Back-to-back drives of a 2004 and a 2005

The good news is that you don't *have* to buy a new Prius like we did to experience this. The bad news is that I don't know how easy it would be to do through any other manner.

That said, it was really an eye-opener for me to drive to the dealer in our 2004 with not quite 22,000 miles on it and, about 30 minutes later, drive away in a new 2005 example of the same car.

Like so many of you, I've experienced what it's like to climb into a new car....but always from a different model and usually from a different manufacturer, too. This is the first time I've compared new and used of the exact same brand and model.

And whooo-ee, was there a difference! Now, believe me, I babied that 2004 (and I've got my wife to testify to that). It spent it's live in Central Florida, where the roads are about as consistently smooth as you're going to find...no frost heaves and not many potholes. Temps are pretty moderate. Yes, the summer is hot...but I always parked it in the shade at work. And at least we rarely had freezes. But the 2005 is so *tight*...I'm talking the feel of the steering and the ride, not fit and finish. I can't believe that the 2004 got that loose in little over a year. Frankly, it makes me wonder how much the difference would have been if there had been 5 model years between them instead of just one.

Dave
Albuquerque, NM

 

Okay, so 126 people (to this point) apparently don't want to speculate on how well screwed together the Prius is or isn't. In another online forum I've seen a Honda Insight owner (who had his car get "long in the tooth" right under him after 122,000 miles) say that his Prius doesn't seem to be built well enough to make the battery pack service life question a real issue. And, as I said, my first drive of our new 2005 really brought home how loose our 2004 had become in just 20,000 miles.

Yes, it's a Toyota...but maybe at this price point, expectations can't be too high.

Dave

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"84928)</div>

Well, now....that's a good point. However, if we can assume that Toyota's superb build quality is consistent across a given car line, then I don't think it's too unreasonable to guess that the 2004 started out as tight as the 2005.

What I'm describing would not be affected by tire wear. I wasn't referring to the ride or to lateral acceleration or braking. What I was talking about, actually, is the steering...this is the same steering that has failed to impress fairly consistently.

Here's what Autoweek said just this past Monday in an update of their long-term test Prius:

"Most on staff feel if we have to endure such wretched driving dynam­ics—numb steering, terrible handling—the least the Prius should do is deliver on a promise of super-duper fuel mileage. The EPA pegs the Prius for a combined 55.6 mpg; that we are getting 42.29 mpg year-to-date means the Prius ain’t cutting it."

In the current issue of Motor Trend, their long-term test update includes the following comment:

"The steering feel has been described as 'roadus disconnectus' -- totally numb, according to one editor's semi-Latinspeak -- lacking in communication and somewhat non-linear."

For all I know, these folks would have the same reaction if they drove my 2005. Fact is, however, I don't share in their criticism (after all, I once owned a CRX!)...then again, I know I don't hold the Prius to the same standards they probably do. OTOH...maybe my 2004 and their car were very much alike.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seasider\";p=\"84939)</div>

Interesting. Well, for whatever reason -- whether it was built that way or *got* that way -- I noticed a difference the first time I drove the 2005...and I continue to notice it with each successive experience behind the wheel. I won't beat this point to death...it just brought up visions of the car possibly not standing up too well past 50K.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus\";p=\"85326)</div>

Thank you for the link to that thread! The intended results of the improvements described there would be *exactly* the kind of steering and ride differences I believe I've been experiencing. Sure would be interesting to know if any of these actually "migrated" to the U.S. model.

And I sure would be happy to know that the difference was due to improvements in the 2005 and not deterioration of the 2004!