Is a Prius Right for Me?

Well, coming from a Lexus you're bound to find the Prius to be less cushy. The display hasn't really bothered me since I bought it in December and I, personally, like the ride. Not too soft, not too firm...I don't like either exreme. Handling is decent for something that wasn't designed to tear up the twisties.

The most important thing IMO is that you spend some real time in the driver's seat to make sure that you can get comfortable and stay that way. Some people have gone as far as to rent a Prius for a day or two in order to put it through its paces on the daily grind to see how everything feels.

I would suggest that you test drive other hybrids as well: Camry and Civic. May as well, right?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(n2cars @ May 7 2007, 05:39 PM) [snapback]437197[/snapback]</div>

I find the ride more quite and comfortable, but I came from a Honda CRV; coming from a Lexus would probably be noticeable. I read about the fingerprint thing on the display, but it's not a problem. I guess it depends on how many drivers there will be. After a while, when the novelity wears off, you probably won't switch the screens as often. It's a matter of priorities, one car can't do everything.

 

I drive a Lexus myself, and I absolutely would not go from a Lexus to a Prius no matter what the gas savings, especially driving that much. My fiance is out of town and I've been driving the Prius daily, I'm tired getting out of it at the end of the day, its never that way in the Lexus. Its not so much the ride as the added noise and the awkward driving position.

The Prius is a nice car, but its no Lexus on the highway like that. If you really want a hybrid get a Camry Hybrid. Still not a Lexus, but a lot closer. I have a colleague who just traded in his E320 Benz on a HyCam and he LOVES it.

As for the screen, no different than the Lexus screen. We carry small microfiber towels in each car and wipe the displays down when they get too fingerprint-y. The screen does wash out in the light on the Prius, but some company makes a little hood for the display that looks pretty nice.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(n2cars @ May 7 2007, 07:39 PM) [snapback]437197[/snapback]</div>

You'll almost double that in a Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(n2cars @ May 8 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]437413[/snapback]</div>

Also take a look at the Nissan Altima Hybrid (about 38 MPG). It has been receiving good reviews as a smoother TCH.

JeffD

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(n2cars @ May 7 2007, 07:39 PM) [snapback]437197[/snapback]</div>

I was pleasantly surprised how nice my new prius handles.

But take my impression with a grain of salt. My other car is a Ford Explorer which gives one a very uncomfortable feeling whenever turning. Kind of like being too close to the edge of a cliff.

As far as the display goes, a lot of the functions can be controlled from the steering wheel.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jdenenberg @ May 8 2007, 08:28 AM) [snapback]437422[/snapback]</div>

That's actually the unrevised number. New number are 35 city, 33 highway (48 city, 45 highway for Prius).

We're extremely happy with our Prius. Megan commutes about 34 miles a day. But we were switching from a Subaru Outback rather than a Lexus.

 

I love my Prius, but I've only put on 20,000 miles in 3.3 years, so I do not drive nearly as much as you do. I've taken some long road trips, and I find the seat uncomfortable after a while. But I put such high value on being green, that I'm happy to sacrifice a little comfort.

I've ridden in my sister's Lexus. I have to admit, there's no comparison. You'll have to decide what's important for you: You'll burn just over half as much gas, you'll have about half the comfort, and your pollution emissions will be much lower.

And, for reasons I cannot quite explain, I really like just knowing that my car has no conventional transmission. No clutch, no changing of gears. Nothing ever disconnects. I just find that really cool.

If comfort is of utmost importance to you, stick with Lexus. If reducing your impact on the environment is of utmost importance to you, get a Prius.

The MFD washes out whenever it's in direct sunlight. But that does not happen much, and you never actually NEED the MFD for anything. -- Oh, but then mine is an '04 so the MFD in yours will be different.

 

What daniel said.

After driving the prius for 1+ year I cannot envision any other car. I could afford and was looking at Lexus when I switched car. I'm glad that I didn't fall into the trap of luxury. I feel much more smug having a prius then a lexus and it annoys my premium car owning friends that I get much more attention in my car worth ~1/2 their money then they do with chrome rims and all.

That said a lexus is a more comfortable car. I wouldn't say x2 as comfortable but def better seats, a quiter ride (though the prius is quiet) and a lot more plush.

It's up to you to decide what you really want. A smug sense of luxury or a smug sense of the "greens". I hope you choose the latter.

/Robert

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SomervillePrius @ May 8 2007, 10:19 AM) [snapback]437584[/snapback]</div>

I do 90 miles a day, 85 of it freeways at 75-80, and love this car. It is easily more comfortable and quiet than my other 2 Subarus, though I never had a Lexus. I spend about 10 hours a week in my car, and can't imagine doing that kind of seat time in anything else. The mileage of my Subaru, 25mpg, was easily doubled by the Prius. After 33,000 miles it has been totally trouble free, and has never been back to the dealer for anything. My question: Why would anybody NOT drive a Prius?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(n2cars @ May 8 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]437413[/snapback]</div>

Mine has almost 90k miles on it and I wouldn't trade it for a brand new Prius even if the swap were free. The Prius is a great car, but its not a Lexus. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that "its a Lexus" or anything smug, it purely has to do with the fact that the Lexus is a 80% more comfortable car.

The Altima Hybrid sounds promising, the Altima has a teriffic feature set.

Because its a weird car. The driving position is weird, it looks weird, the instrumentation is weird, the seats are terrible and barely adjustable, you always sit way too upright. Not to say its not a great car, it is and it has tons of benefits but there are also serious drawbacks. I've said it before but I would never consider purchasing a Prius for me to drive personally. It doesn't appeal to me in that way at all. Now, I enjoyed driving it these past few days and I enjoy driving it from time to time, but I am always relieved to get back into my Lexus.

Its a very appealing car to a lot of people, but its also very unappealing to a lot of people.

 

Wear driving gloves. No fingerprints on the display, and the steering wheel will never get sticky.

 

Toyota is not = Lexus.
Toyota pitches for affordable while Lexus is more gear toward luxury. There will be no comparison between Toyota and Lexus.

How can someone compare a 20+k Prius to a 35+k Lexus ES. :huh:

 

I'm not saying it should be like the Lexus ES, I'm just saying I vastly prefer driving my Lexus ES. Thats only applicable because this poster is wondering whether he'll be happy in a Prius after being so used to and enjoying a Lexus. So, my answer would be no.

The Prius is NOT a cheap car. Ours was $27,000, and they're damn near $30k now loaded. There are TONS of more comfortable cars out there in that price range. The Camry, the Accord, the Maxima, you can make an exhaustive list. I think the problems for me come mainly from the weird driving position, which would be helped greatly by a set of 1995 era seat adjustments.

 

I see this discussion from a different point of view. I can't afford a Lexus, but comfort is really important to me. I spend a lot of time driving around LA and get fatigued in my SUV from it (doesn't help its a stick). Gas mileage is a big factor in my decision, but so is road noise, smooth ride, and comfort. The high end of my budget is about $22k and I was looking at Mazda3s, Subarus, etc...anything with a hatchback or wagon. My non-scientific research led me to the Prius not just because it gets better mileage than anything on the road, but also because it appears to be a smoother riding, quiter car than the others I was looking at. I have concerns about the seats, though...if I could afford a Lexus, I'd probably buy one. Great cars and when you spend a lot of time in your car, comfort goes a long way...in an ideal world with endless funds I'd want a Lexus SUV that runs on banana peels and beer cans...

Mike

 

It rides better than the Mazda 3 hatchback and its quieter, but the Mazda has better seats and a better driving position. In our purchase decison it came down to the Mazda 3 hatchback and the Prius.

The best way to know for sure about the seats is to drive one for an extended period. Like I said they don't bother my fiance and there are plenty of people here they don't bother. I bet the leather would make them more comfortable, part of the issue for me is that the seat fabric is very grabby and I can't slide around and get comfortable.

If you really want a Lexus with a hatch there are a couple of pre-owned options if that doesn't bother you. Lexus made a IS300 SportCross for a little while that has 4 doors and a hatch, you might be able to get into an 04 RX330 for that too.

 

Comfort is a very personal thing. So is the trade-off between luxury and environmentalism. If you can possibly rent a Prius for a day, or even a week, you'll know how comfortable it is for you, and then you'll be able to better assess all the trade-offs.

I knew I wanted a green car, but I was still reluctant until I had driven one for a day. I was lucky: this was back in November of 2003, before they really took off, and the dealer let me take the demo from Saturday evening until Monday morning. I gave them the keys and my $500 deposit in nearly the same breath.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ May 10 2007, 08:12 AM) [snapback]439096[/snapback]</div>

Actually, Allan (allande) has an answer for that. He uses small sticks (like pencils) with a protective covering to touch the screen. I don't want to wear gloves in the summer. It's sort of like using a stylus on a Palm Pilot. That doesn't take care of the sticky steering wheel though. For that, wash your hands before driving, and occasionally wipe down the steering wheel.

I haven't made any up any styluses yet, but probably will.

Dave M.