For example, at first the center mounted speedometer and other control seemed wrong but once I got used to it, I find that everything is well within my line of sight. I drove my wife’s traditional car the other day and couldn’t stand having to look down to see how fast I was going.

Same thing with the stick shift, at first it seemed ridiculous to have Park as a separate button, but it turns out you rarely need to use Park, so why have it on the shifter? The car goes into Park automatically when you turn it off, and comes out of Park as soon as you shift to Drive or Reverse so the reality is you rarely use it.

Regarding the seats and the seating position. I am 6 feet tall and find the seats very comfortable and the steering wheel easy to reach. I think seats are just one of those subjective things that everyone has a different opinion on. Same thing with the steering, it seems fine to me. I agree the car is slow off the line, but once it is moving the acceleration is very good. It’s not a Camaro, but if you want a car with that amount of acceleration, buy a Camaro. If you are happy with an Accord or a Camry or any other mid-level sedan you’ll find the Prius a joy.

They could have made an electric or hybrid car that has a responsive chassis, or precise steering, or anything that makes it fun to drive. But NO!

It’s as if Toyota went out of its way to create the lamest, gayest car in the history of cars. As a driving enthusiast, it saddens me that this boring lump is selling so well.

Oh, and did I mention that I HATE THE TOYOTA PRIUS?!

So, you think Americans but cars without any regard to their own identity? BS. I’m a techie with a slight green streak…fits me perfectly.
And watch, it is going to get some serious awards this year.

I agree with the other poster this review is just not accurate. Another example is the “ECO” mode is not the default mode as the review stated. It is only if you leave it there when you turn off the engine. The normal mode will be the start up mode if that’s what you left it in the last time you turn off the engine too. Only when you turn off the engine at POWER mode it will not come back at restart, the Normal mode will come up instead.

I also don’t agree with the reviewer’s comment of the car’s driving character. This car has very comfortable ride and the handling is very good for car of this type– I have the V with 17” wheels that probably helps too. BTW my current daily driver is a 07’ Porsche Cayman S and before that it was a 98’ Honda Prelude. I should know how a good handling car is like.

The styling has finally come around. It’s amazing they can make it look as good as it does and still have the lowest drag of any production car. I like the interior. It has visual interest, the seats are comfortable, and the plastics are nice for the price point. It’s got a lot of bells and whistles for 23k. Power everything, cruise control, stability control, hill brake assist, 6 disc changer with 8 speakers and aux jack for my ipod, auto climate control with air conditioning, hands free entry/exit and engine start/stop, Bluetooth, trip computer, a myriad of controls on the steering wheel, ABS, etc.

I average 50mpg on my 70 mile round trip commute that takes me over a mountain pass. What some call a non-engaging drive, I call relaxing. It’s got decent acceleration if you put your foot down. The utility of the hatchback is great. It’s extremely reliable. The resell value is off the charts.

I don’t feel like I’m paying any premium for a buying a hybrid. In fact, I’m very pleased that I can get so much car for the price.

If you must have a sporting drive and can only own one car, is this the car for you? No. But does this car serve the purpose of many? Judging by the sales figures – definitely.

Keep an open mind….
Don’t swallow the .45 calibur bullet!

I’ve driven a Firebird Formula for 12 years and I really enjoyed driving it. But after it passed on, I decided to try something different and purchased a 2010 Prius last week. (I really wanted an electric car, but nothing I desire is available now in my price range.)

So far I really enjoy, yes, driving it, too. Different experience than with my screaming chicken, but it’s comfortable, easy to control, and I have fun with all the gadgets. I’ll let you know if my opinion changes, but so far it has brought a big smile to my face!

As a former military aviator and safety officer, the safety and design aspects of this car are fascinating. Its the closest thing to a heads up display I have seen yet, and the little things support the big things – Toyota thought of everything. Every control is on the steering wheel – so I don’t take my hands off it. I don’t divert my eyes from the road but more than a few degrees. The traction control system is superb and the airbag arrangement ditto. The AT package is expensive, but if it saves our lives some day because it was looking when the driver was distracted, its worth it. We individual drivers can’t control most of the hazards out there…and a few car companies have figured that out. Imagine designing a car that will help the driver avoid an accident, and then support you well in case it happens.

And if data on the car is any indication, it never breaks, the ultimate in economy. Rarely visiting a gas station lets me spend money on things that matter.

I guess it comes down to the reasons we all own cars. To me, cars get me from A to B. I don’t drive cars to replicate flying anymore than I fly aircraft trying to replicate driving. Economic, safe ground transportation is what I care about. Except for its being a midsize car, everything about this vehicle is geared toward safety and economy. My last car was an Acura MDX, also a very safe car. I bought it for its reliabilty and carrying capacity (carpool), and it handles well in the snow and looks great. But I had to turn the dang thing off at long red lights to save gas. “Looks great” gets me nothing at the gas station or sitting in the garage, all that wood grain interior costs money…in fact, I paid a lot for stuff that doesn’t support my mission statement for a car. Was real glad it had the highest resale in its class…so I could use the money from the sale to buy the Prius…a straight up trade – 2007 Acura MDX for 2010 Prius V with the AT package.

I guess I missed the mid-life crisis thing – rats.

1) Dislike of oil-producing Middle Eastern countries. I don’t necessarily think I’ll save money overall (car + fuel) by purchasing a Prius. But I’d rather give an innovative Japanese company $1.05 of my money than spend $1 on gas, with some of that dollar going to countries that support radical Islamists aiming to destroy Western civilization.

2) According to my calculations, driving a Prius instead of my current Acura integra over a period of 100,000 miles, I will need to make approximately 75 fewer stops at a gas station (taking into account both higher mileage in a Prius and larger gas tank of the Integra). That’s 75 annoyances that I can avoid. Also, with an average stop at the station of 8 minutes, driving a Prius will give me back at least ten hours of my life (and possibly more).

For me, those two factors are compelling. I recognize that others are not necessarily motivated by such things.

Good insight….whoops.

I own a 2007 Yukon Denali XL and just sold a 2004 second generation Prius. I am about to order a 2010 Prius IV.

Before I purchased the Prius I was skeptical, too. After test driving one, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t (and never will be) my 2006 BMW 530, but the two cars are engineered for two different types of experiences! It pisses me off to read reviews of such ignorant people (mostly males…sorry). I loved driving my BMW. I will own another one some day. I also loved driving my Prius. I loved looking at my average mpg over a tankful of gas (400 miles later) and seeing that I averaged around 48-50 mpg.

You have to appreciate the Prius for what it is. I’ve had it going 85 down I-75 to Tampa and it drove smoothly. I didn’t get my 50 mpg, but I got a respectable 35. For those of us that had an older Prius we are excited about the new options. I am very excited that now I get a moonroof and heated seats. Of course I would love more responsive steering, but I can’t have everything in the Prius (hence me having more than one vehicle). I’m not saying you should go out and buy one just to save gas money, but if you are in the market for a new car…..

Until my IV comes in I will continue to drive my Denali and put over $115 in gas every month (more if the prices keep steadily climbing). In the Prius I would only put in about $35.

Don’t judge a book by its cover…..once you go Prius……

:-)

My father in law gives my mother in law a hard time for not “driving it right”. Huh? She drives it like a car, but that’s not how you extract the maximum mileage from it.

I guess what I dislike even more than the exterior is being stuck behind one evey 2-3 days, with someone who is “saving the planet” by not even driving the speed limit.(my daily driver gets 30-35 mpg, so I don’t feel like part of the problem)

I can’t wait for global cooling to come back in 20 years.

If you’re looking for BMW handling then buy a BMW. It doesn’t take a genius.

The Prius doesn’t feel like a UFO. It feels like a car. A rather well-appointed car. Is it as beautiful inside as a German luxury vehicle? No. But it beats the hell out of every German car available in the US for fuel efficiency and emissions, and that’s a fact.

We looked at the new TDI too, but guess what? Clean Diesel is about as truthful as Clean Coal.

Yes, buying a Prius is a political statement. People make statements with the cars they buy all the time. Most of the arguments against the Prius in these comments are all about statement cars. My car’s tougher, faster, more robust, blah blah blah than yours. What the hell is the difference?

Frankly, my husband and I want to get the Prius because we want to give as little money as possible to oil companies. Why? Because beyond all of the environmental nastiness that comes along with extracting oil from the ground, processing it, and burning it in our cars, there are the political ramifications of all of that extraction and burning. And I’m not just talking about our current wars (of which my husband is a combat vet, btw). There is Nigeria, where thousands have died fighting for land against Shell and other multinationals, and the indigenous Peruvians who were murdered just a few weeks ago in a land dispute with oil companies. You can imagine who won, right?

Judge away. We just don’t care. We’re trading in our VW for the Prius this year. Is it perfect? Hell no. But it’s better than the alternatives, even if it was designed by ‘fairies’.