Gen 4 Prius worth nearly $10k more than gen 3?

I came out of a 395HP Hemi to the Prius.

It's absolutely fine (speaking of the 15" wheel version, not the slower 17" wheel versions), and the extra torque from the battery gives nice passing capability when at 60, 70 MPH. Maybe it's just he L Eco with its different battery that seems fine?

 

For what most people buy a car to do… commute, grocery getter, around town skate and significant fuel saving ride, a well cared for G3 Prius is fine. Street racers are not going to find any generation Prius satisfactory. I’ve spent the better part of the last 3 years watching Tampa area drivers comically race away from traffic lights (at some point when they eventually finish typing text messages or emails and actually notice the light has been green for a while) to the next traffic light, getting to stop way sooner than my poky G3 Prius will get there. For this type of driving an even older G2 Prius would be fine. Actually, a bicycle might be just as fast. If you’re planning to hit road racing courses like the one at Sebring, Watkins Glen or Laguna Seca, you might want to spend the big bucks for the way sportier G4 Prius.

 

Literally every car sold in the US can accelerate from 60-70 and pass another car that is not accelerating. Just like every 395 horsepower teeny-weeny mobile is capable of going the speed limit and getting passed.

You're using subjective language to describe a vehicle that goes 0-60 in ~10 seconds as if it's some kind of engineering marvel. It's a slow car. It's also a good car, a reliable car, and a far nicer car than a gen3.... but it is a slow car.