25,000 Mile Report Card

Having passed the 25,000 mark on our 2004 Prius, I thought this would be a good time to give a review back to the board. We picked up our Prius, silver package 9, in March, 2004. I commute 120 miles round trip to and from northern Virginia daily and the Prius is my commuter vehicle. Here are my impressions:

Overall MPG – 25,528 miles, 50.92mpg. Do I drive for mileage? Nope, I just drive.

Ride/Comfort – The 2004 Prius has plenty of room in both the front and rear seats. I am 6’0†and find I have plenty of room in any of the 4 main seats. The car is quite comfortable whether the trip is a 2 hour commute or a drive to the mountains. Cruise control maintains speed accurately, and the 1mph adjustment is very nice. The 6-disk in dash CD with cassette stereo provides more than acceptable sound and is great for books on CD. Automatic climate control is adequate, although transitions from day to night or vice-versa require temperature adjustments of several degrees to maintain the same “feels like†temperature. The seats are comfortable, even without multi-way power adjustments. The cabin is well insulated from highway noise.

Drivability – The Prius handles as well as a midsize car of this class should. The HID headlights provide unbelievable visibility. The auto dimming review mirror works well most of the time, transition times of the day are minor irritants. The only unwanted noises occasionally come from the overhead drivers handle, sunglasses in the overhead compartment, and the water bottle in the center console. The transmission provides smooth and predictable acceleration without the jerking of automatic transmissions.

Smart Entry/Smart Start – Warrants its own category. A must have option. Gotta love never reaching into your pocket, purse, whatever for keys. (And not being able to lock them in the car).

Issues – Initial problems with dash lights. Local dealer determined pinched cable harness during manufacturing and fixed under warranty. A telescopic steering column should be included or an option. Navigation is not as accurate as would be expected for the money (The Garmin GPS-V is more accurate, although less convenient) but the Prius Nav “almost†always gets you where you need to go. We have discovered some very scenic drives, thanks to the quirks! The lock-out of functions while moving is annoying and I may end up hacking the system to override them. Voice commands are rarely useful, often entertaining. Wishing Verizon had a BlueTooth phone.

Miscellaneous – Parking lots are dangerous. It hard to tell where the corners of the car are located. Rear visibility is impaired. “Stealth mode†prevents pedestrians from knowing you’re coming (until you hit them).

Hacks and Tips – Disable the beeps. Tire pressure other than recommended doesn’t make enough difference to justify the time spent adjusting after servicing. In fact, the graph shows a slight increase since I stopped adjusting after services. Oh how I want integrated XM satellite radio (is Santa listening?) with pause/rewind (wishful thinking). I have the factory EV switch and will install it one of these days. I believe I can squeak out a little better mileage by using it.

Would I Recommend It? – Without reservation and have many times. It is what it is and does what it’s meant to do…competently.

Regards,
Scott H


PS - Oh yea, did I mention the 120 mile northern Virginia commute? HOV-1 is OUTSTANDING!!! All Prius2 owners need to write a letter recommending the CF rule be continued for vehicles with an EPA highway rating of 50+MPG. Those of you I see in the HOV lanes of I-95 and I-66, join me in the cause and write your representative. (Shameless plug)

 

I'm following the Toyota recommended services.