What other brand, model did you consider when shopping Prius (liftback)

We had a 2010 Mazda 5 and we both really liked the car, 28 mpg all time we had it. The wife totaled the car so when we went shopping, the Honda Fit was tops on the list with a new Mazda 5 a close second. Looking around online, I found a 2010 Prius II w/40k in our price range. The day we went to buy a car, the Toyota dealer was close and I wasn't expecting to like the Prius since it got 50 mpg, it had to be a real dog in the acceleration department. We decided to go check it out first and just get that out of the way and then go get one of the other two on the list. The salesman did a really good job explaining the SKS and a lot of the electronics of the car, then when we went for the test drive, I was hooked, I was really surprised at the acceleration and the smooth take off and really liked the engine cut off at stops. After we dickered a price, the salesman asked how we wanted to finance, I told him we'd just write a check and I had my checkbook with me. We did all the paperwork, declined the extended warranty and when it came time to write the check, I discovered that I had brought the wrong checkbook. The salesman said, no problem, he would follow us in my Lexus and the service tech would follow us and bring him back even though we lived 70 miles away. Three yrs and 80K miles later, I'm ahead $6500 in gas savings over driving my other car at 24Mpg.

 

Sometimes I think I'd like to sell the Lexus and get a Fit, but I'd probably just wind up with another Prius.

 

Mostly I considered smaller, simpler, less expensive, manual-transmission new hatchbacks, i.e, more like my old Mazda hatchback. A critical consideration was whether each candidate offered cargo space and layout consistent with carrying bikes inside without removing wheels, as I could in the old Mazda. Therefore, when I visited each dealership, I took a tape measure, a pen, and paper to record various measurements, which I compiled in a spreadsheet for comparison with the other cars. Salesmen thought that was weird, but allowed it after I explained my reason. One salesman, at the Toyota dealership, volunteered to let me try putting a bike in his car. The list of other cars considered, and some (not all) reasons each was rejected in favor of the "certified" used Prius I ended up buying:.

1) Nissan Versa Note - - Very cut-rate interior (in the only trim version offered with manual transmission); driver's seat even more uncomfortable than that of the Prius; stupidly short top-gear ratio; mediocre reliability history; and most important, rear seatback which when folded forward protrudes so awkwardly high above the cargo floor and is so near the rear of the car that carrying a bike in the car might be difficult.

2) Honda Fit - - Same stupidly short gearing as the Note; limited availability and high prices at the time; small cargo floor area with rear seatback not folded.

3) Hyundai Accent - - Spare tire missing; insufficient space to tuck front wheel of bike between front of folded-down rear seatbacks and rear of front seatbacks; rear seatback which when folded forward is too high (although not as bad as in the Note); restricted (even worse than Prius) rearward visibility; small hatch opening; concern about long-term durability of direct injection system.

4) Mazda3 - - Insufficient space to tuck front wheel of bike between front of folded-down rear seatbacks and rear of front seatbacks; pricey for a modest non-hybrid hatchback; restricted rearward visibility; high cargo floor (not as high as in Prius, but not as long, either), with scant storage space underneath the floor; heavy; 16" (or 18") tires.

 

When I finally got my Prius, it was because I wanted a hybrid.
But before the purchase I was driving a 2010 Honda Fit Sport.
And I would honestly recommend one to anyone. It was the "cliche" but true "fun to drive" and it was beautifully designed. Great interior ergonomics and with the magic seats and totally flat loading floor, it would convert almost into a mini-truck.

I'd say if anyone is interested in a Non-Hybrid compact hatch, The Fit was a great choice.

They have since come out with a new generation, only time will tell if this new incarnation is as good.

 

I almost forgot! I looked at a TDI Jetta Wagon. it was fine, but quite camped inside (I'm a fat man) and was priced higher than the Prius and didn't have the 0% Financing Toyota was offering either.

If I had fit better in it I might have been more interested because it drove nice and I like a manual transmission, but ultimately it wasn't for us.

 

I was driving a 2010 Honda Civic GX (the CNG model) when I was rear-ended Feb. 6, 2015, and the car was totaled. I loved that car because it was the most fuel efficient car I'd ever owned (about 34 MPG), and fuel was only $1.39 a gallon equivalent, no matter if gasoline went up (or down).

Over the years of owning it my wife and I had grown accustomed to the financial savings, since I drive about 40 miles round-trip for work each day. Not a lot, but it adds up, as you all well know.

When I was set up with a rental vehicle after the accident, Enterprise let me choose between a 2014 Prius, a Jetta or a Chrysler 200. I chose the Prius knowing it'd at least keep me in line with gas mileage.

Little did I know the month I'd spent driving it would convert my wife and I.

We looked at a few Prii and found one we liked. Except the other driver's insurance was dragging its feet with the settlement check. When we finally got everything settled, the Prius had sold. The salesman we had kept in touch with looked at sister dealerships in Texas for a comparable Prius, and happened to find one. It even had 9,000 less miles.

He drove down to Dallas, swapped them cars, then drove back. We checked it out, had it checked out, thought it was a good deal and bought it. Exactly one month after the accident.

We figured the Prius was meant to be, because when I went to go check out a 2013 Honda Civic Hybrid, I learned the dealership's general manager had lent it to his pastor for the day. Lent it. I did test drive a 2014 Civic Hybrid but didn't like it nearly as much as the Prius (rougher ride, rougher engine kick, poorer acceleration, worse fuel economy).

 

We replaced our 13 year old '02 Grand Caravan with a '15 Prius three. This was for my wife and I couldn't talk her into looking at a Nissan Leaf (range anxiety) so went down to the Toyota dealer to look at the Corolla which I thought would be a good fit for her. My wife spotted the Prius lift back and went over to look at them and she decided that she liked it. Since I have been driving a Camry Hybrid for 6 years I was all for it and we struck a deal the next day.
Very nice efficient small car and my wife loves it. Personally, I will stick with my Camry for the extra power and comfort.

 

I drove a Honda Accord hybrid, and Ford C-Max Hybrid. Ruled out the Honda because we don't need two 4 door sedans in the garage. Though I liked the POWER! in the C-max, the fuel economy numbers don't match reality and the Prius Hatchback felt like it was better quality.

 

I'm currently torn between used CT200h, 2015 XV Crosstrek w/Eye Sight, or 2012+ Prius 4 with solar pkg. Living in MN, the "AWD" zombies keep coming at you.. but reality is, snow tires are plenty. But my dad lives up in the U.P. of MI where they get 300+" of snow, and I want to be able to drive up there in the winter time... if I should want to. (I think I'll just rent something if needed for that one random drive). I think the Blizzard Pearl/Bisque 4 Solar will be my next car (if I can find the right one at the right price).

 

It took me 4-5 years to get the Third Gen Prius. I sat in 2010 Prius and liked the room & the space-agey config. My wife test drove the 2010 (I was away on a business trip) and she said it was weird experience. It also didn't help the the rear window was smashed out. I guess the drizzle during the test drive told both of them that something was amiss?

We ended up with a Subaru Forester that year as we had to commute back and forth in snowy conditions and felt the gas savings were secondary vs. needing AWD. When I looked at my current Prius I looked at the Mazda 3 and Prius C. Nothing else. I have to say I always enjoy being in the Prius vs any of my other cars. Just so much fun.

 

When I was first shopping for a new car to replace my aging 93 Honda Civic back in 2013, I looked at the Ford Focus and the Mazda 3 hatchbacks. They drove nice enough, but I wanted a car that could get better mpg than my Civic did, roughly 29 mpg combined.

Then when taking my sister to a Toyota dealership so she could look at Camry's, I spotted some odd looking cars next to the Prius they had on the lot. Found out it was a 2012 Prius c, and came back a few days later to test drive it. Though I liked it, I ended up getting one from a different dealership since they wouldn't budge on the price too much despite it being last year's model.

In August 2014, I debated getting a liftback, partly because of Toyota's incentives on them, and the fact that my brother needed a more reliable car for his pizza delivery job than his 2004 Mazda 6, which was also showing its age via lots of repairs and he was borrowing my c quite a bit. So if I got another car, I could sell my c to him, save him money on repairs, and especially gas.

I wanted a plug-in prius, but Toyota doesn't sell them normally in the Midwest. And there'd be no rebates/incentives if I had one special ordered. Flying out to a state that did sell them and driving it home ultimately didn't seem worth the effort, particularly as its EV range isn't that good. There were two used ones at a local dealership, but they refused to budge on the $25k asking price for the base model 2012's they had. For a few thousand more, I could have bought a new one, and then also got the tax credit for it, however little it was, and I'd have a new car with no unknown history, something I was willing to pay for after having numerous issues with my Civic.

I did briefly consider the Volt and the Leaf. But the Leaf's short range might have been an issue in Wisconsin weather during winter, especially if a car accident occurs on the freeway and everything grinds to a halt. And the Volt uses premium gas, something I wouldn't like when visiting relatives far away, and the 4 seats would have been inadequate for times I needed to help take my nieces to school. The fact that I wouldn't qualify for the entire $7500 tax credit either since I don't make that much also played a role, though now that I look back on it, it still would have brought the costs of those cars down to what I paid for the liftback.

Ultimately I settled on a 2014 liftback, due to the $1000 rebate AND 0% financing for 60 months which I qualified for. No issues with the car other than I wish I could plug it in. I am now waiting to see if Toyota will sell the next gen PiP nationwide, or if they will restrict it to CARB states again. In which case I'll buy the Gen 2 Volt or Leaf.

 

I considered a Ford C-Max, but was put off by their initial lying about the mpg and never did test drive one.

I also considered a Sonata Blue, like my brother has, but didn't care for the trunk, the lower mpg or the low rear seats. I also didn't care for the traditional automatic transmission or the dash layout. At first I thought the rear A/C vents would be nice, but then my sister-in-law commented on how much better our Prius cooled the entire cabin without the vents compared to their Sonata. She also mentioned how much better she could see out than in their Sonata and that just reinforced our decision.

I also thought about a Lincoln MKZ, but nixed that idea when I saw how small the rear seat leg room was in actuality and it also has a trunk. Like Ford and the C-Max, they also lied about the mpg, so that was a big strike against them from the beginning.

Since we previously had a van, the hatchback design was the single biggest reason to opt for the Prius. We now have 2 trips under our belts; 7,400 and 5,700 miles. Surprisingly, we are able to drive further and longer in the Prius than we were in our Montana van. I chalk that up to the heated/powered driver's seat. Since I do almost all the driving, being able to heat my lower back, adjust the lumbar support, etc., makes all the difference for me. Unlike some, we find the Softex seats very comfortable and even my wife hasn't complained about a couple of 4-hour non-stop sessions. Even something simple, like being able to listen to our favorite SiriusXM personalities across the country, also plays in a role in my comfort level while driving and hers while crocheting.

 

At the time I was driving abt 100 miles a day for work and knew I wanted a hybrid. I checked out other hybrids, mostly Chevy and Ford models. In the end, I didn't like how the other hybrids worked. They would use hybrid/electric power for around a max of 35-50 miles then after that it would switch over to all gas engine power. All electric models wouldn't work for me either cause I was driving too many miles. I talked to several Prius owners and ALL of them had positive things to say and absolutely loved their Prius. So, my mind was made up, and I got my first Prius.

 

So, as you see above, I've been hunting for a car for some time, and I think I just found it... A 2013 Prius 4, Blizzard Pearl/Bisque, 10,000 miles for $18500. Is that a screamin' deal or the new world order since we're getting closer to the 2016's possible coming out?

 

We just bought our new Prius last month. We seriously considered a Ford C-Max Hybrid. Both cars have their good points. The C-Max only gets 40 mpg but it is a bigger, heavier car with a more solid feel and more power than the Prius. The C-Max is a pleasure to drive. In the end, we decided on the Prius because it has been around much longer (the C-Max is coming into its 3rd year) and has a proven reliability record. The C-Max may turn out to be a fine car but it just felt too much like a gamble. I don't like to gamble with a big purchase. The Prius seemed like a more prudent and conservative choice. So far we are very happy with our decision.

 

I had to have tried just about every hatchback on the market. The Honda Fit was in first place up until I tried the Prius. I had also seriously considered a VW Golf. The Yaris, Focus Hatch, Fiesta Hatch, Versa Note, Chevy Sonic Hatch were all definite NO's. Originally the Prius wasn't on my "list", since I simply hadn't considered a hybrid before and didn't know anything about reliability. I happened to pick up a copy of Consumer Reports and saw it had stellar recommendations, plus saw that I could currently get a Prius Two for just a little bit more than I could get a Honda Fit. PLUS, the Prius came with 2 years of free maintenance, which the Honda didn't, and the Prius had much more room than the Fit. Also I simply liked our local Toyota dealer better (they were less...harassing). All in all, the Prius just made more sense, and we couldn't be happier with our choice!!

 

I had a lot of cars on my radar. I had my previous car for 11 years, so plenty of time to build up "wants". Ultimately the rational side won, as I drive ~25k miles a year and a Prius gives me some HOV access on my commute home. I also liked the hatch for utility.

My limitations were really size. A small garage, plus crap in it, meant a new Accord, Mazda 6, or Fusion wouldn't fit. So they were bumped out that way. When you leave the house at 5:30 AM for work, you appreciate a garage keeping the snow/ice off in the winter.

But I did shop the following along the way, both new and used, along with thoughts:
Honda Civic - No hatch, but brand equity had me shopping Honda. Liked they didn't have a CVT at the time. Ultimately wanted a hatch, and didn't "love" the car.
Honda Fit - Might have gone this way if I didn't get a hybrid. Wish it got better FE and offered a sunroof (in 2013).
Honda Insight - Preferred the Prius to it in almost every way.
Lexus CT200h - Was shopping used, near the top of my price range. Expensive with navigation. Liked the interior, looks. Didn't like lower fuel economy. Decided to not spend that much.
Acura TSX - Looked at used 2008 models and 2012-13 models. Preferred the '08, but tougher to find a good used one. Liked size, fuel economy for a sedan, and Honda quality. Would have been in the running if I didn't get a hybrid.
Acura RSX - Really like everything about these. Fun to drive, good fuel economy, reliable. like the looks. Tough to find a good used one that hasn't been beat up or modified. Clean ones demand too much $$.
Mazda 3 hatch - This was before the redesign and even then it was probably right alongside the Fit as my non-hybrid choice. Liked hatch, size, seats.
Mazda CX5 - Liked design, size, fuel economy for an SUV.
Subaru Impreza wagon - Good size, fuel economy for an AWD. Liked styling. Good value for what you get. CrossTrek Hybrid wasn't out yet. Wary about buying new CVT transmission. I think Subarus are good quality though.
Ford Focus hatch - Tight interior, cheaper feeling interior than the competition. Drove nice though and could be had at a great price.
VW GTI - Probably my favorite non-hybrid. Performance, like styling inside and out. Ultimately afraid of VW "quality". Maybe some day with an extended warranty.
VW Golf TDI - TDI fuel economy is good, but diesel prices were too high compared to gas for value. Too much gridlock in DC area to really take advantage of diesel. Hybrid gives me HOV access, diesel doesn't. VW quality issues.
Audi A3 TDI - Same as Golf, but like styling better.
Chevy Cruze - Nice package overall, strong real world fuel economy, good deals to be had. Ultimately liked others better.
Toyota Corolla - Safe fallback. Did nothing spectacularly, but you know it is cheap and reliable to own.
Kia Forte - Lots of features (heated/cooled seat), best navigation/radio system, good value for the dollar, liked 10 year warranty because of the miles I drive. Real world fuel economy for Hyundai/Kia seems to be lacking. Forte hatch wasn't out yet.
Hyundai Elantra GT - Similar to Forte except it was lacking some features from the Forte and is a small hatch.

 

In 2005 when we got the first Prius, we were actually on the way to the Mini dealer to get a Cooper S and wife said "let's just stop at the Toyota dealer on the way and look". She drove the blue '05 Prius 3 for 5 years and in 2010 the Mazda Protégé I was driving was getting high miles, so we decided to get a new car and were sold on hybrids and I really wanted to like the Fusion hybrid but Ford wasn't dealing on the hybrids at all and wanted to charge us $3,500 more for their Fusion than we could get a Prius 3 for and the Fusion had less standard equipment, so she got the '10 Blizzard Pearl Prius 3 Navi and passed down the '05 Prius 3 to me. last month we decided it was time for another new car, and we wanted to shop around an see what was out there, kids are almost gone and it's just going to be the 2 of us soon, so we shopped Miata, Mazda 3 hatch, Suby Outback, CT200h, Focus hatch, Sonata hybrid, even stopped by the Jaguar dealer. Yesterday we bought a '15 Blizzard Pearl Prius 4, I get the '10 Prius 3 and daughter will drive the '05.
Just hard to beat a Prius.

 

Having owned a Honda Accord since 2007 I became a big Honda fan. I have never had an issue with the Accord and the local dealer Sales and Service departments were the most professional and friendly that I have ever dealt with.

So I was really hoping the new Honda Insight was going to live up to all of the media hype of being the Prius killer. I took it for a test drive. I really liked the interior which made the Prius look outdated and mundane. The test drive was really disappointing. You had to press the brake really hard to get the ICE to turn off and if you let off of the brake the slightest the ICE would fire back off. This plus the fact that the Insight is a motor assist and not a true full hybrid like the Prius. Also the issues Honda was having with the Civic batteries did not help.

I went to the Toyota dealer and saw and test drove the new 2010 Gen III model and the rest is history.

 

I wanted another pickup truck, but none of them got equal or better gas mileage to what I had (25-26 mpg). This was an issue because you'd think in the last 15 years, they'd have vastly improved fuel efficiency for "mid size" and regular pickups. There's been improvement, but as most companies have phased out mid-size pickups, I didn't have a lot of options, and the Toyota Tacoma, which I liked, had lousy gas mileage once you moved up from the base model pickup.

So, since my current pickup still runs, I decided to keep it as a farm/utility vehicle and go for something with great gas mileage. The Prius was the top contender, but I HATED the ergonomics of the ones I test drove (2012 model year). It was dumb luck that I stopped back in to give the Prius another look and the 2013's had come out. Minor changes were made, but now I could get in and out without having to adjust the seat. Even the sales person commented that lots of people had issues with the Prius' layout over past model years. The improvements made for 2013 were long overdue. So, then it became an issue of what other cars were out there. Simply put, there just weren't that many to compete. I did consider the Yaris as an econobox, but I don't think I would have wanted to use it as anything but a lease and use my pickup for everything else.

Since a Prius was about the same price I would pay for a new pickup loaded the way I'd want it, I felt I was getting a good enough deal.