I really wish the MPG numbers were better. I love the look of the Prius V. The increase in cargo space is a great feature.

I really hope the radio will be interchangeable between the 2010s and 2012s

I also hope that the 2012s come with that new Toyota EnTune system.

Nice car. Hopefully someday they will have a plug in model.

When I saw the mileage numbers I thought: ok, that's pretty good for a seven passenger minivan. Then I see it's five passenger. Ok, so what are the differences between this and Prius: uh, a bit more cargo room? More headroom or shoulder room? Kind of underwhelmed.

WOW, what a huge hit in FE and performance for a 3 inch longer wheelbase yet still only 5 passenger. I don't get it.

My grade: C- (I won't be dramatic and call it a fail)

Second...without any extra seating, you're just paying more for lower fuel economy. Cargo room isn't anywhere on my concern list for my current GenIII...and I'm supposedly their "target"...young active family.

So is the V just a hybrid Matrix?

If it had a 3rd row (even for kids), I'd buy it. I'd call the "V" a "miss". And I'm in the target demographic: a young family (2 kids).

Not worth the mileage drop for a few more cubic feet. The hatchback design of the current Prius makes it a very versatile vehicle.

I agree. In fact, I'm very disappointed. It's larger on the outside than the original Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager, yet unlike those original minivans, it doesn't seat 7 and, AFAIK, can't hold 4' x 8' sheets of plywood. [EDIT: My brother just corrected my assertion about the original minivans. He says that the original minivans could not hold a 4' x 8' plywood sheet without sticking out the rear open hatch.] And it gets 10 fewer miles per gallon than the Prius hatchback.

Looks more like a regular Prius than a SUV or station wagon.

Sorry if this has been answered before, but do we know if it will be available with a regular steel roof (without the glass panels)?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see it says "available" with regard to the moonroof in the press release now.

Wow... I held off on buying a 2010 Prius II to see what a Prius V would be like. While I appreciate the additional rear headroom that addresses our biggest gripe, the mileage hit, likely additional cost of at least $1K, and reduced performance (nearly 12-seconds for 0-60!) really make me question its value.

I really wonder what the mileage would have been like if they simply kept the existing platform/wheelbase, and just altered the rear/hatch portion for additional headroom. I thought the rear legroom was already pretty good. That additional 3" wheelbase probably had a huge weight penalty (note that weight was never listed on the specs). :doh:

You shouldn't think of it as something that competes with the regular Prius (even though it resembles it somewhat) because it doesn't. This vehicle competes directly with the Mazda5 MPV (and indirectly with stuff like the Scion xB and Chevy HHR), and as such, it represents the first vehicle with similar dimensions (nearly identical to the Mazda5) to have significantly better fuel economy than those vehicles.

Indeed... it is similar to Rav4 dimensions, with larger wheelbase and 50%!!! better mpg

This thing has wheelbase of an Camry... It is big car inside.

Toyota isn't trying to steal market share away from the current Prius. Those who are attracted to the current Prius should continue to look at the current Prius. This vehicle was designed in addition to the current Prius, and not to steal market share from the current Prius. The Prius v is intended to appeal to people that would buy a small SUV, a crossover, or people that haven't bought the current Prius because they think it's too small. Toyota did say that the Prius v has more interior room than some small SUVs. Well, that eliminates the ability of someone looking at one of those SUVs to say "the Prius v is too small for me."

Also, does the Prius v have more leg room, a higher roof, and a much bigger moon roof than the current Prius?

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Well I guess I can't help it, given the "Prius" name.

The Scion and Chevy - maybe. But keep in mind the Scion XB starts at $17K, quite a difference from a Prius. No way does it compete with the Mazda5 since the Prius V only holds a max of 5 people.

Anyone want to guess what this model's curb weight is?

I still say it competes with Mazda5, despite the 3rd seat. Personally, I don't want a 3rd seat, and would prefer that neither Mazda5 nor Prius V have one. But I can understand that seating capacity does factor heavily for some buyers, even if the 3rd seat is so small it's only good for pint-sized passengers, and when deployed leaves you with near-zero cargo room.

Thing is, in terms of wheelbase, overall length, interior space, the Prius V is seriously well-endowed.

My main point is every vehicle with similar dimensions sold in the USA up to now (not just the familiar Mazda5 and Kia Rondo, but older vehicles like the original 1st gen Honda Odyssey, Mitsubishi Expo, Nissan Stanza Wagon, Nissan Axxess, etc.) has had MPG that isn't significantly better than the larger, more spacious minivans that were concurrently available at a similar price point. Hence they didn't sell too well in the USA.

I'm hoping vehicles like Prius V (and also Ford S-Max Hybrid and Energi, if and when they come to market) will help to bring about a change in the market for MPVs in the USA.

It should ride better due to the longer wheel base too. I'll be curious to find out if the rear suspensions are fully independent or not.

I could of swore that if you watched the infomercial like "introduction" after the formal introduction...The Prius v- Ron Popeil- said something about the Prius v being equipped with some type of different suspension "feature" that reduced the forward pitch and roll of the vehicle. He actually had a name for it...but I can't remember.

I swear this was said, but can find no mention of it in Toyota's Press Release or Specs.

Just tell me if I'm losing my mind...because I swear I heard something about it...and find it strange that Toyota is not mentioning it in their own release.