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

+1

 

I went from a BMW 325 to the Prius III w/nav. My perception of driving changed when gas hit $4.50 a gallon, even when I had the BMW. As CPROAUDIO indicated, I don't understand why anyone would by a Prius and drive it like a high end vehicle. I have almost 20K miles in ten months of driving my 2010 Prius. I knew what I was getting myself into when I purchased the car. It's a great car and I love it, still learning to maximize my MPGs. Great info on this forum.

 

What's up with comparing a non-leather wrapped steering wheel with the leather-wrapped one in the Audi? The OP should have gotten a IV if that was one of his complaints. Furthermore, getting a V with ATP would have eliminated 2 or 3 more major complaints (handling/stability due to small tires and tiring long distance driving). Pretty sure the Audi didn't have adaptive cruise control to make long distance driving a breeze.

I'm not sure why the OP decided to cheap out with a base Prius II if he was coming from Audi.

 

You do not get 50 mpg with a BMW or Audi (or their worse reliability).

I really don't know what you're talking about. Never heard of anybody getting tire, brake and gasoline smell on their shirt.

 

I have been driving since '73, and the Prius has the worst feel for a steering wheel
My 03 pick up is leather wrapped, it has cloth seat, my '97 Sunfire had a nicer wheel, until our Blur & Golf Macraw torn it apart

 

Because yours is non-leather wrapped, big difference from the leather wrapped steering wheel in your 03 pick up. The leather wrapped steering wheel in the IV/V is quite nice IMO, along with the sporty-looking, flattened shape.

 

You need to get alignment done. My Prius (06) is smooth and stable easily at 90 mph.

You may be interested in Lexus CT200h. That car is supposed to handle the best in class.

 

This strikes me as someone who didn't do their due diligence purchasing a new car. It's not the right car for them, but it is the right car for a lot of other people. Sell it and move on.

Tom

 

I don't know where the OP's starting and end points were on his LA to SF trip, but once you get on the stretch of I-5 between the Bay Area and LA, the speed limit is mostly 70 mph (or possibly 75 mph, memory is foggy). If you do the speed limit on that stretch, you will be passed by almost everyone except for big rigs, RVs or those towing trailers. If you stay in the slow lane, you will constantly come up with the above and keep having to go around them.

Long ago (even w/slightly lower speed limits back then), there were NO CHP on I-5 between the Bay Area and LA. There are lots more cops there now. When I did the drives from San Jose <-> LA, I had (and still have a radar detector) and would usually do ~5 mph over the limit, sometimes 10 over, if I were in a pack (and not its leader). Most of the cops would leave their radar guns on so you'd have PLENTY of warning and hide under overpasses. I've had a license since ~1991 and haven't ever gotten a speeding ticket.

IIRC, I've heard of some of my (somewhat nutty) friends doing 80 to 90 mph for most of the I-5 drive.

Once you're in LA and assuming you're not in a traffic jam, people drive very fast and aggressively there (compared to the Bay Area). I distinctly remember a time in 2001 when I was on a stretch of I-5 (not the above mentioned part) where the limit was only 55 mph. I was in the 2nd to slowest lane doing 70+ mph in a 55 mph and was having people zip by in all of the faster lanes.

Although I have no 3rd gen Prius, I disagree that long distance driving is "dangerous", at least not on my 2nd gen. I've had trips where I've racked up 800+ miles in a week (Bay Area to Seattle area including sighseeing in Portland, Bay Area to LA and back w/sightseeing all over LA, Bay Area to Las Vegas and back, etc.)

Yes, I think a Lexus hybrid or maybe a TCH or NAH would've been better suited for the OP. However, the handling on some of these is nothing special.

I've driven numerous luxury cars briefly, had a loaner TCH for ~1.5 days and had a free 1 week test drive of a Lexus HS 250h, on which I put >400 miles on it. My former car, an 02 Nissan Maxima was much more luxurious and had a MUCH smoother suspension (although crap handling) vs. my Prius.

Since my other car is one with excellent handling (Nissan 350Z) and I've driven other cars w/great handling, I can relate. I would HATE to take the Z on a long trip. The road noise, very harsh, bouncy ride and lousy stereo would be punishing.

 

Sorry you're not happy with your new car. I'm very pleased with my V, and my two prior cars were a Lincoln and Cadillac. The V interior isn't elegant, but it's tasteful and pleasant enough (ignoring some curious color choices Toyota made). The ride and handling are surprisingly good for such a small car. The only thing I noticed about the "new car smell" is that the Prius pretty much didn't have one!

Zero regrets for me on the purchase.

 

Everyone is entitled to an opinion ..... but when I read this and that "suck" I am convinced we are dealing with a small mind that has very limited capacity. I had no desire to read any further.

 

Sorry pal. You're a frustrated individual who didn't research their purchase/lease/choice well enough and are bitter about it.

 

I drove 1,000 miles in one day in my Gen II. It was great, other than being a very loooonnng day.

Tom

 

My 2010 IV has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. The leather seats are more comfortable for me than the audi A3 and A4. Test drove both and while they were nice rides -- not worth 7-9k more. My ride is stable and controlled at all speeds. It is exceptionally roomy for a compact and on a recent ride on some country 2 lanes we passed trucks as quickly as I would ever want to go. Put in power mode and blast around those trucks. Way more passing power than I ever expected. Yeah the interior has a lot of hard plastic but since I rarely touch those surfaces I could care less. The versatility of the hatchback, the great rear leg room and the awsome front leather seats sold me on the car. The mpg is fun but not the main reason I bought. Checked out both the A3 and the bmw 328 [I could afford either] but the prius met my needs the best overall, especially entering and exiting the car. Why spend more.You get free maintenance for 2 years with $60 oil changes every 10k after that. That allows allows more dough for things that count in life. Plus reliability is great and if I want , an extended warranty 7 year 70k miles is less than $700. No euro sedan can touch that.

 

i wish i lived near you because i think i could talk you out of that car for a song!

 

The following comment:

...still stands.

Because:

@justaguy: I'm sorry that you'll need to swap cars again.

 

what? you couldn't feel the sandpaper steering wheel on your test drive? oh ya, it changes from smooth in the city to rough on the highway. women use it to file their nails whilst applying makeup!

 

Well, I went from a Ford Focus wagon with 205,000 miles (it was t-boned) to a Prius, so I'm not quite sure whether this opinion counts here.

I have no trouble with acceleration. I find the Prius very stable at interstate speeds.

The Prius does not quite have the capacity of the Focus wagon, but it feels more solid.

I don't regret moving up to a Prius.

 

nope, doesn't count. but you're welcome to your opinion.