Purchase Experience:
We bought our Prius in August of 2000. It arrived in January of 2001. This can be problematic if you are financing your car with a trade-in. We were not, but if we had, the trade-in would have been a year older and worth less at the time of the sale. The time it takes to receive your car is somewhat frustrating but, when you get it you know it was made for YOU.

Driving Experience:
I drive 2 hours a day. I loved the thought of great gas mileage but was concerned about not having a cruise control. Driving 2 hours a day gets hard on your legs and back without one. I was OVERJOYED! when after a couple of weeks I found one. Coastal Electronic Technologies out of Inverness, FL (352)344-8680-have an easy to install cruise control (I had them install it for me-took about half an hour). All the ones that I could find were for gas cars;this one is the only one I could find for hybrid cars. I've had it working for about 4,000 miles now-Makes all the difference in the world for 2 hours a day!

I owned an Infiniti before this car and timed the acceleration compared to the Infiniti and it was the same as the G20, it feels slightly more responsive to me now that I'm used to it. The interior feels like a larger car although it would be nice to have more options available like color or fabric. It has a Hepa filter airconditioning system which is helpful to asthmatics or those with allergies.

Compared to the Honda Insight:
Not really a comparison for me.
1)The Honda is a stick shift:Prius an automatic
2)The Honda is a 2 seater:Prius can seat 5
3)Honda takes 21 seconds to go from 50 to 70mph: Prius up to 11 seconds
4)Honda primary engine is gas and electric is secondary:Prius is the opposite
5)Prius has a lower emission than the Honda
6)Honda has better gas mileage but so does a moped!(honda is 1,000 lbs lighter than the Prius)
These are the main reasons I chose the Prius over the Honda. And I liked the way it looked a whole lot better.

Environmentally-Friendly:
The Prius emissions is the lowest on the market. So low, in fact, that they had to create a new category for it "Super Ultra Low Emission". I am VERY happy with this part. Yes, I know I sound like a commercial but I really am happy with the car!

Overall:
The car is fun to drive. I have taken it on trips up to about 5 hours and with the cruise control its a good ride, very smooth,very little road noise, handles really well. I can't report any problems with the engine or hybrid , so far its worked wonderfully.
Amount Paid (US$): 22000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: 6 disc player