I noticed the detailed reviews by the other Prius owners so I won't bore you with the basics. Instead, I'll write only about my unique experience with this car.

About 4 weeks ago my wife and I purchased a Prius as her primary car. Originally she was set on purchasing a RAV4 but after she test-drove a Prius, she was so thoroughly impressed she completely changed her mind. We now car pool to work together in the Prius, making a daily 40-mile round trip. I often end up driving the car and it has developed quite an impression on me.

First, it is by far one of the easiest cars to maneuver. With a short snout and a very large front window for a car its size, you can almost see the tip of the front end. In addition the hatchback configuration allows you to easily judge the end of the car. Add a tight turning radius, the car becomes a breeze to maneuver in tight spots and to parallel park.

Contrary to many, the car is also very peppy and as a result, we never feel that the car is ever underpowered. Without hesitation, the car activates both the electrical engine and revs the small gas engine when commanded with a good push of the accelerator pedal.

We also enjoy using the large, easy to read, colorful 7" GPS, that is centered between the driver and passenger. One small annoyance is that the functions are disabled while the car is in motion. This prevents the passenger to operate it while the driver is safely operating the vehicle. The voice recognition feature is also a bummer. With an accuracy of about 50% in our experience, we no longer bother using that feature and just manually touch type all our inputs. While we are on the subject of advance technology, the Bluetooth does work flawlessly, allowing hands-free cell phone operation with our new Bluetooth Motorola phone.

One of the biggest impressions this cute little car has made on me is that the cabin space is designed so efficiently. To my initial surprise, there is plenty of front and rear seating room to fit four full size adults comfortably. (I'm 6' tall by the way.) The trunk space is also very generous, especially with the standard split-folding seats that we have yet needed to take advantage of.

One important item to note, the mileage we have recorded has been slightly over 40. We were expecting a bit more since it is rated 51 highway and 60 city. The 40-mile commute is mostly highway and it runs up and down through a few mountains which may be the reason why we are not achieving the stated mileage.

As far as dealer experience, we purchased the car from Santa Monica Toyota. According to them they sell more Prius's than any Toyota dealer in the US. (We must have a bigger share of tree-hugers out here.) As a result they supposedly receive the highest allotment. When we stop by the dealer in early March 2005 they had 8 or so Prius's on their lot, ready for delivery the very same day. The only issue was that they were all fully equipped with option package 6 which adds another $5+K to the base $21.5K sticker price. We were told there was a 3+ month waiting list if you wanted the basic version. We eventually negotiated a deal on a loaded Prius for $25,500, down from the $27K sticker price. Our salesperson said that this was unheard of and the manager was probably in a good mood. I wouldn't bet on it. We may have been lucky only to come at a time when they had quite a bit of loaded Prius's on the lot. As a result they were little more anxious than usual to make a deal. Very important to note, we also walked away the first day when they gave only a $500 concession off the sticker price. In the end we do feel fortunate that we got a great deal on a car that is in high demand. But whatever you do, refuse the Lo-Jack which they almost force you to get at Santa Monica Toyota. Because owners can only service their Prius's at Toyota, I believe the market for stolen Prius's or Prius parts is virtually zero. In addition, the entry and ignition is keyless so thieves will have not clue on how to drive off this vehicle. Oh, and one last thing, I also turned down the hard sell on the additional warrantee at Santa Monica Toyota. Although the car operates on new hybrid technology, this is the second generation Prius and the manufacturer warrantee seems sufficient.

With no problems to date, we are both very pleased with how well the car has been performing as a daily commute vehicle. I'm confident that this car will last just as long as other Toyota's.

Update: After 3 months we learned that the front-end is low to the ground and it is prone to bottoming out if you drive too fast over dips and high inclines. The dealer charged us about $80 to replace the clamps that hold the plastic panal underneath that had broken off. Our mileage is between 42-44 mpg.
Amount Paid (US$): 25,500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
Model and Options: Option Package 6