gone with the 17"-wheel V, especially coming from Audi.

You do know you can have a dealer turn them off?

Sounds like you're pushing it rather hard for a Prius. Maybe you're so used to high powered cars, but I've always found it pretty fast in the Power mode for the few times I was in a hurry (and my first car was a 1990 Mustang GT 5.0). Also thought it cornered extremely well and never felt unstable on the freeway, but then again I have the 17"-wheel Prius.

 

You went from an Audi to a base Prius? As stated this is not a fair comparison. Please sell your Prius to someone who cares.

 

As most have noted, you have some valid points. Toyota really did a very poor job with the interior materials. But, I have never had any issues with the stability or structural soundness of the vehicle at highway speeds or any speed for that matter. Cornering is level with great tire grip and control and the Power Mode certainly produces sufficient acceleration for nearly any situation.
This isn't a muscle-car, a dragster or luxury vehicle so one can't expect those qualities.
My wife and I find the seats very comfortable for even long trips and the car's hatchback design is extremely functional.
I've had my Prius IV for a little over a year and have close to 14,000 miles on it and still love it.....with whatever faults it has.
Personally I feel the positives far outweigh the negatives.

 

I have an Audi A4 and a Prius. I can appreciate some of your issues. We considered another Audi before going with the Prius a year ago. Yes, they are very different cars so there are trade-offs. Having both side by side in the driveway, here's my take on the two:

1. I bought the IV package to get the lumbar support and leather which makes a difference to me in the comfort on long drives. Both cars are good, but the Prius gets the nod for mpg so we take it instead of the Audi on long drives.
2. Are you driving in Eco mode? I switched to Normal mode as my standard and find that's easier on the foot so its less stress long drives. You may even prefer Power mode. So like #1, this becomes a non-issue when deciding which car to take on long drives.
3. Yes, the Prius is slower off the line than the Audi but I recently had plenty of oomph to pass an Audi and FritoLay delivery tructk going up a hill in VT. I have no problems doing 75 on the highway. I'm not sure why you find it unstable over 60mph, could you need an alignment?
4. Yes, the handling in the Audi is much better (and more fun). Since I'm not often in situations where I can take real advantage of the Audi (powering through nice curvy roads is my favorite) I'm ok with the Prius most of the time. It was one of the things we knew would be different when we decided to get the Prius.
5. I agree, the breaking over bumps situation in the Prius is un-nerving. I don't like it, but I've come to anticipate it. It happens only at slow speeds so I don't see it as a safety issue. I consider it an annoyance that doesn't happen very often.
6. You can have the seatbelt beep turned off. I just put my seat belt on so it doesn't bother me. My Audi beeps too. I don't have an issue with this.
7. My Prius gets better mileage, has more storage space and better predicted reliability (repairs to my Audi are always $$$). I'm not a big fan of the plastics in the Prius (and don't have the nasty smell you refer to) but overall it wasn't worth the extra $10K to get another Audi.

Those were our choices, yours may vary. Not all cars work for everyone.

 

First all, ranting on a Prius in a Prius lovin forum will result in either negative comments thrown at you or to persuade you to think other wise.

I do not know after driving the Prius for the first 4-5k miles . I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I love the gas mileage. On the other, I suddenly realized I am driving a piece of cheap junk.
To me a II is classified as a cheap junk which is what you bought.The Prius is made to achieve 50mpg and be affordable by pretty much any means necessary. With that, there are priorities, keeping the weight down and using low cost materials to offset the high cost of sophisticated drive train. there's less sound insulation so road noise is more noticeable than let's say a Camry. I remember reading that at one point the pre-production Prius weighted 200 lbs more than the production target of less than 3050 lbs. They had to cut materials to get the weight down. With the cost of developing the drive-train other features or materials had to to be sacrificed. This result in a vehicle characteristic of a cheap car. After riding in my friends C300 for an hour then hopped into my Prius it does feel cheap. But then, Prius can't really be compared to a Mercedes now can it?

To be honest, the car is unsafe to drive after 60 mph. It feels clanky, and too light the car shakes in the freeway when u drive over 60 mph.
Prius is not unsafe to drive, even at high speed. There are members here take the Prius to its limit. I believe at 115mph. I don't get why people buy a Prius and drive it like a high performance car. It's not a race car. Its a Prius. It's made to save gas not haul nice person. That's like driving an F350 with a V10 and expect it to return 50mpg then say it feels too heavy. I normally follow the speed limit. If I don't pay attention to the dash, more often than not, it creeps up as fast as 95mph and I wouldn't even know it until I looked at the speedometer again. Had the Prius shown any signed of vibration, shaking I would have slowed down.

I do try to drive 80 mph in the freeway. And another negative is that you feel the miles you drive with this car.With my Audi I never felt the miles wear on you, because the car was quality, great control , and had great performance.
You cant compare an Audi against a Prius not even the cheap A3 or A4 against a Prius V. The Prius II and the III lack lumbar support so it'll make driving long trips not as pleasant as a IV or a V which do have leather and lumbar support.

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't pick a Toyota, or a Prius.
The Prius is not for everyone. My brother had always wanted a Prius. I took him out for a drive in a way to get 55mpg. He didn't like the slow acceleration nor the pulse and glide method. After 15 miles I got 57mpg. He then drove 15 miles the way he normally drives his TSX and got 41mpg. After he drove it, he changed his mind and said what a let down the Prius was.

Another proof that this car is a piece of junk. Let's list the Cons first because it was first that came to mind.


1) I experienced sudden acceleration when i was braking over an uneven road (minor but still... this is 2010... on a hybrid which is sposed to be the leader in technology)
Speaking of technology, there are only a handful of cars on the market right now that's capable of driving a mile without using any gas after a few brakes from 50 to a stop. While on the subject of braking, The regen brakes on the Prius can slow down the car without even touching the friction brakes. Many Prius owners have gone over 100k before replacing the brake pads. What you experienced is not sudden acceleration. It's the lack of forward feeling when regen braking over uneven road. A true sudden acceleration would result in increase in speed while applying the brakes and verified by the speedometer.

2) The nasty plastic car/chair smell never goes away even with driving it over 6 months. Makes my shirt smell like plastic or gasoline. Its bad. But i went to bed bath n beyond and got a nice freshener.
I can't speak on the smell of the II but the V's new car smell is great. It's wearing off after 7 weeks of driving. It's a shame because everyone who sat in it loved the smell.

3) The inside is all made out of cheap junk. Plastic plastic on and plastic!
The 2010 Prius uses plant-derived, carbon-neutral plastics, known as “ecological plastic,†in the seat cushion foam, cowl side trim, scuff plates, and deck trim cover. Ecological plastic emits less CO2 and helps reduce petroleum use. The II and the III have plastic A and B pillars The IV and the V have mousefur pillars so less plasticky for the higher end Prius.

4) the steering wheel sucks and feels like sandpaper.
the IV and the V have leather wrapped steering wheel and feels really nice.

5) handling sucks due to steering wheel and small tires.
Handling sucks?? I'm beginning to think that you're driving the Prius like a sports car. The V has faster turning ratio and 17'' rims. The handling on it pretty good. .82G for the V vs .78G for the II, III, IV. Granted it's no Viper but it's pretty damn good for regular car. The money you've saved buying a II you could upgrade the sway bar, add some strut braces and 18'' rims. That'll improve the handling beyond the V.

6)the seatbelt beep is a headache! one of the many worst things abt this car. Reverse beep is less of a stressor but still is.
The seat belt beeps only when driven above 12mph which tells me that you drive without wearing the seatbelt. It's not the Prius that's dangerous. It's you. If it annoys you so much, take it to the dealer and have them programmed off. It's free.

7) Stuff i mentioned above.

Pros

1) it looks decent. The design is good. chair space, trunk, inside spacious.
Can't argue with that though I thought the trunk is a little too small

2) Gas mileage. Just filled up twice going from LA to SF. $40. took me 5 and a half hours. (Fast for a prius)
Indeed fast for a Prius. But again this brings up the driving habit. The Prius is no Audi. Why 2 fill ups? I've driven from Bakersfield to San Diego and back with 1 tank and still had 3 bars on the the gas gauge.


3) Woops con again- I felt the miles driving the prius from la to SF, just because stepping on the gas is a pain . car cant accelerate much, until it drops
Stepping on gas is a pain? Does the II not come with cruise control? I drove to LA and SD all the time with cruise. The longest distance I've driven on a cruise is about 75 miles without stepping on the gas or the brakes. I just sat in the seat and hold the steering wheel while it drove. As for the lack of acceleration, there's the PWR mode that you can try. If that still doesn't have the get up and go, then you're seriously driving it like a race car.

4) back to pros- Its a decent city car. Long distance and high speeds is tiring and dangerous. the car is so unstable at high speeds.
I still don't understand the high speed instability. Does it weave across 3 lanes when you pass by a big rig at 80mph? When you parked on the side of the freeway, did the car felt like it's gonna flip over when a big rig pass by you? This is not limited to the Prius you know. I was in my friends Suburban. We parked on the side of the freeway. A big rig passed by us. I could have sworn that the Suburban felt like it's gonna flip over.

Take it how you want it. Just one persons opinion.
It's clearly that you're comparing a low end bone stock Prius II against a higher end, luxury car and driving it like a sports car. The Prius II is neither. In fact, none of the Priora are. The only that came close is the V. At that price you could have stayed with an Audi.

 

As other posters have written, accept the differences in the interior since it's a Toyota. Comparing an Audi with a Toyota is like comparing a VW with a Lexus.

There are occasionally rattles from the interior which is really where the "cheapness" is noticeable. Based on PC posts most of those rattles can be resolved with small mods if you really want them gone.

We don't see any problem in stability but we don't drive at 80. It's been driven up to 75mph without any noticeable issue. In fact people riding in the Prius have commented how smooth it is. Have you checked your tire pressures are even and had your alignment checked?

My wife is bothered more by the lack of "easy" power while I am not. When you "need" the extra power you have to press the pedal more than in our Civic so I'm not surprised you'd feel it's different from an Audi. The aural feedback from the Prius exacerbates the effect: it encouraged my wife to drop her interstate speed from 70 to 65 because 70 puts it into the red zone too much on the steeper hills of the rolling interstate here.

The "robotic" steering is, I believe, a Toyota thing. It's a common reason for people not to buy Toyotas.

What I don't understand about your complaints is that every single one except the loss of braking ("unintended acceleration") should have been noticeable during your test drive, yet you bought the car anyway.

 

I just went from 200HP Volvo to a 2nd Gen Prius. It's different that's for sure. But I drive it differently and expect differences. Of course the prius feels and is light (that's the benefit). The prius rides very smooth, acceleration under 30 MPH is great (not if you want to go from 60-80MPH, but I don't want that when I'm driving the prius...).

 

The OP needs to buy that Hybrid from BMW or the other German company, that gets 15 city 18 highway. then they can drive a hybrid that feels like a 60k car. Problem solved.

 

We had two large cars in our family, an SUV and an Infiniti M35. Both use premium fuel and we have never worried about the price of gasoline anyway. Since we tended to use the SUV for trips, and the fact that I'm a gadget nut anyway, we decided to go "green" at least for in-town driving. I knew that coming from an M35 to a Prius would be a major adjustment. For that reason, I purchased a fully loaded Prius V to keep as many creature comforts as possible. The ride, beleive it or not, is not that much different. Sport suspension on M35 vs 17 inch wheels on Prius not a big downgrade in comfort. The leather seats are comparable but I agree the eco-materials used on the dash and side panels are not as warm. I haven't found acceleration to be a dissapointment, although certainly nowhere near the extreme of the M35. As far as cruising at 70 or 80 on the highway, the Prius seems to prefer it! It is solid and I have never felt any vibrations or instability. I have been quite pleased in not finding as much differnce as one would expect coming from a luxury vehicle to one near half its price. I do think you may have been more satisifed with the V coming from an Audi. Have your tire air pressure, balance and alignment checked, it may help. Of course, you are the ultimate person that must be satisfied. If you aren't happy, hang on until gasoline tops $3.50 once again and you may sell it at a nice price and get a deal on another Audi at that point. Of course if money is not the issue, you can return to the full comfort and class that you prefer. I am certain that a Prius is not for everyone. Good luck in any case.

 

Lucky lucky you!! gas prices are going up which means your resale value will b awesome.

On another note, we all have transportation needs ran specific requirements at all different levels. No product Meet everyone's needs.

It's too bad that california Is constantly in a budget crunch and allows its drivers 2 ignore the laws concerning speed. I have full confidence that's a strict enforcement would provide the additional revenue the state needs to pay its workers and reduce the amount of traffic fatalities

 

what did you do, have your manservant purchase it for you? tehy have a thing called a TEST DRIVE! would've saved you (and us) a lot of headaches.

 

Its a mix of quality parts, superb engineering, and cheap junk. You should have noticed much of the junk before you bought it.

There are a few things going on here, and much of this negative can be taken care of. First are the low rolling resistance tires and wheels. Swap them out for some light 17" (or 16") rims and some stickier tires and the car gains a lot of confidence. Put your car in power mode and use cruise control. The throttle response is a little awkward so I started using cruise control even in traffic, turning it off and on depending on the situation.

I agree about the new car smell, but hey its gone away in mine and you found a solution for yours. Audi makes great interiors. I noticed the cheap plastic during the test drive, the fusion looked like even cheaper plastic. Nothing you can do about 3, but it was there when you bought it.

you can wrap it with something. I would love an aftermarket that could pop in that didn't feel so low quality. You have to change out those wheels and tires for handling. They even make the suspension suck less, but there is no way to make it a great handling car.

Get the dealer to make it beep less.

 

Hummm, 'LA to Frisco' in 5.5 hours. Using Google Map 381 miles:

• 381/5.5 ~= 70 mph block speed
• 381/6.0 ~= 64 mph
• 381/6.5 ~= 59 mph (Goggle calculated speed)

I think you have the wrong hybrid for high-speed driving. The Lexus models are more likely to fit your driving style and expectations. The bottom of the line, Prius II, is probably not a good match. I understand the top of the line Prius may also be a little more fun at higher speeds but at that price range, look at the Lexus.

Bob Wilson

 

I would love my Prius to be quieter, ride smoother and have a deluxe interior. Other than that, the car is plenty zippy "off the line" and is quite stable at high speed (and I've driven cars that were really scary) All the rest of this rant is BS.

 

The only point I can agree with is the steering wheel