2008 Toyota Prius

Summary:

Like my Prius

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

I bought a Prius in the fall of 2008. So far so good with the car.

Here are the facts with my 2009 Prius:

It does get 45-48 miles per gallon if you drive at a steady speed. I usually am in the 60 miles per hour range.

The longer the trip the more the mileage goes up... if you drive in a sane manner.

Doesn't like windy days, but what car does?

I do agree that the car is not quiet on rough roads.

Fuel economy does go down to around 39-40 miles per gallon when temp drops below freezing.

Hates ice and very low clearance on auto body.

I probably paid too much for car, as I purchased it when gas was $4 a gallon.

Warranty is 100,000 miles on batteries or I would not have bought the car.

The Prius is not a flashy car. That is not why I purchased it. There is plenty of room inside the car and it handles fine.

I have had two Camrys, one RAV4 and now the Prius in the last 15 yrs. Ran the first 3 cars all over 100,000 and traded them in on the next Toyota. About all I did to the cars were put tires on, change oil add a battery after several years and keep them waxed. I had one power window issue and one power antenna problem, and that was it on the first three Toyota's, and those were after at least 5 years of owning each car.

I kept my RAV4 for winter driving and drive my Prius on any nice days. Love my RAV4 but it does only get about 22 miles per gallon while the Prius is double that easily.

I will not buy another brand of car. Hope their quality continues. I would buy US if the makers could match the dependability of a Toyota.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th February, 2009

30th Aug 2009, 11:23

If it was possible to purchase a Prius in Germany at the same price as in US I'd run to the Toyota dealer. It retails from $22 K in US while it in Germany is about Euro25 K and upwards. Too much money for this car. Ended up with a Ford Focus TDCI with Powershift (double clutch automatic) completely loaded for the same price. It matches the Prius in fuel usage, is 2 sec faster to 0-100kph but the Ford is much noisier and maybe less "cool". A Prius is noticed while a Focus blends more into the crowd. Winter conditions does not matter that much here. It snows only a couple of times each year in this region.

28th May 2014, 09:23

Google "where are Toyotas made".

The Camry, which Toyota builds in Georgetown, Ky., and Lafayette, Ind., is in the top spot for the second year in a row. Toyota's large Tundra pickup, built in San Antonio, Texas, and the Sienna van, from a factory in Princeton, Ind., also made the list.

28th May 2014, 14:21

Why does it matter where it's made? You can't buy it wholesale, and it's sold through worldwide dealerships.

2008 Toyota Prius

Summary:

Wonderful

General Comments:

This car handles well, is roomy and comfortable. We are averaging better than 50 miles per gallon, city and highway use, which is awesome. The reason we are doing so well with gas efficiency is that we use a light foot and cruise control whenever possible. I can't say enough good things about my Prius.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd April, 2008

2008 Toyota Prius

Summary:

There is a lot to like and a few refinements would make it awesome

General Comments:

I currently drive a 2006 Impala, which is not as comfortable or of as high a quality as my previous 2001 model. We are taking a serious look at the Prius and we just test drove one. We also drove a Honda Civic Hybrid.

At our age (early sixties) and driving needs (both in town and longer trips - 200 to 1,200 miles) our concerns are comfort and economy. The Prius seems to be a much better choice than the Honda. It is far roomier for the driver and passengers and has far more cargo space. It also has a much nicer interior. The Honda seemed to look really cheap in the cabin. The Prius also comes in several trim packages, while the Honda has only one option period.

However my major complaint with the Prius during out test drive is the lack of adjustment with the seats. The Honda had more comfortable seats with a height adjustment and a telescoping steering wheel. This can be critical on long drives. In the Prius the seats were too hard and lacked support under the thigh. I am 5'10" and could not find a comfortable driving position. There is no telescoping steering wheel available, and with this car that is a major shortcoming for us. It seems silly for Toyota to leave that option unavailable on a car this smart.

The car performed well. Acceleration was very adequate. Handling was lose on the highway, and although the car runs quiet and there is minimal wind noise, the road noise was very pronounced. You had to stay busy to keep running straight, and every bump caused the car to stray a little.

This was a 2008 model and the EPA sticker was 48/45 I believe. (Yep, it does better in the city than on the highway).

We will probably test drive a second one to see if our impressions about the comfort issues were accurate. I really like the technology and the space.

I have not seen any reviews yet that speak about handling on ice or snow or other issues with winter driving. How well does the heater work. the AC? The car is still "on our list" but we do have some doubts.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th March, 2008

8th Apr 2008, 05:29

I'd definitely consider the Prius, but make an informed choice. Forget about the claimed MPG; it's hugely exaggerated, but still the Prius will outperform most petrol cars in MPG figures city driving.

The Prius is best suited for city driving and short distance commuting. It's not suited very well for long journeys and you can't tow with it, it's not allowed and you can't order a tow kit with it. Also the Prius is somewhat under powered and slow, especially fully loaded with people. Cold weather affects MPG adversely, since battery capacity becomes worse.

MPG for highway is good but not very good. Our diesel Mondeo Wagon gets better MPG highway (it easily does 45 MPG with climate on, luggage, 4 persons) even if it's a larger car, but can't match the Prius in short city trips. Here the Prius hybrid solution helps out.

2008 Toyota Prius LX Hybrid

Faults:

I just bought a Toyota Prius and it is exceptional. It averages 50.6 mpg. It gets 27 mpg going uphill and 100+ going downhill. Several times we have been able to exceed 90 mpg for a five minute stretch going through town. Interstate driving at 70 mph gets 48 mpg.

For the time diesel may be a reasonable option, but only until oil runs out. I applaud Toyota for refining technologies that no one else has. We will need this in the future.

I did look at the Camry hybrid and it was awesome. I imagine that it gets about 38-40 mpg in town. For the size of the vehicle that is incredible.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th October, 2007

8th Oct 2007, 18:42

The Prius is severely underpowered and any fuel savings are more than offset by it's much higher sticker price compared to a Chevy Cobalt or Ford Focus.

23rd Oct 2007, 03:20

I don't want to be a party pooper here, but the Corolla 1.4 D-4D does nearly 70 mpg motorway driving. If you are interested in high mpg you should really check out the Corolla.