I borrowed this car from the company that I work for, since they have a large fleet of Toyota cars. I'm used to the Avensis 2.0 Turbo Diesel wagon and I have considered a smaller car, either a Corolla or the Prius. There's a long waiting list for the Prius at the dealers, so I was lucky to borrow this near new car from my company.
But I will not purchase the Prius since it was a major disappointment. It's the same price as the Avensis and:
1. It's totally cramped, it's even smaller than the Corolla
2. It's pricey and it lacks essential equipment
3. It's quite thirsty, even compared to my Avensis TD. A Corolla Turbo Diesel will be much better
4. This engine totally lacks any punch if you are used to turbo diesels
5. Driving dynamics are just a joke. It runs like an old van and is about as comfortable as one.
I REALLY can't understand why anyone purchase these Prius cars. It must be the worst purchase available in the market. It's just such a bad car. Is not the whole point to save petrol? Why don't people just buy turbo diesels? Then you have a wide selection of cars with various equipment.