I've listed a lot of reservations below; I don't dislike the car at all. But it's certainly a hyped-up product. It remains to be seen whether it delivers on all the promises!
First of all, my dealer has stopped taking 2004 orders! So you may not be able to get one at all. I wanted an intermediate options package, with side-curtain air bags and Stability Control, but without a DVD Navigation system. I was told that they "seem" to be building 2004 Priuses only "stripped" ($21,000) and "loaded" ($26,500). Money wasn't my primary issue, but I would have hated myself every time I saw the Navigation system, so I took it stripped. I give my dealer a lot of credit for honoring my August, 2003 order in December, 2003 (The tax deduction decreases by $250 in January, 2004), and not giving the car to some doctor who buys a new Land Cruiser every year.
The car is indeed as spacious and comfortable as a Camry. It rides a little harder (see below), but certainly accelerates as well as a 4-cylinder Camry, meeting Toyota's promise. Like most hatchbacks, the rear visibility is poor, especially with adults in the back seat. The seating position is nice and high for a sedan, but you still can't see the front of the hood. Rear leg room is outstanding for a Japanese mid-size. All of the dimensions (but not the sheet metal shape or the unibody) are similar to those of a Camry.
It's not fair to evaluate mileage on a car with only 600 miles on the (electronic) odometer. But I believe this car can get 60 MPG in heavy city traffic in the summer, with the A/C off. It won't at any other time. Although the A/C is electric for 2004, running the heater (which is a top-notch heater, with climate control features) encourages the engine to run, especially when the car is cold. My computer is currently reporting 44.5 MPG average, for a 15-mile highway + 10-mile city commute.
You must understand that the high mileage is part of a big picture: Aerodynamics (odd profile, no roof rack), low front end sheet-metal, 5W-30 motor oil, high tire pressure, extra-cost low-rolling resistance tires, and sensible driving practices. It won't happen "automatically"!
Moving the speedometer readout towards the driver was a big improvement in this year's model. If you don't have "keyless start", you have to insert the entire remote-door fob into the dashboard to start the car. This means you have to spend several hundred dollars to get a third key, when they become available. Be sure to leave the "Valet" instructions in the car if you have to park and leave the key.
At 600 miles, I like the car, and am satisfied with Toyota's promises. It remains to be seen if they hold up over time.
(Added, 25 May 2004) I've had the car 6,000 miles/6 months now, and it's only been to the shop for an oil change.
Some of the reported disappointments with the 2004 Prius' mileage may be due to the difference between real-world and federal test-track driving. Assuming that the Prius' computer is giving me an accurate short-term mileage figure, I have achieved 52 MPG for several 25 mile trips. The conditions were significant, however. The air temperature was over 50 degrees F, the car was warmed up before purchasing gas (which resets the cumulative MPG report), and I stopped to visit my parents in Manhattan, which resulted in half the miles being on city streets with traffic lights at every corner. The balance of the trip was state highways, typical speed 55 MPH. The computer reports my mileage as 44 MPG winter, 47 MPG summer. But I haven't used the air conditioner very much yet.
Because New Jersey does not permit self-service gas purchases, I doubt that I can ever be sure that my fuel tank is "topped off". That limits my ability to calculate rigorous MPG figures, and keeps my "Range" to 400 miles or less. Note that the owner's manual states, "The fuel tank capacity is decreased at lower ambient temperature ... 1.3 [U.S.] gallons at 14 degrees F." That's a 10% variation!
Although it is not perceptible to the driver, I believe that the 2004 Prius may have the ability to "freewheel" better than most current autos. As I remember, Saab's in the 1960's had a switch that could permit freewheeling. The Prius has a pleasant tendency to not speed up on mild downgrades, because the regenerative braking tends to maintain a constant speed there, if you ease up on the gas pedal. Frankly, easing up on the gas pedal is not a natural motion to average drivers!
I let a friend who's over 6'-0" (183 cm) tall try out my Prius. He couldn't get the driver's seat to go back far enough to give him the leg room he'd need for long-term driving.
I've grown to like the irritating mullion in the rear window. It turns out to be just at the height of SUV headlights! The rear profile of the hatchback is not washed completely by the automatic car wash I've used for years.
(Added, 21 September 2004) I've had the car 12,000 miles. Toyota recalled it once for reprogramming the computer, although no fault was visible to me. I just went on my first 800-mile Interstate highway trip with the Prius. On a summer weekend, we drove from NJ to ME, 400 miles each way. The weather was comfortable, with the climate control on, but no need for much heat or air conditioning. Both the car's computer display, and my rough (note 10% variation discussion above) tank-fill calculations were 53 MPG!
Since I normally get low-to-mid 40's when commuting, this is hard to believe for a 65 MPH trip. I admit that I was consciously keeping a light foot, and I used the cruise control whenever I could.
(Added 7 September 2005) 26,000 miles. Traffic was so light this summer that I was able to use cruise control for the highway portion of my daily commute (18 miles on Routes 4 and 208 in New Jersey, and 7 miles in Manhattan, NYC.) This resulted in several tanks of 50 to 51 MPG reported by the car's computer. (That's up from my usual 46-47 MPG in the summer for the same trips.) This required a conscious effort to stay in the same lane and let aggressive drivers swerve around me (for example) to take the open space in front of me. I'm not suggesting that it was easy for me suppress my normal suburban driving habits. But this does show how to maximize your mileage.
(Added 25 March 2007) 52,000 miles. Another recall to reprogram the computer and a brake system recall. But no breakdown or inconvenience to me. Main reason for posting is that the tires wore out around 32,000 miles. After much internet research (remember, this is still a newer model of car), I got Bridgestone Potenza G009 185/65R15 50K mile-warranty tires at the local Firestone dealer. They are a tremendous improvement in traction over the factory tires. But I've lost about 2 MPG in gas mileage. (Note: Both tires have the same "Revolutions Per Mile"-that's not the issue.) I'm satisfied with the tradeoff, but others might not be. My wife likes my Prius enough that she just bought a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid, which doesn't promise nearly as high mileage figures.
(Added July 27, 2009) 80,000 miles. Although I did not break down on the road, I've had two significant failures. Suddenly, after parking overnight, the car would not "turn on". In fact, the remote fob was barely was able to open the doors (Note: There's a physical key mounted inside the remote fob for just that reason ...) A jumper cable start (to the special terminals under the hood) got me going, but the same thing happened after another 100-mile drive. After getting to the dealer under my own power, they replaced the single, motorcyle-sized battery that runs the non-motorized parts of the car. It cost $193 for parts and labor. This failure did not involve the big battery that is guaranteed for 100,000 miles. Like brake shoes or wiper blades, it wasn't included in my no-deductible extended warranty, and I had to pay for it.
A few months later, the dashboard touch-LCD screen that displays heat/ac, radio/cd operations, and the continuous MPG readout failed. This had absolutely no effect on driving the car, so it's clear that the engine computers and the display computers are completely separate. The few dedicated buttons that operated parts of the radio and a/c continued to work. But the radio and heat regularly shut themselves off, making it necessary for me to press the button again.
After a relatively long diagnosis, the dealer said that the screen had to be replaced. (I presume that includes the communication computer that talks to the engine, so I don't know really what specific part failed.) Because I had bought an extended warranty from the dealer, I didn't have to pay the $687 parts bill, and whatever the labor was. But I did have to wait a few days for the screen to arrive at the dealership. In the old days, people regularly drove their cars with a broken temperature gauge. But I don't think you'd want to have limited control of your radio, heat, and a/c for an extended period of time.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20939
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: Base Model w/mats, RWW & decal
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