Beep Beep!
In November 2006, we had to replace our 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid (I have an unlicensed, uninsured driver to thank for that). At first, I was going to get another Civic Hybrid, but then I got ticked off because they stopped offering a manual transmission. Yes, that’s a silly reason to choose not to go with a particular brand, but it bugged me. Then again, I had other reasons to look at the Toyota Prius.
We’ve had Toyotas since 2000, and I couldn’t be happier with the reliability, although they have limited leg space if you’re not the driver. Our 2007 Prius is the same. At six-feet tall, I’m comfortable in the driver’s seat. The front passenger seat, scooted all the way back, is tight. My knees are close to the dash, which worries me in the event of a front-end collision. Don’t ask me to sit in back.
Performance-wise, the Prius has acceptable pick-up-and-go. It’s on par with most four-cylinder cars. It handles nicely, and the back-up camera has made it possible for me to parallel park (hey, it’s a talent I don’t have).
Yeah, yeah, I know: What about MPG?! It depends on a lot of factors. If my husband is driving to work on a normal day–”normal” defined as 30°F to 80°F and no major traffic snafus–he can rate from 55 to 62 MPG. He DOES NOT baby it. Although he drives more conservatively, he doesn’t believe in driving “like a granny.” He’s even had a speeding ticket with this car.
When I drive the Prius, I don’t do quite as well. I think this is because I don’t drive it every day like he does, and because I’m a little more of a lead foot. Still, under the same conditions, I tend to get 47-52 MPG. This is closer to the average of, I think, about 45 MPG. It takes time to relearn driving habits to conserve fuel. With this car, there is feedback on the Energy Consumption screen in the dash. This is the same monitor as the back-up camera, climate control, and audio controls.
One thing this car has done is help us get better mileage in our 2000 Toyota Sienna. Yes, you read that right! The new habits translate to better mileage in other vehicles. It comes down to common sense: Don’t charge ahead when the light turns green, don’t tailgate, don’t brake at the last second, and so on. How much you use the AC or heat also affects mileage.
Now the bad news. This car seems to be made of cheap plastic. The backseat cup holder is not to be trusted, as it keeps falling off the back of the storage compartment between the front seats. Another problem is where the hatchback door shuts on the floor of the rear trunk/storage area. The plastic by the latch has a big crack in it. My husband thinks something was in the way one time when he tried to shut the door, causing the crack. In my opinion, that still should not have caused this damage.
Overall, I can recommend this car if you don’t expect adults to ride in the back on a regular basis and gas prices stay over four dollars a gallon. The car’s sticker price is more than a Honda Civic Hybrid’s, but the Prius takes regular oil, whereas we had to pay double for the synthetic stuff the Civic took. The Prius’s oil changes run me around $25. The Civic’s, in 2005 and 2006, ran almost $50. I guess the price difference only matters if you’re going to have the car a long time.
If you’re planning to get a hybrid for environmental reasons, keep this in mind. While these cars have very, ultra-low emissions, they still have emissions. They still have to be made in a factory. And all Priuses are imported from Japan on massive ships that make semi-trucks look environmentally angelic.
Well, I hope this helps. I do like our Prius, but it could be better in a few ways. At least we only had to wait three weeks instead of nine months to get it!
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