Upgrading to Prime from 2005 Prius

As a former Gen 2 owner, there are a lot of differences and some similarities.

Pros:

• Better front seats (not perched like in the Gen 2)
• Much improved ride quality (suspension and body rigidity upgrades)
• Better handling (suspension and tyre upgrade)
• Quieter ride (Better sound insulation via foam and double paned glass as well as more engine noise isolation)
• Better HV mode mpg (55-60mpg easily)
• Of course the EV range 20-35 miles depending on season. Less if snowier or colder
• Much improved passive safety (offset crash plus more airbags)
• Much improved active safety (TSS-P 2.0)
• Better quality of materials - fewer hard plastics, more soft-touch injection moulded plastics
• Even though it’s 200kg (440lbs) heavier, the acceleration is similar to a Gen 2 thanks to improved low end torque with the engine and electric motors as well as the reduction gear in the PSD
• Excellent LED headlights (both low and high beam)
• Nicely weighted steering wheel

Cons:

• Loss of interior storage space (no upper glovebox, smaller lower glovebox, no in-dash storage or hidden drawer, no underfloor bins, raised cargo floor)
• Slight loss of interior legroom (more noticeable in the rear)
• Not a fan of the SofTex-wrapped steering wheel. I like the thermal properties (it’s not as cold in the winter as a leather-wrapped wheel) but it doesn’t feel nice after it’s worn; only when new
• SofTex is fine in mild climates but it doesn’t breathe as well as Toyota marketing would have you believe.
  
• The 2021 model cuts some corners compared to the 2017-2020 (no illuminated driver switches, swapped out piano black exterior accents for the unpainted matte black on the regular Prius, removed the plastic coverings on the interior door frames etc)
• Honestly, the chassis can handle more power. Yes we’ll lose some efficiency but it’s be nice to not have to rely on the engine for extra oomph.
  
• Loss of uniqueness that made the Gen 2 fun to own.

 

I think it's because most of the time, the hard plastic is really cheaply made and thus the association. There have been hard plastics that feel nice to the touch but I suppose manufacturers just avoid that since people automatically associated "hard" with "poor" or "cheap".

For example, I thought the Gen 2's hard plastic (but smooth) door toppers were fine. It was actually the very thin fabric over the armrest that was cheap feeling.