My new Prius: My observations (long post ahead!)

After driving my new Prius home just last night and driving it to work this morning, I've only had a short time in the car, but even at this early stage, I have some observations in light of issues that have been discussed on PriusChat and in comparison to my former car, a 2004 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor.

Observations (in no particular order)

• The seating position is fine for me, and the lack of a telescoping steering wheel hasn't bothered me at all. With only a few adjustments, I was able to find a position with which I'm comfortable. The seats themselves are fine, too, but my height and weight are probably factors here: I'm 5'8" and 150 lbs. I don't miss the electronically adjustable seats that I had in the C230.

• The lack of a leather interior, one of my biggest concerns, turns out for me to be a non-issue. I've already found that the fabric interior seems to be warmer first thing on a cold morning and grippier--I don't have the feeling that I'm sliding around my seat as I did in the C230.

• Visibility is fine all around the car. The A-pillars (I think that's what they're called) are a little wider than those in the C230, but so far, I haven't felt that they interfere with vision out the front quarters of the Prius. The view out the rear window requires a little adjusting to, but even so, I think that I've adapted pretty well in the short time I've been driving the car. I do find, in fact, that because of the Prius' low belt line (in comparison with the C230), I can see far more out the back window when I'm backing up--a definite plus over the C230. By the way, I can see that the backup camera is useful only to gauge how close one is to something like a garage wall or another car.

• I haven't had any problems with reflections on the windshield, as some PriusChatters have mentioned. However, one of the first things I did in the car was to turn down the instrument cluster brightness, so this may be the reason I haven't noticed any reflections.

• The lighting of the steering wheel buttons is certainly not intense, but it is actually not all that different from what I had on the C230. It's certainly not a problem for me at all. As others have said, each button has a distinct feel, so in the short time I've been driving the car, I don't even need to look at them anyway.

• My Prius is almost as quiet inside as the C230, with the Prius having probably loads less insulation. I was most pleasantly surprised!

• The Prius rides almost as nicely as the C230, again a pleasant surprise. I've noticed a few more bumps over washboard surfaces, but overall, the ride is far better than anything I would have imagined. I haven't increased the tire pressure yet, though, so my viewpoint might change at a later point if I decide to make the change.

• One of the biggest differences between the Prius and any other non-hybrid is the lack of vibration at idle. My wife noticed that immediately. Now, I wouldn't say that the C230 vibrated a great deal, but the lack of ANY vibration is notable.

• CVT is really, really different from a car with a definite number of gears like the C230. There's no change in engine "note" or feelings of acceleration to a peak then deceleration while the gear changes, then acceleration to a peak, etc. In the Prius, the acceleration just seems to be linear.

• The steering feels ... almost numb compared to that in the C230. Since I'm actually kind of a relaxed driver, I don't anticipate slaloming around town, so the difference doesn't bother me.

• I've noticed that in comparison to the C230, at the same speeds, the Prius feels slower. In other words, 80 km/h (50 mph) in the Prius oddly feels slower than the same speed in the C230. My wife felt the same, too. Maybe it's just a case of getting used to a different car...

• The Prius has much, much more interior room than the C230, and the cockpit is much airier. There is a LOT more storage space, too. Love the hatchback!

• I didn't have any problems at all setting up the Homelink button for my garage door. The procedure was almost the same as that for the C230.

• The JBL premium stereo is not quite as good as what I had in the C230, but overall, it's actually not as bad as I had imagined. While I'm not overjoyed, I'm not disappointed, either. I won't be making any aftermarket changes to it.

• I haven't had time to set up a Bluetooth connection between the Prius and my cellphone--a Treo 680. I may try that tonight.

• Magnetic Gray Metallic looks even better in real life!

Well, I've rambled on enough. I'll probably have more to say at a later time once I've had a few more hours in the car.

 

It was the sedan. The coupe was offered in 2004, but I wasn't interested; I didn't like the look--and still don't.

I know exactly where you mean: the stretch from the exit to White Rock uphill to 32nd or so. I do take the Peace Arch sometimes, as I live quite close to King George Highway and Highway 10, in an area called Panorama Village. For the most part, though, when I go to the States, I use the truck crossing. Anyway, I haven't really used cruise control because I haven't yet had much of a chance to do any highway driving, but I'll be going out along the 91 tomorrow--although it's really kinda flat in comparison to the 99 in the area you've mentioned.

Interesting about the reflections. do not know if I'll ever see it, as I spend all my time in the city and suburbs.