Cars.com - 2001 Prius Test Drive

Thank you for this. Darn positive...

 

wooo hoo. makes me feel good about my 2001. i love it.

 

Amazed how many gen 1 I still see on the roads around here. Like the review said it doesn't really stand out in appearance so they are harder to spot than a gen 2/3.
I guess the concern about all that "new tech" and battery longevity has more than proven itself at this point. (Interestingly a lot of people I talk to about the prius are still stuck in 2001 as regards concern about battery life and "new(15 year old) technology", reliability, etc)
The prius v being my first hybrid I sometimes wonder what it would be like to drive the original, from the article it sounds like my gen 3 prius HSD system is really not much different in basic function.
Cool review

 

We have both and I still use the 2003 model for normal commuting. Both get 52 MPG but the 2010 does it about 5 mph faster, carries more, and handles cold weather better.

Bob Wilson

 

When I bought a new 2001 Sienna my dealer had one of these in their showroom - think it was the second one they had received. It cost about 15% more than the Sienna. I remember being mildly curious and sitting in it briefly. Fast forward 13 years and I've now been driving a 2001 Prius for the past 18 months... I can honestly say it's my favourite of a dozen or more Toyotas I've owned over the years, and my car with 190,000 km is pretty much as tight and well-behaved as it was when it was new. They did good.

 

With a review like that, the Prius may just take off.

 

I must say, Click and Clack got more facts right in their 2001 review than the average 'car magazine' reviewer does 13 years later.

 

Love the section about hating the touch screen. Little did they know that just ten years later and you'd be hard pressed to buy a car without one.

 

Besides improved gas mileage, each generation is quite different in interior layout, controls, how they feel and how they drive. They just keep getting better. I bought a new 2002 and I really enjoyed it. Four years later during the infamous tax credit period I sold it for a few thousand less than I bought it for and then purchased a new 2006. I found the Gen II to be even more enjoyable to drive and I loved (and still love) the interior layout. And back in 2006 almost no cars other than Prius and a few luxury cars had available backup camera, keyless entry on all five doors and stability control, all of which I am so glad that I got. Since then I have driven several Gen III and they are even more enjoyable to drive than my Gen II but I'm not ready to sell it yet as it is still a fun ride.

 

Back in 2003 this site was about the only place Gen I owners could find out anything about their cars, like what the heck type of tires can you put on this thing! Current and former Gen I owners know what I am talking about, it came with some really strange tires.

 

I came from cars that still had Conelrad symbols on the radio, so anything was a step up.