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Danny's Prius Review (with 6 Pics : Caution 56kers)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Danny, Jan 12, 2004.

  1. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    Well, thanks to fellow Priuschat member mikepaul I finally got to see in the flesh a 2004 Prius. First let me say this - I was very impressed. Not only is the craftsmanship the standard that I as a 2 time Toyota owner have come to expect, but it also seems a step ahead. Like the factory workers back in Japan look at this car with such reverance and have so much invested in them emotionally that they want them to be the best car put out an assembly line. Every piece I handled was solid, well placed, and well made.

    The displays in the car are...different. A welcome kind of different though. A change that made me sit and think "Why wasn't that placed there before?" The controls are well placed - the steering wheel controls are well placed and not intrusive to the driving experience as I have noticed on other cars. At the same time, however, they are easy to find and easy to get used to. So much so that Mike didn't know how to use the computer system without the steering wheel controls :) They're not a novelty as they are in so many other cars I've seen them in. The controls of the car are literally at your finger tips.

    So I have to be honest about something....before I read posts like "You'll start to see driving this car as a game to see what kind of MPG you can get...." "It's a totally different driving experience" and I giggled a little and figured, man, these people haven't bought a new car in a long time, have they? Well, I'll be the first to admit when I'm wrong and guess what - I was wrong. In the 5 minutes total I was behind the wheel driving the car it didn't feel like I was driving a car. It felt like I was driving a system (my fellow techies will know what I mean). This is a car that is always working together to create quite a unique driving experience. You can just feel the difference between driving a traditional car and driving the Prius. It really feels like the car is smart and doing things to help you while driving instead of you doing all the work all the time. You can't really understand what I mean until you get behind the wheel of the Prius for the first time.

    The Prius does not look like as big of a car as I was really expecting it to be. But, like the rest of the car, it proved to me that looks are deceiving. I sat down in the back seat with the front seat all the way back and had plenty of room to cross my legs, stretch out, etc. The hatchback design was probably used for streamlining the car, but it adds a great deal of storage room and an open feeling to the car.

    Looking out the back is kinda weird with what feels like a split rear-window. I'm sure it'll be 2nd nature after a few hours of driving time, though. And there may be blind spots in the car, but you should try driving my MR2 if you want some blindspots (unless the top is down of course 8) ). Some things to add for 2005 - a sunroof (hell, add dual sunroofs like the new Scion that was just announced), integrated MP3 in the headunit, and find a place for a couple of subwoofers (normally in a car like this they would be in the rear deck, but alas, there is none on the Prius).

    The pep in the car is about what I expected - not exactly going to beat my MR2 in motorcrossing but if you're looking for that kind of zip in a sedan like this then you're going to buy a V6 Camry anyway.

    The Prius makes you feel smart. It makes you feel involved in the driving experience. It makes you want to play the MPG game but it also makes you want to just drive the hell out of it.

    But, above all, the Prius is just cool.

    [Broken External Image]:http://s87059328.onlinehome.us/images/mikepaulprius/DSCF0104small.JPG
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    [Broken External Image]:http://s87059328.onlinehome.us/images/mikepaulprius/DSCF0109small.JPG
     
    #1 Danny, Jan 12, 2004
  2. jkash

    jkash Member

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    Great review and pics Danny. What do you think, will the wait for your car be easier now that you have seen and driven one or be harder? I haven't quite made up my mind about that one yet.

    Jeff
     
    #2 jkash, Jan 12, 2004
  3. Wolfman

    Wolfman New Member

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    Hey Danny, how tall are you, and how did you fare in the headroom? My head bashing in the back seat was literally the sole reason for me not ordering an 04.
     
    #3 Wolfman, Jan 12, 2004
  4. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    Well, at least now I know what I'll be getting and I won't hear the small issues people are having and give up on my order. Driving one definitely excited me about the car - instead of only knowing what I've seen in pictures and read, I've now physically sat down in one.....ok, it makes me want it a little bit more :) But then again, I bought my MR2 sight-unseen and have loved every minute with it.

    Bryan -

    I'm 5'10", so not all that tall at all. I didn't even notice the headroom in the back, so I guess that means it didn't bother me :)
     
    #4 Danny, Jan 13, 2004
  5. Wolfman

    Wolfman New Member

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    That could be the reason then why none of the car reviews have made issue with rear headroom. I'm 6 ft tall, but that extra two inches would have made the car perfect. Oh well, it gives Toyota something to fix for Prius v 3.0 right? :mrgreen:
     
    #5 Wolfman, Jan 13, 2004
  6. glscheil1

    glscheil1 New Member

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    Danny - verg good pic's. Now you know why we are so excited. :) :) :)
     
    #6 glscheil1, Jan 13, 2004
  7. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    I had the chance to sit for a minute in the back of an '04 last week. At 6' 2" and apparently the wrong leg to torso proportions for this car, I hit the roof well before the headrest. But then I don't sit in the back of my cars, I drive :) I wasn't really expecting to fit, though there have been some posts by tall people saying they DID fit so I held out a little hope. Mostly I just wanted to see if one could get in back without cracking their head on the roof on the way in or out without undue effort. That test went fine.
    I remember well being crammed in the back of my step-father's Corolla wagon in the early 70's. Not fun at all. Of course I grew from 5'6" to 6'2" in 2 years so it isn't like he could have foreseen that! If I were going to have to put people of "excessive" height in the back, I wouldn't get the car. But, my daughters are 8 1/2 & almost 11 and highly unlikely to be hitting 6' (in fact the older one is only 4' 4". In her 4/5 class of 20, only 3 are shorter than she and they are 4th graders) so it is not a deterrent for me.
    Given the lack of supply, I think I'll hold out for an '05 though. Maybe they'll fix the "guess gauge" and "how much gas does it hold?" problems. Those seem to be the only common complaints. I really don't expect much else in the way of model year changes since the '04 is such a big redesign. I don't know if it is possible, but it would be nice if the rear seat could be slid forward maybe up to six inches on the fly for people who have shorter drivers and taller rear seat passengers.
    I've always gone for silver or gold cars (don't show the dirt and I don't wash my cars much) but the Seaside is growing on me. Must be the mid-life crisis :D
     
    #7 bruceha_2000, Jan 13, 2004
  8. Jerry P

    Jerry P Member

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    NIce pics Danny. It is nice to see a Prius without snow caked up in the wheel wells and white salt residue everywhere! Winter is in full swing in NW PA so posts featuring nice clean cars and SUNSHINE are greatly appreciated. :D
     
    #8 Jerry P, Jan 13, 2004
  9. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

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    Every year, there's at least 1 bad day here where people who can't drive in snow have to. I used to commute to Buffalo for work, so I remember how snow works. I can live with some dirt being spread around and tossed at the car, but the idea of someone sliding into my brand new car makes me cringe.

    If I could work at home, there are days coming where I'd do it. Later, when the newness isn't as impressive, I'll be OK...
     
    #9 mikepaul, Jan 13, 2004
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