So I was at the Shell gas station last night for my first fill up finally. There was a guy and his buddy at the pump in front of me in a Lexus IS. I was about ready to fill up and the guy came up to me and said I see that’s a Toyota but what car is it? I smiled and said it’s a Prius. I got the surprised pikachu face when I said that and he said a Prius? Like he almost did not believe me. I told him you can look at the back so you can see it is a Prius. Lol dude looked completely baffled that it was indeed a Prius. He even said it’s a 2024 right? I was like no it’s a 2023. Lol I love this car. Edit: If you guys have any similar experience yet. Please share. I’d love to hear about it.
@theRob It's stories like yours that make me feel really good about my prior life, over 2 decades of promoting Prius and its technology. Each of those generations was rewarding to own... just like what you experienced last night. The normal product-cycle for something with so many business complexities is... gen-1 = introduction... gen-2 = sales boom... gen-3 = well established, an obvious purchase choice... gen-4 = struggle to renew & grow. It was textbook outcome, easy to predict that a totally fresh approach would be required to make gen-5 a success. So, it is great seeing favorable results for gen-5 already. That technology which started all this has been spread throughout Toyota's fleet, including its other offering that stirs the same "I see that’s a Toyota but what car is it?" question. It's what I switched to, the first of the bZ models... 4X... which shares some of the same traits as your Prius, most notably the dashboard display above the steering wheel. There are clear trait similarities, the nature of way Toyota has you interact with vehicle drive attributes. They understand what their customers seek. I look forward to more reports from gen-5 owners. Seeing how BEV offerings are in that stage of trying to figure out how to move on to gen-2, it will be interesting to hear from new Prius owners. Reaching a new audience is extremely difficult, but essential to achieve a sales boom and enable successful spread of tech.
I never liked the Prius in terms of looks but I always respected it and appreciated it for it's technology, efficiency and reliability. They really hit it out of the park with this generation.
I triggered a similar reaction when I stopped for gas at a small two pump "full service" station. The young pump jockey tried to open the charge port first. He'd never seen a PHEV (to his knowledge) so I explained the design, the pro's and con's. He was fascinated by the the stylish looks and the efficiency. Charging nightly from a standard low cost electric outlet was nearly unbelievable. I think that some day he will consider a PHEV when he buys his first car.
I have had several cars passing me on the interstate, just to slow down as they checked out my Prius. I was in the middle lane when a driver in the passing lane slowed to behind me, switched to the slow lane and cruised by me with a big thumbs up.
Had a couple guys stop as I was walking back to my car in the grocery store parking lot (I parked way out in the middle of nowhere). They asked what car it was and when I said Prius they were like what year? they thought at first look it was something like a Lamborghini
I parked my car at my local shopping center and this super attractive woman came up to me and asked me about my car. She even asked if she can look inside. She was very surprised when I told her it was a Prius. When I got home, I told my wife that she almost lost me due to my sexy new car. She looked at me with that stupid wife smirk and walked away. LOL On another occasion, some dude in a white Lexus LC convertible, which is a super sexy car, couldn't stop staring at my car. He was next to me at a red light and I saw him creeping up so he can check out the front and I caught him nodding his head. I assume he liked the car. Lastly, I took my car to get tints and the guys at the tint shop were all surprised when they found out it was a Prius. They were definitely impressed.
With gull wing doors and a louvre it could be the real DMC-12 succesor instead of that non sense of Alpha something.
Yesterday the gas station attendant couldn't believe I was driving a Prius. Her words were "That's a Prius? It looks awesome!"
You've got to be getting mad stares driving that yellow beauty around. I think you said you lived in the sticks? If you were living in a major city, you would be getting harassed lol.
A short, 26 years later, and Toyota finally found money to spend on the Prius' design and not just the drivetrain. We def. love the new look and more power, but won't buy a new one to replace our Prime b/c of the crazy low price we got it for.
You might be surprised how much a dealer would offer you in trade for your 2021. I was offered what I paid for my Prius 3.5 years ago........................................ I'm going from a 2019 to a 2023, while gaining equity and lowering my car payment in the process. Tickled sh!tless would be an understatement. Can't wait to enjoy the best-in-class Lane Keep function!
