Prius or iQ. Opinions please.

Way to go Bret! The Lexus forums are even more active than PC.

 

No way dude, electric blue! Anyways I'm not buying a Lexus until my Prius dies. Im willing to wait 15-20 years. That way

-I wont have more than 1 car at a time (I feel that's wasteful)
-Ill have the money
-Itll be electric, hopefully

 

What's price on the iQ?

I assume in any case it's cheaper to operate. For that you'll be down to 3 seats, less hauling capacity, less safety (physics alone dictate that due to its low weight it will fare worse than a Prius in a multi-vehicle accident, all other things equal).

The Prius is a capable, real midsize car. The iQ seems more a commuter with some real drawbacks (notably its size), but again it depends what you're looking for. Maybe its size is ok for you. For me it wouldn't be so I simply couldn't consider it anyway.

I safely assume that the Prius is more capable on the highway and despite the seeming power to weight ratio similar on the highway all that really matters is power; you're overcoming drag, not weight when at high speeds. This is why small cars that compare favorably with more beefy exotics may do just as well at 0-60 they get trounced at the truly ridiculous autobahn type speeds--they simply lack the power to overcome the wind resistance.

Surely that's a single vehicle accident. Also, a 5 star in an econobox and a 5 star in a 6000 lb SUV don't mean the same; don't assume that a head-on in both would leave occupants at even odds.

Quantifiably, your odds of survival would increase in the Prius. because your additional mass with result in your decelerating slower. E.g. a 5500 lb SUV is at a disadvantage to a 6000 lb SUV but closer to even odds than a 5000 lb SUV, or 4000 lb, or a 900 lb prototypical carbon fiber little race car, which will hit that SUV very much like a bird hitting an airplane.

 

The IQ is NOT in the same league as the Prius - period.

The IQ is however, very well appointed for a city car.

Horses for courses and it won't suit everybody. Here in the UK my girlfriend said the Prius would be too big for her to try and park and as such the IQ was ideal. In the US the Prius is small and the IQ tiny.

As someone said earlier, the IQ isn't as safe as an SUV but still safer than a motorbike and people still buy those. It's small, it's quirky and FUN, but it HAS limitations.

 

Here's the opinion from another member who has owned both cars (hence the username)

The advantages of the iQ in Europe do not apply in the US. I much prefer iQ to Prius in Europe because of the tiny turn radius and length which makes it great in cities. Scratch that. Makes it absolutely awesome in big cities. I have the diesel with 6 spd., which makes it fast and great out on the big roads as well. The iQ drives really well and does not get unstable at high speeds. If you have tried a Smart, this might seem unrealistic, but try it out if you are in doubt.

In the US you are restricted to the least efficient engine (the 1.33 petrol) mated with the worst gearbox (CVT is great in a Prius, not so much in an iQ). You will rarely get any advantages of the short length and the tight turning radius isn't needed.
Then you have the (mainly) SUV drivers who tend to behave very poorly towards small cars, making highway driving less pleasant (Can't say if this is true in all states).

The iQ will be cheaper because of the low initial price, but Prius is better suited for the US environment, especially in states where the roads are full of potholes.

Regarding safety. The iQ has better active safety than the Prius. It handles better in emergency situations (trust me on this), is easier to get out of tight situations and brakes better.
The Prius beats it in once you get into an accident due to the higher weight (good in vehicle on vehicle accidents) and longer front (always good).

 

Since in most emergency situations a driver simply slams the brakes and hopes something bad doesn't happen I'd still rather be in the car that ultimately fares better in the crash. This reasoning doesn't carry into certain active safety systems like stability control, though.

The Prius has an amazing-I mean it--turning radius. The iQ would be a dream in parking lots since the Prius is already so good.

 

While both are good cars, you're comparing a sub-compact with a mid-sized sedan.
While driving on American roads surrounded by full sized pickups, SUV's and semi trucks I'll not drive anything smaller than a mid-sized sedan.
Fortunately for all of us you can buy a mid-sized sedan that gets the mileage a Prius does.