I was doing some research last summer and found out about the restyled/designed Prius. I decided this was going to be my next car. I contacted a dealer in suburban Scranton, PA that had no one on their waiting list (it was July '03). I sent them $500 and found out that on November 8th I'd be picking up my loaded Silver '04 Prius.
I traded in my '02 Jeep Liberty (avg 15.8 mpg) in hopes of at least achieving 40 MPG in the Prius. My wishes have definitely come to fruition. I am currently averaging 46.3 with most of my driving being (80% highway 20% city).
The bells and whistles in this car are fantastic. My favorite option is the smart entry/exit. You just have to carry the key fob in your pocket and the car will unlock without pressing a button. This feature also enables you to start the car without inserting the fob into a slot. You merely press POWER, and the computer boots up (faster than WINDOWS). If the car is warmed, all you'll hear is silence. If it is a cold start, you will hear the engine purr for a few minutes. Another nice feature is the navigation system. Once you get used to it, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
Once you boot up the car, you merely press the brake and depress the joystick into drive. The joystick is nice as it takes up little space on the panel and enables you to have more storage capacity in the center console. Speaking of that, there are two sturdy cupholders in the front and two in the rear. There are also two recessed in the front doors, but they're useless if you ask me. There is also a nice storage cubby that pulls out like a draw on the bottom of the console.
Driving the Prius is very similar to driving any other car. The transition from gas to electric and vice versa is virtually seamless. If you want to drive in electric only, you can do this but it takes practice. You have to depress the accelerator ever so lightly and by doing this, you can prevent the gas engine from joining in. The nice thing about accelerating is that there is no shift shock. The Prius has a CVT which essentially has infinite gear ratios. I found acceleration to be quite adequate when merging and darting in city traffic. The torque is always there since the transmission doesn't have to hunt for the right gear to be in.
The highway ride is very smooth (I changed to a better tire) and quiet. Handling is average and when you're not driving at 9/10's you'd never miss your old BMW 3 series. The Prius handles quite admirably after I changed the OEM tires. I am not a big fan of the Goodyear tires that came with the car.
The automatic climate control system works wonderful. I had a nice 74 degree day here the other day and finally experienced the A/C. Since it does NOT require a belt driven compressor, there is NO drain on the engine. It runs completely on electric.
The hatchback design is great as the rear with seats folded down can accommodate a great deal of gear. I am no used to the rear view which some people find unacceptable. To the contrary, I've had MUCH worse cars in the past. The rear view with the split window is fine for me.
I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far. If you are sold on the Prius, I suggest you find a dealer that has a short waiting list. Believe me, the wait is worth it. Especially now that gas is approaching $2.00/gallon!!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 25800.00
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: Prius BC # 9
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.