2002 Toyota Prius

Pros: Great gas mileage, Super low emissions, corners good.
Cons: Have to keep the tires above 40 lbs. or else they won't last.

I bought my car to save money, but a bonus is that it doesn't pollute. Somehow I don't mind the fact that I only visit the gas station ever 550 miles. I haven't had any trouble with it at all.

Pros: Fairly good gas milage (not as high as advertised)
Cons: Every repair is very expensive and it broke more than most cheap american cars.

I had this 2.5 years and put slightly over 75000 miles on it. During this time, I had to replace six tires (despite scheduled rotations), one gas tank, a windshield wiper that sheared off ($100), several gaskets, and the transmission ($8400). Nothing was covered under warranty. I financed the car over 4 years and ended up owing almost $9000 with the car being broken. During the 2.5 years, it completely broke down three times. Toyota dealer and the national office basically said "sorry for your bad luck". MPG was ~40 for mainly highway driving and it takes plus gas, which comes out to about the same gas costs as a corolla. Not recommended!

Pros: None at the moment
Cons: Hybrid Battery Failed at 4700 miles.

I own a 2002 Prius which I bought new in Nov 2001. At 4700 miles, on January 23 2004, the hydrid battery failed.

I had no inkling that the battery was failing. But my garage was filled with such a stench I thought my sewer line had broken. Turns out the battery emits sulfur dioxide when it fails - ergo the stench.

I am really disappointed that this happened, even though the cost of replacing the battery was covered under the Toyota Warranty. Now I do not feel like even keeping the car. In short, I am completely turned off by the car now; even though I loved it before the hydrid battery failure.