My review: 2010 Toyota Prius

[bradyholt]

For all the love it’s gotten from hundreds of thousands of customers, there are many people who have never figured out the appeal of the Toyota Prius. The second generation of this popular gas-electric hybrid, sold from the 2004 through the 2009 model years, was a compact economy car priced alongside bigger or more luxurious vehicles well over $20,000. Many wrote off that car as overpriced and its followers as blindly addicted to hype.

In the conventional sense, the 2010 redesign of the Prius is far from radical. The outgoing car’s familiar shape is retained, and most improvements are incremental. It looks as though the new Prius is the same as before but just a little better.

But improvements to the new Prius’s ride quality, noise suppression, and interior space have boosted it well above the feel of its predecessor, which not only felt like an economy car but was often criticized for not feeling like an especially good economy car. It now has the refinement and practicality to truly rival a midsize sedan rather than just a compact one...

Continued at link:

http://www.examiner.com/x-1017-DC-Ca...0-Toyota-Prius

[plane]

AWESOME!
Perfect timing.
Based on that review, it's time to buy a Prius.
Not me personally.
General Motors.
Take a good close look at that smug on wheels.
Make sure the Volt slaughters that wankerwagen.
Problem solved.
No more Prius.
AWESOME!

[eurohazard]

Nice review Brady. But technically this is the Prius' 4th generation. But it is only the 3rd to make it to America.

I still wouldn't buy one, but Toyota seems to have addressed the biggest shortcomings of the Prius.

The Volt can NOT get here quick enough. By the time Chevy sells #1, 3/4 of a million Prius' will be on the road.

[plane]

Well yeah.
This is going to take time to fix.
You don't just pop one blue pill and <poof> the itchy, scratchy, pus-filled Prius is gone.
No.
It's just not that quick or easy.
It's going to take time to shovel-slam, A-10 Warthog obliterate, use no gas for forty miles makes the Prius a bad memory kind of action.

Just think of the Volt as the Anti-Smug, Anti-<censored>, Anti-Prius.

[bradyholt]

I don't see the Volt as a huge threat to the Prius's sales volume. The Prius is now more of a mainstream car than ever, at a mainstream price. The Volt will be so much more expensive; I don't know how many customers will make their way over.

However, if the Volt is luxurious enough, it might very well obliterate the Prius-based Lexus.

[SullyND]

Subaru seemed to awaken to the fact they beat their cars with the ugly stick and correct pretty quickly... Do you think Toyota will ever learn?

Man, that's one ugly proboscis.

[FoMoCo man]

ewwwww ... I hate the prius never did like it !!! it looks like a retarted rabbit on wheels

[LuvmyPathfinder]

that was an excellent well thought out review that i really enjoyed reading. thank you.

[john1701a]

54.2 MPG average as of 3,500 summer miles so far.

Efficiency is taking a hit though, now that my weekend cargo has increased dramatically...



.

[eurohazard]

Originally Posted by john1701a

54.2 MPG average as of 3,500 summer miles so far.

Efficiency is taking a hit though, now that my weekend cargo has increased dramatically...



.

lol, that kayak is a fart in the wind compared to my stupid boat (or my old travel trailer).

Hey John, what is the one thing you hate (or like the least) about your new Prius?

[plane]

Originally Posted by bradyholt

I don't see the Volt as a huge threat to the Prius's sales volume. The Prius is now more of a mainstream car than ever, at a mainstream price. The Volt will be so much more expensive; I don't know how many customers will make their way over.

However, if the Volt is luxurious enough, it might very well obliterate the Prius-based Lexus.

Except that no one has publicly disclosed the final price for the Volt.
Which has a $10,000 head start over the Prius.

Perhaps you are rushing to judgment just a wee bit soon.
And failing to consider 40-80 cent/gallon gasoline-equivalent electricity?

When everything is said and done, the Volt will handily sell every copy produced.

[Rex Raider]

I get my 2010 Prius demo tomorrow (retiring the Corolla at 11k). Will let you know first impressions on the weekend.

[bradyholt]

Originally Posted by plane

Except that no one has publicly disclosed the final price for the Volt.
Which has a $10,000 head start over the Prius.

Perhaps you are rushing to judgment just a wee bit soon.
And failing to consider 40-80 cent/gallon gasoline-equivalent electricity?

When everything is said and done, the Volt will handily sell every copy produced.

No one is denying that the Volt will sell. But the Volt will sell at the same time the Prius continues to sell.

[cdp326]

Originally Posted by SullyND

Subaru seemed to awaken to the fact they beat their cars with the ugly stick and correct pretty quickly... Do you think Toyota will ever learn?

Man, that's one ugly proboscis.

It seemed that way about Subaru, but then the new Legacy debuted so I'm not so sure.

[dagr382]

For those who like that sort of thing, that's the sort of thing they like. As for me, I'd prefer to be an amputee.