Faults:

High $$ offer from a dealer forced my reluctant sale of my beloved 93 Volvo 240. I looked at what I was willing to buy with no $ down. I wanted what I valued in my 240 and great gas mileage.

I looked at several makes, but decided on my 09 Prius. It was a lease return in nice shape and loaded. The price was below trade in value. I have had nothing go wrong, but admit it's a different experience than I am used to.

General Comments:

Driving it makes me smile!

I put a K&N air filter in, which makes a modest increase in get-up-and-go (had one in my 240 - made a noticeable difference!).

I am big guy, and the Prius is very comfortable, with a sensible driving position, and is GREAT on gas!! Already realizing the $$ savings from my 240.

I read others reviews, and I am happy to say I am not experiencing the brake problem thing. My 240 was slow and VERY reliable. Feel like it prepped me for the Prius, which feels very quick & nimble by comparison.

Mine is loaded with JBL stereo, sat nav, Bluetooth phone, xenon lights etc, so it was nice to not feel like I compromised on an "econo-box".

My only "complaint" is that my 240 felt like it was carved from a solid block of Titanium. At 19 years old it looked brand new. Even the interior was in great shape. I know because of weight reduction the Prius is different, but admit missing that solid "class" feeling.

Faults:

Short period of ownership - will update as it goes:

So far, no problems. Rear bumper was cracked, some paint scratches at purchase, but the dealer agreed to have it repaired. Otherwise only the driver's side arm rest showing use wear.

General Comments:

My wife traded her high mileage Corolla the day before we left for our holidays. 2 days driving I-81 from Ontario, Canada to south Florida, same for I-75 on the way back. The car performed like a champion.

Post-tornado gusts in West Virginia on the way home equally challenged much heavier vehicles, but the Prius was manageable & predictable. Snowy road conditions when we got back were not problematic either, in spite of only 5K driving experience.

The 1.4L engine is smaller than previous 1.8L, but the turbine/battery adequately boosts acceleration to freeway speeds. Maintained 5.6L/100km throughout high speed & mountainous driving.

We found the Continuous Flow Transmission odd to adapt to, but fine after a few days behind the wheel. Energy-generating brake system was useful feature in mountain descent situations (rarely touched the pedal, and big battery continually at peak charge).

Seats & cabin in general made our trip comfortable, and the sound system was appreciated. Real-time dash display of drive-train processes was a continual source of interest, sometimes requiring a mind not to be a driver distraction.

It took several stops before we adapted to odd idiosyncrasy of gas tank (bladder) i.e. the top half can only be filled gradually; considering all we like about this vehicle, it's a small price to pay.