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, Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:02:57
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it worked the way I drive, and at the same speeds and types of roads on which I drive my Saabs. But that meant hard driving for the Prius, and after 150 miles of Florida freeway and streets in Boca Raton, I returned it to National's lot thoroughly underwhelmed and unimpressed.
The steering is as numb as a double hit of Novocaine.
The seats are torture for more than 20 minutes, making the car a penalty box, at least for my 6'2" 205 pound carcass.
Handling is Toyota bland: don't go much over the speed limit and you're fine. I found the car has to be actively steered to stay straight on the highway. It would be tiring on a long trip
The brakes work, but are just average.
Fit and finish (and materials) are merely OK. Plastic city.
The gas engine is buzzy and unrefined if you push it, like when you pass a slow truck. It was so loud I thought something was broken.
Ergonomics are weird.
The mileage came out to 36 mpg. My 9000 or my wife's 9-5 wagon would do about 26-27 in the same driving. On the highway at 80, the computer said I was getting 33 mpg, 1-2 mpg better than we get in the wagon with four people and a full load of luggage. So for $24 grand you get a bland, underpowered, uncomfortable car that gets better mileage but is lousy at the way I and my family drive the most. And it costs more than twice what I paid for my 9K and more than we paid for the 9-5 as a used car.
I thought I'd be running on the batteries more, but in stop and go traffic up to 45 mph, the gas engine is on almost all the time.
It is a small economy car. It's not meant to be a Saab, Bimmer or even a VW Golf. But it is not up to the level of other econoboxes. The hype-brids have a ways to go. Maybe another 5 years and they'll be more like real cars.
Some friends recently got a new car for their college-age daughter. They looked at the Prius but bought a Civic for $6K less. And it gets 40 MPG. If I needed a commuter rat and wanted to be green I'd do the same or get a Honda Fit.
, Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:40:16
, Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:28:32, Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:02:57, Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:19:40, Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:35:38
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