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Gen 2 STILL a nice car.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by jerrymildred, Jun 11, 2018.

  1. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    My PiP is smoother, quieter (especially in EV), and a little stronger, but I got reminded yesterday of why my wife isn't interested in upgrading from her '07.

    I like to drive it now and then to see how it's running since I'm the one who maintains it. Every time I get ready to drive it, I kind of expect it to feel old and clunky. And it never does. Yesterday, we drove about 60 miles, altogether, in it. We started out with 52.4 mpg showing on the computer with over 350 miles on the trip meter and 4 pips on the gas gauge. Got home with the same mpg reading we started with. It performed flawlessly even with over 124k miles on it. Still no squeaks, rattles, or other annoyances.

    So, while I still pine for a Gen 4 or a Prime and their cool new features, there's just not yet any compelling reason to make a change yet. I suspect that many of you feel the same way about your Gen 2?
     
  2. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    I bought my Prius thinking if would feel the same way my wife's 2005 did. It doesn't. The interior design for the model 2 is second to none.
     
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  3. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    My very first Prius is an '07 I bought last July and I absolutely love this car! Same as yours, no rattles, squeaks or annoyances. It just works and feels like a new car, save for 190K on the odo.
     
  4. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    My first of 3 prii I have owned in still in the family with over 300k miles. It is still rattle free! Amazing little cars. I've driven a gen 3 with under 200k that was a complete rattle trap :/
     
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  5. kenoarto

    kenoarto Senior Member

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    Well, it is pretty noisy on long road trips, but we just decided to put $2500 into a new HV battery for our 05 with 117,000 miles. $25,000 for a new Prime is a lot of money to replace a car that is still running perfectly.
     
  6. egg_salad

    egg_salad Active Member

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    I contend that the G2 is the best-built Prius. The G1 was a guinea pig, but the G2 had to be good enough to convince mainstream buyers that a Prius was right for them. By the time the G3 came out, they started to rest on their laurels.
     
  7. Jayw13702

    Jayw13702 Active Member

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    For me the gen3 was the pinnacle of Prius design.

    The look was far more cohesive than the gen2, the interior was a more comfortable place to be and the dash looked like it had been planned out, however I will accept that the “flying buttress” is a love it or hate it kind of thing.

    I loved the two gen2’s that I had, but for me the gen3 just had that edge


    2010 Gen 3
     
  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Oh, I do love my PiP!! It's just that the Gen 2 is still so surprisingly good. This one is at least 11 years old and feels almost new. I love all the storage (especially since the PiP has even less than the regular hatchback). The G2 is noisier on the highway and the seat isn't quite as comfortable, but then again, neither is as comfortable as my 2000 Kawasaki Concours was once I modified the pegs and handlebars. Or as noisy. But there is such a thing as earplugs. :) I also like that with the G2 I sit up higher and feel like I can see better. When I switch from my car to my wife's, it's almost like getting behind the wheel of a truck at first. Then it feels normal in a couple minutes.

    Edit to add: BTW, she sent me a screen shot when she got gas yesterday.
    MP- mpg.jpg
     
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  9. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Yeah, I'm in the same situation. I don't drive the Gen 2 much so it's always a good reminder when I do. My Energi is on a whole higher level both in design and operation but it's always surprising how well the Gen 2 works. To throw another variable into the mix, I just picked up a cheap econobox, a 2008 suzuki sx4, for child unit #2 and driving that thing really shows just how good the gen 2 is.
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The progression of dashes. Second generation:

    upload_2018-6-12_10-0-41.png

    Third generation:

    upload_2018-6-12_10-3-20.png

    Fourth generation:

    upload_2018-6-12_10-5-16.png
     
  11. egg_salad

    egg_salad Active Member

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    I won't ever like the flying bridge shift console on the G3. It accomplishes nothing and wastes space.
     
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  12. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    And reduces storage. :mad:

    But I do like having the joystick and mode buttons closer to my hand as I rest my arm on the center console. (y)
     
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  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The MFD is slowing moving lower and lower on the dashboard with each successive generation. I miss our Gen 2. I know most Gen 2 owners feel the same :)
     
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    On the other hand the front/bottom visibility is opening up? The second gen does look a little claustrophobic, like you're peeking over a high wall.

    Might be the camera angle too.
     
  15. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

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    My feeling is the Gen 2 just works. I have a few gripes (poor visibility if you're over 6' tall, poor GPS, poor rear hatch handle design, poor HID headlights) but overall it's a great car.
     
  16. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    That's for sure!
     
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  17. egg_salad

    egg_salad Active Member

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    My G2 doesn't have NAV, but if you're judging the quality of a NAV system designed in 2004 by modern standards, I think that's hardly fair.
     
  18. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Design is fine, but poorly understood in terms of operation.
     
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  19. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

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    I'm not judging by modern standards. My 2008 NAV system is horrible compared to Garmin, Harmon Kardon, Dash, etc. from the same year.
     
  20. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You don't know the meaning of bad until you see the 04 05 NAV with low resolution screen. Brings back the quality from Atari days