2008 Toyota Prius from North America - 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.

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.

Owned Prius for two weeks (1200 miles). Mileage is a real 45 mpg. - mixed Atlanta traffic including stop and go and 75+ mph. speeds. That car is the real deal.

I have owned many, many different cars over the last 40 years. Included are a vette, Lincoln ragtop, muscle cars, etc. The point I is that this is a very different midsize, reliable, and pleasurable car to ride in the present times. We need this car, just wish that it was made in USA. Last car was 1/2 American and 1/2 Japanese. The non-Japanese parts were hugely problematical. This Prius has highest satisfaction rating and I can see why. It is comfortable and suited for sane drivers.

The question if Prius has good highway mpg is a "this car can make energy out of thin air" discussion. In highway driving the Prius is in effect a "normal" car; it does not get any help from the electric motor unless overtaking. The hybrid principle mainly has an effect in the city braking (accumulating energy) and accelerating (using the electric energy) where mpg is good. At an even 90km/h (55 mph) the Prius is only helped by its energy tires and good aerodynamics. At higher speeds, from 120-130km/h and up (80 mph and up), the engine struggles and mpg is affected. So please don't state that this is an ideal car for long trips, especially if you want to go faster than 120km/h.

Nowhere in the original "review" (whose writer, BTW, does not even own a Prius) nor in any of the comments is the statement that a Prius is "an ideal car for long trips". The criticism about not being able to go over 120km/h doesn't really have much relevance to anyone other than to those who make a habit of significantly exceeding the speed limit, and they are not likely to be considering a Prius anyway.

We own a 2002 Prius and take it on long trips. We averaged over 47MPG on the last trip, which was over 300 miles. The trick is that you have to drive it slightly differently than a typical car. If you keep the speed steady and allow the car to coast as much as possible, you can average decent fuel economy. We were averaging 75MPH the whole trip.

A recent article on the high cost of repairs on cars such as the Prius is enough to scare me away from them. In one case an owner had a problem with the transaxle (not unusual with Toyota) and they were informed that the cost would be fully HALF of what the car cost!!! Since the car was just barely out of the (very short) warranty, Toyota agreed to drop the cost by $3000, still leaving them with a repair cost high enough to buy a good used car.

With Toyota's recent plunge in quality, we definitely are steering clear of ANY Toyota, and especially one that has repair cost high enough to make it basically a "disposable" car.

One of our friends bought a used non-hybrid Camry, and the tranaxle failed within a month. He was told the cost of repairs would exceed the point where it would be better to just buy another car. He bought a used Chevrolet and it has performed flawlessly.

How can a new transaxle cost that much, even on a Prius? Either these people were taken out for a ride, or this whole story is exaggerated. So long as the axle is not bent, you can even fix it yourself. It usually isn't bent; it's just some of the bearings that are worn, often because of a tiny hole in the flexible rubber "hose" around the cv-joint.

The best case if you can do the job yourself, is a €60 repair kit containing new bearings, cv-joints, rubber hoses and grease. Even if you have to swap the whole thing at a workshop, it's not even €1000 and it's a 2 hour job for an skilled mechanic.

Regarding +120km/h cruising: That's the rule rather than the exception on most European motorways. Even in 120 zones the police do not stop you doing 140. In 110 zones you can safely do 130-140, so any car should be able to cruise at a steady 140.

The commenter is not talking about a "drive axle," but a transaxle. That is the entire (transversely mounted) transmission, which is much more than a routine job.

Another example of the Toyota quality myth right here.

Bought 2008 Prius about a month ago. Have been very happy so far. You will have to change driving patterns, but the results I've had in Atlanta traffic (worst in the US) have been fantastic. Averaging about 40 to 45mpg in mostly city driving. Overall very satisfied. Agree, would like the car to be more American built, but that's the fault of the American Car Industry.

I've gotta laugh at some of these comments. About 6 years ago, I was nearly killed in a car accident and now make it a point to always drive at the speed limit and in the far right lane. (I live in Atlanta, where I'd get squashed like a bug if I drove the speed limit in any other lane, lol!) You guys are right, this isn't a car for someone who wants to speed. But this is a great car for someone who doesn't speed and who lives in the South. From what I've read, cold weather does affect the power. Not that I'd know, mind you, but that's what I hear.

And when I get behind someone going at a maddeningly slow rate on a curvy, two-lane country road, driving this car helps curb the insanity that situation inspires. Just think of the gas mileage, lol!

I think that this review does raise an issue that anyone considering buying any car should really consider. Make sure that you're absolutely comfortable in whatever car you get. My husband and I rented a Prius before buying, so we could have an extended test drive. We wanted to make sure that he'd be comfortable, because he's very tall (6'4"), and we didn't think that a 20 minute test drive was going to be enough to evaluate. It really easy to say to yourself, "Well, to save that kind of money, I'll put up with metal spikes on the driver's seat," until you spend a few days sitting on metal spikes.

The "Prius mania" just makes no sense at all. Doesn't anyone buying one of these things own a pocket calculator?? If you got 45 mpg (doubtful) then you'd save possibly 15 mpg over a regular car. The dealers are jacking the price of the Prius WAY over list, so getting one for under $25,000 is virtually impossible.

The batteries wear out in a couple of years and cost over $2000. They are HIGHLY TOXIC and pose a terrible hazard to the environment (so much for "going green"!!).

The transaxle repairs on these cars cost as much as the car, and Toyota quality is FAR from good at the moment. With the money you could save by keeping your old car, even if it got 15 mpg would pay for your gas for the next 10 years.

A study on the Prius determined that you'd have to drive it 600,000 miles to break even. NOT a likely scenario with Toyota's dismal reliability record.

I agree with last commenter. If you buy the Prius on perceived fuel consumption alone I think you are doing a bad decision. Road tests (for example done by Autoweek some time back) indicates real mpg figures of about 40 mpg, while a regular compact car is in the 33-35 mpg region. So the difference in average may be as little as 5 mpg.

The problem is that you pay at least $5000 extra for the Prius and you are buying a potential maintenance nightmare in the future, batteries, added electronics, weak transmission at least in the first generation. There's no way this will add up.

But I'm not sure about the claims regarding bad reliability in general. I would buy a Toyota any day, just not the Prius.

I'd rather buy an optioned Camry for the same money or a new Corolla and save $6000. The Prius simply isn't worth the extra money.

As an owner of a 2007 Prius I have to say that the people who are against owning one do not HAVE one to comment on. The posters who own one seem to really like them.

We are averaging 46.5 mph on a mix of city/hwy driving and have the flexibility and space of the Subaru Outback that we traded it in on. The Subaru was getting 22-25 mpg so we effectively doubled our mileage for the same space and price.

The Prius is also Toyota's MOST reliable vehicle and Consumer Reports' top car in customer satisfaction. These are facts. I recommend checking the facts and you'll find that the Prius is a great and innovative car. I agree that the seating can be odd but I've gotten very comfortable in it- even on long trips.

@5th Aug 2008, 13:42.

Since you are a Consumer Reports expert you probably already know that CR are mixed in their opinion regarding hybrid vehicles: They generally concluded that you need at least 5 years of ownership and the federal tax credit for the numbers to add up.

Regarding consumer satisfaction measurements; these numbers usually reflects new car satisfaction (after 60 days or 12 months) and doesn't say anything about how a car works in the long run.

Regarding reliability numbers; these are average figures. I don't deny that new Prius models are quite reliable, but it is still a fact that there are many serious problems in the first generation Prius. That's probably the reason why Toyota extended their warranty on new vehicles. We'll see if the new generation Prius is any better.

Let me say that I too was at one time one of those "Prius haters" a few years back, simply because I didn't like the hype these cars got, along with what appears to be a cult car adopted by then liberal elite. Me and my Wife inherited a 2002 Prius after her Father passed away.

Since then, I've learned a lot about the cars. Ours is the first generation, which was supposedly the model that was problematic. We haven't had any problems in 70,000 miles so far, which isn't to say that I'm still sold that the car will last as long as my older Toyota with 220,000 miles, but so far, so good.

Secondly, in regards to fuel economy, the consumption is extremely reliant on the driving habits of the owner. If you drive a Prius like a hot rod, you'll get at best mediocre fuel economy. We're talking 40-45MPG. However, if you drive more conservatively, you can get as high as 55MPG. We drive 40 miles each way to work, mostly freeway. At a constant speed of 55-65MPH, we get approximately 50MPG. If I drive 55-60, it gets as high as 54MPG. That's 100% higher than my four cylinder Tacoma that gets around 24-27MPG. For as much as we drive, this saves us around $45 a week in gas. Thus to me, that's fairly impressive.

Lastly, everyone talks about the batteries, how they will fail, and how dangerous they are for the environment. Well, if you remove the main traction battery - the large 250 volt battery that drives the motors, there is a sticker on top that says that Toyota will pay you for the old battery. So you simply take it to a dealership and they pay you for the entire unit. Additionally, there are surprisingly few of the batteries actually failing. This car spent the first 5 years in Northern PA, which gets COLD in the winter. Now it's out here in California where it gets very HOT. Again, the battery holds up fine. I've also found that there are numerous salvage yards that have used units with warranties for $500-$600. Not bad.

So for me, I don't think the cars are bad, and frankly, they do what they're meant to do: deliver good fuel economy at a reasonable cost.