prospective owner -- what don't you like?

[dstrout]

Greetings, all! I'm about 90% certain that I'll be trading my '03 Mustang GT for an '05 Prius with the "#6" option package (i.e. everything). I drive 100-120 mi / day, and the Mustang is bleeding me dry.

Before I spend $26K and give up my baby, what don't you like about the cars? I drove one and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it, but nothings perfect -- where's the downside? What are the things you didn't see at first that now annoy you?

My drive is about 40 miles in sub-25 mph traffic, 40 miles @ 65-70 mph, and 20-40 miles in 35 mph-ish city traffic (stop lights, etc, but not backed up). I'm currently getting about 18 mpg on premium ($2.50 here), so I go through about $80 / week in gas. Would a Prius be a good fit for that kind of a use pattern? I'm hoping to cut my gas bill in about 1/2 -- is that realistic?

Any comments / advice greatly appreciated. We'll probably be picking up the car next weekend, but the more info I have ahead of time, the better.

thanks,
dave.

[efusco]

40 miles in sub-25mph traffic!!! That's a long way...the peace of driving a quite car like Prius will be a very pleasant suprise for that segment.

You'll probably get High 40s to low 50s...that 35mphish zone could be good, or bad depending upon how many stops and how hard you accel/brake.

My biggest/main complaint is driver seat comfort...it's just not in a good position for me and doesn't provide adequate thigh support...I could stand for it to go back another 2" too (I'm 5'11, 34" inseam). I found a seat cushion that works well enough, but I wouldn't want to do a cross-country trip.

Other than that I have no main issues.

[KTPhil]

1) Blind spots. Rear view got better as I got used to it, but on curvy roads the look front left is severely blocked by the A-pillar. Canyon roads would be very tiring.

2) Crosswind sensitivity, and lack of freeway tracking. Experimented with tire pressures and alignment, but it never went away completely.

Everything else is nits to me.

[kidtwist]

One thing I'd change is I'd like it to have better handling at freeway speeds. It does tend to wander just a little bit. So far though, this has been a very minor issue. I've never felt unsafe while driving it. Some have complained about handling during windy conditions, but I haven't experienced that yet.

[Tideland Prius]

I would like more front legroom and a larger driver's footrest.

Your route seems ideal although in winter, that first 40 miles of sub 25mph traffic might hurt the mileage a bit.

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

Yes, it’s a good fit for that type of driving.

I personally find the car quite comfortable for short and long distance driving, but seat comfort is a personal perspective thing. My first month of owning an ‘05 Prius we took a 1000+ mile trip down to San Diego and back. The 50.5 MPG definitely was not a pain in the butt. :wink:

You’ll be saving about $10 a week just by not being forced to buy premium! And that is before you even start to calculate your saving from the MPG difference between the ‘stang and Prius.

What don’t I like about the Prius? The interior beeps would make more sense if it was part of an ultrasonic back-up system to help with the reduced views while backing up.

[bookrats]

I think everyone posted all the primary drawbacks, and most of the nits, I can think of.

Only two other nits:[list]Climate control user interface is... well, I have a problem with it. (I'd prefer a big bar that goes from blue to red. )[*]The Prius only uses the electric engine for reverse. Thus, if you need to drive up a steep driveway backwards, it can be slow going. Too steep, I've heard, and it can be impossible.

That said, how often do you need to go up a steep hill backwards? I don't, but maybe others do.[list]

[dstrout]

Excellent -- thanks for the info, everyone. It's funny how things are relative -- two of the things I noticed on the test drive were that the visibility was better & there was more leg room than my car. Although, that's not saying a lot. :wink:

Overall it doesn't sound like there are major complaints about any one thing -- that's good. I didn't really expect any showstoppers, but it's good to have all the information, first hand. Thanks!

I'll post when I have her in the driveway -- probably by the end of the week, I expect. Each of the dealerships here have several on the lot, so it's a matter of seeing which one will crack & give me a bit of a deal. 2 of the 3 local dealerships have a black one with the BC package, which is the one I want. I just want to see if one of them will dip below MSRP and / or give me a better price for my trade.

thanks,
dave.

[jamarimutt]

Rattles like a cheap car.

[DieselConvert]

Tire/road noise is bad on roads that have had "chip-seal" especially from the rear seats. This is no problem on recently resurfaced or ungrooved concrete highways.

Reallignment of wheels right after purchase was necessary to make road handling feel safe on my 2004 Prius. It still takes getting used to because feedback from the electric power steering makes you have to pay attention FULL TIME to keep from wandering off to the low side of a crowned road.

I was used to Mercedes 300SD seating for the previous 15 years, and found that, though much firmer, the Prius driver seat left me less tired and less "sore butt" than the 2 1/2 hour trip that made me stop and stretch after 1 or 2 hours in the Mercedes. I'm 5'10" 200# and like to drive, especially the Prius.