Comparison Test: 2009 Toyota Prius vs. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

[JSH]

Edmunds has criticized Toyotas for their poor handling for years and will continue to do so. It is no secret that Edmunds prefers cars with taunt, well controlled suspension, weighted steering, and firm brakes. For them is goes beyond only sporty fun but also involves active safety. (Active safety is the ability to avoid an collision.) This is what they had to say about the 2005 Toyota Camry when they ranked it 3rd behind a Sonata and Accord:

"So why the last-place finish? Let's start with the detached driving experience. Sure, everything is butter smooth — the steering and brakes are both light to the touch, the engine barely audible and the transmission nearly invisible in action. But it's not all good, the numb steering provides all the feel of an '80s video driving game and the brakes were not just soft, but downright mushy. "

Call it bias if you want but it is well known and consistent; Edmunds ranks better handling cars higher.

As to comfort. Yes, it is subjective. However, the adjustability to allow a wide range of people to be comfortable is not. This forum is full of threads from people that are unable to find a comfortable position due to lack of adjustability. The Prius is lacking features that are becoming universal in vehicles that cost $20K and up.

[hill]

Originally Posted by JSH

Well I have to say PriusChat has not disappointed me. It seems that this group in unable to fathom that someone would like another car more than the Prius and that they may value different traits.

The Jetta TDI has fully adjustable power seats complete with adjustable lumbar and heat . . . . . . snip

Different strokes for different folks people.

Well I have to say PriusChat members that focus on Priuschat members have not disappointed me. It seems that this group IS unable to fathom that Prius chat members marvel how Edmuns and the like Revel (above all else) about being able to dive into a hard turn at high speed, corner hard and not get killed by the behavior ... then call such issue a "safety issue" . . . eh, no, driving SAFE is a safety issue. Some day, that hard cornering TDI (or BMW, or {put your choice here} will be on a mountain hairpin, doing their thing, hit oil, or gravel, or ice, then FLY to the bottom of the cliff. So since that's edmunds logic, their view of safety would be to include a parachute?

[Jonnycat26]

Originally Posted by hill

day, that hard cornering TDI (or BMW, or {put your choice here} will be on a mountain hairpin, doing their thing, hit oil, or gravel, or ice, then FLY to the bottom of the cliff.

Or that hard cornering car may end up in a ditch, having had to swerve hard to avoid a child in a road. He'd probably be comforted by the knowledge that in a Prius, he would have just plowed right into the kid, as his car wouldn't have been able to turn that sharply.

Having owned both a Prius and a Jetta, there's just no comparison. It's not just about the ability to push either car to it's limits. The Jetta just imparts a feeling of confidence that the Prius does not. My Jetta could stop quicker and straighter, didn't have nearly the same issues with the traction system, and didn't have 1/10th the squeaks and rattles that my Prius developed.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by hill

Well I have to say PriusChat members that focus on Priuschat members have not disappointed me. It seems that this group IS unable to fathom that Prius chat members marvel how Edmuns and the like Revel (above else) being able to dive into a hard turn at high speed, corner hard and not get killed by the behavior ... then call such issue a "safety issue" . . . eh, no, driving SAFE is a safety issue. Some day, that hard cornering TDI (or BMW, or {put your choice here} will be on a mountain hairpin, doing their thing, hit oil, or gravel, or ice, then FLY to the bottom of the cliff. So since that's edmunds logic, their view of safety would be to include a parachute?

Edmunds is not the only organization that measures vehicle performance capabilities. Here is an explanation from the Prius Chat "Gold Standard" of review companies, Consumer Reports:

"Emergency handling: The more controllable and secure a vehicle is when pressed to its handling limits, the better able you'll be to avoid an accident by, say, steering around an obstacle without losing control. We rate emergency handling on the basis of three tests. We use a double-lane-change avoidance maneuver to evaluate a vehicle’s handling in a situation in which a driver needs to suddenly steer around an obstacle on the road. In the other tests, vehicles are pushed to their cornering limits around our handling course and skidpad."

Edmunds doesn't use CR's "double-lane-change, they use the slalom instead. Both are repeatable metrics to measure how well a vehicle is able to avoid objects without loosing control.

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by JSH

Edmunds is not the only organization that measures vehicle performance capabilities. Here is an explanation from the Prius Chat "Gold Standard" of review companies, Consumer Reports:

"Emergency handling: The more controllable and secure a vehicle is when pressed to its handling limits, the better able you'll be to avoid an accident by, say, steering around an obstacle without losing control. We rate emergency handling on the basis of three tests. We use a double-lane-change avoidance maneuver to evaluate a vehicle’s handling in a situation in which a driver needs to suddenly steer around an obstacle on the road. In the other tests, vehicles are pushed to their cornering limits around our handling course and skidpad."
. . .

I had noticed that too and Consumer Reports is also hard on the safety rating. Apparently they want 'stability control' (traction control?) to be standard, not an option, and 5-stars in both front and back. Because of the redesign, I suspect the 2010 Prius will meet both of these requirements. Also, the 2010 body is likely to be stiff enough to meet their handling requirements and the tires are a little more than before. As for steering 'feel', well that remains something of a mystery, both rating and what it really means. But then I'm not buying a 2010 for Consumer Reports nor for Edmunds. I'm buying it for the Wilson family bank account and gasoline purchase fund.

Bob Wilson

[hill]

Originally Posted by Jonnycat26

Or that hard cornering car may end up in a ditch, having had to swerve hard to avoid a child in a road. He'd probably be comforted by the knowledge that in a Prius, he would have just plowed right into the kid, as his car wouldn't have been able to turn that sharply.

Having owned both a Prius and a Jetta, there's just no comparison. It's not just about the ability to push either car to it's limits. The Jetta just imparts a feeling of confidence that the Prius does not. My Jetta could stop quicker and straighter, didn't have nearly the same issues with the traction system, and didn't have 1/10th the squeaks and rattles that my Prius developed.

Even edmunds & the like have brought up VW squeek issues (as well as poor wiring over the years) so your prius is in the minority. Sorry to hear that. More importantly, you really missed the point, which was that too often, cars that tout 'race-car' like handling/braking lull the driver's into depending on it way too often, to their unfortunate end. Driving safely (which gear heads will call slow) is a much simpler way to avoid accidents, because if your not going balls out, it's easier to see what's coming up, and easier for a driver to react ... and less circumstances will require them to have race car steering in the first place. So changing the subject to, "swerving to avoid a child" diversions don't fly. Don't drive fast around blind corners in the first place, and you won't have to swerve. But that's as far as I'll bite on the diversions.

[Jonnycat26]

Originally Posted by hill

Driving safely (which gear heads will call slow) is a much simpler way to avoid accidents, because if your not going balls out, it's easier to see what's coming up, and easier for a driver to react ... and less circumstances will require them to have race car steering in the first place. So changing the subject to, "swerving to avoid a child" diversions don't fly. Don't drive fast around blind corners in the first place, and you won't have to swerve. But that's as far as I'll bite on the diversions.

Driving safely is great. Having the ability to avoid the unexpected is also great. The unexpected could be a deer running across the highway, a child running into the street, or having to stop suddenly in wet/slippery conditions. In any of those cases, the Jetta is the better car. There's just no debating that.

[finman]

So...what do the sales numbers say about this compare? I'm curious. Is the handling characteristic out-selling other features?

[dick_larimore]

We should not get too worked up about 1 person's view point on which car is most desirable. I have owned a 2002 Prius and 4 TDI diesel VW's. I have driven the 2009 VW Jetta and it is a very nice car. The acceleration and handling of the VW is great. It certainly won't get the fuel mileage of the 2010 Prius. All the interiors in the VW's that I have owned have been the "Leatherette" and I must say that it is a durable, good looking, and comfortable seating material. The heated VW seats are great.

All the VW's I have owned have been back to the dealer for warranty work to replace brake switches and minor problems. The 2002 Prius was at the dealer for the electric steering "death shudder" problem and alignment issues that caused premature tire wear.

I will likely buy a 2010 Prius instead of a VW Jetta. One of the reasons is that a Toyota dealer is close to home and the nearest VW dealer is 40 miles away. As time has gone by, the American commute has evolved into a trip from one stop light to another. The Prius hybrid is probably the best vehicle that you can buy for that kind of driving. Although popular in automotive advertising, the spirited drive down a lonely highway is a thing of the past.

The 2010 Prius will be breaking new ground with the heat exchanger on the engine exhaust that will heat up a cold engine quickly in the morning. Couple that with an electric engine water pump that will minimize engine "hot soak" at a stop light with the engine off (and no drive belts). An electric motor powered A/C is the most efficient and best means of climate control.

It is interesting to note that VW has a goal of becoming the #1 manufacturer of electric vehicles. VW diesels and Toyota Prius cars are more alike than they are dissimilar -- if the American public had either in their garage instead of Hummer, Silverado, Expedition, Explorer, Sequoia, Highlander, Land Cruiser, etc we would be a lot better off.

[cycledrum]

Hard to see how they averaged only 39 mpg after 2 weeks. I'm averaging over 50 mpg through 3k miles on the car.

I sat in a VW Rabbit and have owned an older Jetta and Scirocco's. I recall they were built with sporty interiors and very comfortable seats. No chance for the Prius to match this Jetta.

Being that Toyota put a lot of extra goodies into my package 5 car - 3 door smart key, HID headlamps, rearview camera, multi-function display, but came up far short in the seat and steering wheel area, they deservedly earned this comment -

"The differences are just as significant inside the cars. With its non-height-adjustable driver seat, non-telescoping steering wheel and center-mounted instrument panel, the Prius has one of the least ergonomically friendly driving positions of any car on sale in America today."

I appreciate Toyota's feats with the Hybrid Synergy Drive, yet they are a car company in business to make the total package, and to make driver's of many sizes feel good in the seat.

I hope the reviews for the 2010 Prius are much better against competition.