Prius or iQ. Opinions please.

I wouldn't bother with the iQ. It's underpowered and you can bet it will ride with shaky handling. If you're going to go the underpowered route get the Prius. At least it's a symbol and gets better gas mileage. If you're really a Toyota enthusiast, wait for the new Celica.

 

Prius for sure, definately a much safer car.

 

You wouldn't catch me in one of those micro cars. Get the Prius. It's a much more sensible vehicle and it HAS to be safer.

 

We've got both. I've got the Prius and my girlfriend replaced her Civic with an IQ about 3 months ago and she loves it.

Whether it would work in the US I'm not sure. It is a tiny car here in Europe where we're already used to small cars. The turning circle is fantastic (and I mean it pretty much turns on itself) and it drives very nicely at 70mph on the motorway, though gets a little breathless at 80 mph, though hers is the 1.0 automatic.

Now the car looks small, but appears and feels much larger when you're actually sat inside it (unlike many small cars). Rear seats are only for children or very short journeys for adults OR luggage but not both. But you buy the car understanding this and for us it's the flexibility that appeals - luggage room with the seats folded and then seats up when I get my kids at the weekend.

The fuel economy is pretty much on a par with the Prius but the ride is much harsher on bumpier roads, though ok on the smooth. I suppose you'll get this with a 'wheel at each corner' type of small car. The IQ is a city car through and through and this is where it excels. You can park in places and squeeze through gaps you could never dream of in any other car. Guess it depends if that's important to you?

The Prius ticks more boxes and is a good all rounder, but the IQ wins on fun and quirky design. Guess it depends on your circumstances but my girlfriend says it's the best, most fun to drive car she has ever had and she has no worries parking -which is important for her job.

Oh, and it gets the full 5 stars on the Euro NCAP rating; http://www.euroncap.com/results/toyota/IQ/347.aspx

New Toyota IQ Car Review - Parker's

 

Haven't seen any numbers in the iQ---so I cannot offer much in the way of an educated opinion.

You'll probably be able to rent a Prius for a weekend though---just to see if the G3 is a good fit for you.

Good Luck!
Let us know how it shakes out.

 

If money isn't an issue, and you don't live in an old European city where only tiny cars fit, I can't imagine choosing the IQ over the Prius. The IQ is designed for one thing: transportation of one or two people over short distances. The Prius, as a mid-size hatch, is much more versatile. You can take more passengers, haul your stuff, and it will be much more competent on the open road than a twitchy short-wheelbase 2-seater. I would be willing to bet that the larger Prius will get better fuel economy, too.

 

I grew up in Cambridge, MA and would definitely consider the IQ if I were still living there or in another city where parking was at a premium. I live in the suburbs these days so parking is really not an issue - based on that the IQ would not even be on my list.

 

+1

My next car will be a Prius....unless another more affordable and efficient (EV or HEV) comes along before I pull the trigger on my next car...

 

You could consider a Yaris, it's not a class leader but it's not bad either, and from what I've seen you could get a very good deal on one. The two door is small-ish and not as crashworthy as, say, the Fit, but it's OK and like I said, not too terribly expensive. And mpg is pretty darn good, not Prius level but not bad. But it doesn't make a statement, it just gets you from one place to another.

 

I did test drive IQ when I was planning to buy my Prius. You can’t really compare these cars. And I strongly recommend to test drive IQ before buy it.

IQ is fun and cool car, but I can’t imagine driving with it to outside the city.

 

Macmaster - have you ever driven one? based on what information you write this type of statements?

• The iQ weighs 1000kg (450kg less than the Prius), has 98HP (the 1.3L engine sold in EU; 136HP the Prius) and 123Nm torque (vs 142Nm of the Prius). Which means the iQ has actually more power/HP and torque per kg compared to the Prius - far from being underpowered...
• 0-100km/h in 11.6secs and max speed of 170km/h. The Prius doesn't do much better (10.4secs and 180km/h).
• 16" 175/60 wheels (vs 195/65 R15 of the Prius).
• 1680mm wide vs 1745mm (the Prius is only 4% wider).
• NCAP star rating of 5 out of 5 like the Prius.

So now - who is "underpowered" and will "ride with shaky handling"? the iQ or the Prius - or are both actually very similar? have you ever driven one?
How can you make such unsubstantiated claims? Please refrain from making "absolute" statements without backing them up with facts.
:focus:

Now, back to the OP. I agree with Grumpycabbie and AkustaVirtaa (who *did* drive the iQ).

I would consider overall buying costs, insurance and tax costs and fuel consumption on the daily commute and check if that is considerably better than the Prius. Options offered on this car are also pretty good, considering its size. This is where all (reasonable) comparisons end.
Comparing the Prius vs the iQ based on size, ride confort, etc. is a bit of a mistake.

The iQ is essentially a city car, aimed to those having issues with parking - and designed with that in mind. If parking is not an issue, the iQ (depending on overall cost of ownership vs the Prius) might not be a good idea. It is certainly a fun car to drive and likely you will leave many people waiting at the traffic light if you stomp on the accelerator (test drive it to get an idea).

Driving it for long trips (>3hrs) on the highway, might not be a good idea, mainly due to comfort - it is not designed for that. But it will do you good on shorter suburban trips.

As with the regards with fuel consumption, in EU it is rated as 4.5/6.4/5.2 L/100km for suburban, city, combined (respectively). Not bad considering that the engine is a normal gas engine, with almost 100HP. Surely FE will sink down if you stop on the accelerator.

As for safety, it is just as safe as a Prius (see NCAP rating).
Its looks clearly might lead you into thinking otherwise: but if a 3 tonne SUV rams you, a 400kg heavier Prius will not save you anymore than a 1 tonne iQ. The problem is the SUV, not the iQ. You would need another 3 tonne SUV to survive.

 

To me the Smart is attractive in a novelty/fun/image sort of way...I just want to drive it to see what it is like to drive. Looking at it simply makes me feel younger. I don't get the same feeling looking at the IQ though when I see one in the flesh I may take my words back.

The Prius is attractive to me in a very different way than the Smart (and possibly the IQ). If like me you wanted to save money and do something for the Earth while still pretending at least that your ride is somewhat cool...then you will get a Prius...though I warn you the only person who has ever come up to me an asked me about my cool ride was one scary dude!...I imagine at least one hot babe would wink at me in a Smart...Maybe an IQ would do that for me also...I just do not know...

 

LOL @ packitt. Take it easy. I never said the Prius has a higher power to weight ratio. "Underpowered" is a subjective claim. The iq is still weak like the Prius. But at least the Prius makes a statement and works adaquetly as a DD. BTW, the iq specs you listed proved my point.

 

This is just wrong. You can't compare safety ratings for vehicles of different weight classes. Take a look at this crash test:

The test compares the Honda Fit (1084kg) to the Honda Accord (1459kg, US spec). Both are rated by the IIHS as "good" in this type of crash against a similarly sized car to themselves. But as you can see the weight difference between them makes a dramatic difference.

The Prius is much, much safer than a supermini like the Smart or iQ. To be fair, the supermini vehicles are still way safer than motorcycles, which a lot of people ride without giving a second thought.

If price is an issue then I would recommend a used 2nd-generation Prius. You can pick up a 2007 or 2008 model with low mileage for under $15k which is less than the cost of basically any new car, and it will get better mileage and be more useful.

If the iQ or Smart were under $10k there would be a much more compelling case for them in my opinion. In Europe the Prius is much more expensive than it is here. There's also less of a used market for the Prius in Europe since the second-generation was not as big of a seller there. Here in the US though there are over 300k gen-2s on the road now and so it's easy to pick one up cheap, particularly since all media coverage about the recalls has driven down prices.

 

Thanks for the pics and iQ information. I had no idea that Toyota has something called the iQ. I'll stay with my Prius however.

Happy Motoring

Tom

 

Hi Betraz,

I have been to Phoenix a few times. And it seemed to get anywhere we were off on the interstates. That metropolitan area is the definition of the word "Sprawl". Unless your going to limit yourself to neighborhood trips only, I cannot see the iQ as an appropriate car for the Phoenix area. Suburb secondary roads , daily commute under 20 miles total daily, that is what the iQ is for. But communting 30 miles one-way in the desert, sharing a 70 mph typical interstate with BIG Suv's and 18 wheelers - too risky.

Go with the Prius. Like you say, there are great deals on the Prius right now.

You might also consider a used Prius, before gas prices shoot up. Get a 2008 with less than 50K, in good shape for about $15K. Spend another $1K for: new tires, a BT Tech (or knockoff ) stiffening plate, the Optima Yellow Top 12 V battery mod and Battery, CHS pump, the Inverter pump waranty, and get the engine water pump done preemptively and your set for at least 5 years/100K miles. The 2nd Gen Prius is ideal for your climate there. The improvements to the 3rd Gen deal mostly with driving considerations we have here in the midwest. And I do like what they have done. But, really not needed in the "Valley of the Sun".

Allot of grannies did by the 2nd Gen Prius. Find one of those...