2,392 mile test drive, 2011 Prius 3

Here is my report on my 2300 mile "test drive". Wife and I rented a 2011 Prius 3 with 9800 miles on it for a trip to Yellowstone. For the past 3 years I've been itching to buy a new gen Prius to replace my aging 2002 Prius. Perhaps I no longer want a Prius, here's why; the BADS; steering is too slow for curves, handles like a truck,(no, I think it handles curves worse than my 1999 Ford Ranger) seats KILL my back after a few hours driving! (my 2002 prius has nicer seat backs but the seat bottoms are not adjustable and kill the butt), road noise is unexpectedly high, engine noise is barely tolerable., stiff ride but not bad, rear visibility sucks-keep the mirrors clean!, it beeps INSIDE the car when you back up? WTF?, Satellite radio is nice on the road but too confusing to find a decent station, speedometer hard to read while wearing sunglasses, useless armrests, annoying center console.
Good stuff; a lot of litte thoughtful features such as the automatic dome lights, keyless entry- just touch the door handle (cool! but hard to learn to trust it) MPG's- day one we only got 38mpg at 65 to 70 mph driving into a 20 to 25 mph head wind. Trip average was 48.6at up to 75 mph, with an average of nearly 58 mpgs inside yellowstone park with the 45 mph speed limit. EV mode allowed us to "run" with a wild coyote in the badlands. Power Mode is FUN, lots of spunk! Great sounding stereo in the Prius 3.
Maybe the major negatives can be adjusted with a level 5 Prius to address the handling and seats. The rest I can maybe live with. Can't hardly afford a Prius 5 though...

that was smart to rent one. sounds about right, although, i don't have any of those negatives. you should rent a hycam, but also expensive. to each his own, all the best!

I've always wondered about the leg/waist height, perhaps arm length too, of those who find the seats uncomfortable. I certainly don't.

Hatchback visibility isn't for those who drive solely using the rearview mirror. You should be using the sides anyway. But with some sedans, you can get by without.

As for the speedometer, polarized sunglasses will do that. Regular sunglasses are fine.

I am tall, long legs, long back, very few car seats are comfortable for me, lumbar adjustment is mandatory apparently for me.

Did you check tire pressure before embarking on the trip? Even the manufacturer specified level is too low for good handling. Higher tire pressure helps a ton as do larger wheels.

The seats are not the best. I agree there.

i had a feeling you were tall, that's who most of the complaints come from.

I'd say half of your complaints are valid with my experience. But none are a deal breaker for me. I understood that by getting a Prius, I would have to sacrifice certain things...which I did.

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Yep on the tire pressure, pumped them up to 40psi per these forums. Still the handling was so sluggish on the mountain curves that it scared the crap out of both of us! We had to take it REAL easy on the curves. As I've said, my Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup handles better.

Weird. I toss mine around sharp country roads without a problem. Well, you could always toss on a set of 17" wheels and a rear sway bar. That should fix things for you and be cheaper than buying a Five. If tha is not enough then you could add a set of Eibach lowering springs to really tighten things up.

Don't know what to do about the seats. My right leg gets sore during long trips. I'm 6'2.75"

I was thinking the 4 for ability to adjust seats. Not sure were you looking for us to sell you on the vehicle? I'm, 6', but "big frame". My wife is 5'2" and small frame and bad back and knees and has no problem with the car... We have no problem with the seats but if you are looking for options... try that...

I'm a little old fashioned with tires, you could try performance tires or different tread. What did the car that you drove have on it? I have the low resistance ecopia's and they are fine with me... I did notice a problem with handling since the dealer lowered the tires to 35psi (haven't put them back to 40 yet... been a couple of weeks...).

The Prius is not a "road car" -- it is wise you test drove one even with previous experience. When I first drove mine I almost put it in the grass on a ramp.

The car is a compromise and it is important that buyers understand this -- especially those looking for a smaller economy car and never having owned one.

Prius 5 would address the slow steering (one turn less lock to lock) and the poor handling. I agree the seats are none to good, I just returned from a 5K mile trip and 500 or 600 miles in a day is a bit to much in this car, it is better than the Gen2 though.

The Prius is not a sport sedan and not a very good touring car, I don't plan to buy another.

2013 Ford Fusion (or Lincoln MKZ) looks promising and the hybrid version is rumored to get better mileage than the Camry hybrid.

rented a fusion in cali for a week. poor man's camry.

I agree with most of your findings but i wanted a hatchback and a well made car, with good mpg. I bought the prius III and have no regrets. I have never found a car that impressed me in all areas. Now if i was willing to spend over 50 large maybe ,but i doubt it. One of my relatives bought a new Mercedes and brought it back 2 days later for a refund, then bought and kept a Honda accord. Another drives nothing but Toyota avalons. It is really to each their own and what they like. I will just sit in the corner with my Prius III thank you.

With similar options they cost about the same. The 2013 Fusion is a complete redesign and may or may not be as "good" as a Camry.

Thanks for the feedback. I just wanted to post my impression of the Prius and my disappointment in the ONLY 50mpg car available in the US. Am I mistaken or did we (USA) land on the fricken Moon in 1969? And why did America go downhill from there? If I recall correctly in the past 30 years automotive technology has really gone NOWHERE except to choke them with thousands of dollars worth of smog equipment. WTF? By my reckoning Americans should have access to cars by now that get 100mpgs! I'm not talking about "band-aid" solutions as in plug-in hybrids like Chevy Volt whose "backup" power generator should have at least gotten 50mpg, talk about lazy engineering.
I digress and I am done with this particular thread, my questions have been rhetorical. I must decide if I can possibly live with anything that gets less than 50mpg and what my options are; keep my 2002 Prius till it dies and hope Toyota comes out with something better in 2014? and continue to rent more comfortable cars for trips? Lower my standards and get a Focus? Get a Prius C for commuting and rent a cruiser for trips? Maybe I'll look into the 2013 Fusion Hybrid which might be a nice car but where's the 50mpgs?? I realize there's no perfect car but why is there only one choice for 50mpgs?

JH Knight, I'd wish you'd stay around. You made good points, but I think you know that when you walk into a fan site and tell them their hero is no good, then you are indeed poking a stick about.

My first opinion is that you're right. If the car isn't right for you, definitely don't buy it. My understanding is that the upscale seat package has much more comfortable seats. I'm not crazy about Prius for long trips. When we drive 400+ miles to Disneyland, we take the gas-hogging Honda Odyssey, and everyone enjoys the comfort of a first class airplane. But I would hate to commute to work by minivan, I tried it, and that big heavy vehicle is no fun in dense traffic.

Yes, but the dash reflects soo much light unto the windshield that polarized sunglasses are needed. Also, the speedo is polarized at a DIFFERENT angle than sunglasses are. Very BAD design!

Buy Ray-bans. They work great and you'll look a lot cooler.

Ray-Bans don't solve the problem (they only lighten your wallet).

• First, typical Sun Glasses only darken the image. They avoid eye strain by reducing the need for your iris to close. But they don't cut gare. Also, but cutting down the light they make the speedometer harder to read.
• Polarized lenses do help (yes Ray-Ban offers them too) - but the poor design of the Prius speedometer and Nav screen are not compatible with polarized glasses.

"Ray-Bans" apparently are all about VANITY - I am concerned about driving safety and comfort.