My personal Prius reviews
02-12-2010, 02:51 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 850
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Vehicle: 2002 Accent
My personal Prius reviews
So over the past few days I've driven my aunt's two Priuses (Prii??) whatever you get it.
one is an 04 and the other is a 10
i'll start off with saying that I really wanted to hate these cars and i still kind of do we'll start with the 04.
the 04 feels a lot like a normal car, at very low speeds it uses the electric motor but for the most part the gasoline engine is always running. the feel of it is very normal compared to normal gasoline powered cars i've driven. My biggest complaints is that the entire interface like climate control and audio is all on a touch screen. I wasn't really familiar with the interface so it was really distracting to change the temperature or radio. i still think even if you got used to it it's more difficult to use than a tactile button or knob. I did not like it at all. When you come to a stop the gas engine turns off if it's not recharging the battery. a few years ago driving in this car i didn't even notice. now being 6 years old, the engine stops with a rough, audible clunk. It's literally like stalling a manual. it just seems like a POS. On the touch screen interface, the default mode is a picture of the cars wheels, battery, and both engines. it shows little moving arrows to show you how all of the power is moving around the car, regenerative braking, battery charge and drain, etc. It's super distracting.
Overall opinion, I didn't find anything cool or special about it. pretty much hated it.
Driving the 2010 was a little nicer. The touch screen was replaced with a standard tactile console which was easier to navigate around than the little computer screen ont he previous gen. The distracting picture of the cars workings is replaced by a small video game style power gauge that just has a sliding bar which goes from regen braking, slides over to how much stress is on the electric motor, and then crosses a line to represent stress on the gas engine. a little easier to swallow and not so distracting. The feel of this car was really weird. I think it's all drive by wire which is new to me. traction control is all over this thing and a little beeping alarm goes off when it kicks in. very annoying. it's hard to describe but driving this car was like driving in a video game. you can't feel the road at all, can't feel anythign mechanical, it just kind of goes and it's sort of scary to drive. The interior feels like a laptop. Nothing is super nice, just electronics grade plastics. everything felt like a cell phone, ipod, computer, etc. it was alright, but very uninspired.
Both of these cars have a lot i hate about them. There's a HUGE gap between the dashboard and windshield. You sit about 3 feet back from the windshield and it feels like such a waste of space. really adds to the video game feel. it's like sitting at a desk and looking at a huge computer monitor for a windshield. when you put it into reverse there's a beeping alarm like you're backing up a garbage truck. everything beeps in these cars, its the most annoying thing ever. last but not least, for some reason i can't pinpoint there's a horrible, high pitched electric sound, a lot like that "mosquito ringtone" thing. Maybe adults can't hear it, but i can and it SUCKS. any time you touch a pedal, turn the wheel, engage any electronics in this POS you hear a horrible tone. i'd expect more out of these cars.
all in all, i hate being a passenger and driving in these cars. sad.gif
one is an 04 and the other is a 10
i'll start off with saying that I really wanted to hate these cars and i still kind of do we'll start with the 04.
the 04 feels a lot like a normal car, at very low speeds it uses the electric motor but for the most part the gasoline engine is always running. the feel of it is very normal compared to normal gasoline powered cars i've driven. My biggest complaints is that the entire interface like climate control and audio is all on a touch screen. I wasn't really familiar with the interface so it was really distracting to change the temperature or radio. i still think even if you got used to it it's more difficult to use than a tactile button or knob. I did not like it at all. When you come to a stop the gas engine turns off if it's not recharging the battery. a few years ago driving in this car i didn't even notice. now being 6 years old, the engine stops with a rough, audible clunk. It's literally like stalling a manual. it just seems like a POS. On the touch screen interface, the default mode is a picture of the cars wheels, battery, and both engines. it shows little moving arrows to show you how all of the power is moving around the car, regenerative braking, battery charge and drain, etc. It's super distracting.
Overall opinion, I didn't find anything cool or special about it. pretty much hated it.
Driving the 2010 was a little nicer. The touch screen was replaced with a standard tactile console which was easier to navigate around than the little computer screen ont he previous gen. The distracting picture of the cars workings is replaced by a small video game style power gauge that just has a sliding bar which goes from regen braking, slides over to how much stress is on the electric motor, and then crosses a line to represent stress on the gas engine. a little easier to swallow and not so distracting. The feel of this car was really weird. I think it's all drive by wire which is new to me. traction control is all over this thing and a little beeping alarm goes off when it kicks in. very annoying. it's hard to describe but driving this car was like driving in a video game. you can't feel the road at all, can't feel anythign mechanical, it just kind of goes and it's sort of scary to drive. The interior feels like a laptop. Nothing is super nice, just electronics grade plastics. everything felt like a cell phone, ipod, computer, etc. it was alright, but very uninspired.
Both of these cars have a lot i hate about them. There's a HUGE gap between the dashboard and windshield. You sit about 3 feet back from the windshield and it feels like such a waste of space. really adds to the video game feel. it's like sitting at a desk and looking at a huge computer monitor for a windshield. when you put it into reverse there's a beeping alarm like you're backing up a garbage truck. everything beeps in these cars, its the most annoying thing ever. last but not least, for some reason i can't pinpoint there's a horrible, high pitched electric sound, a lot like that "mosquito ringtone" thing. Maybe adults can't hear it, but i can and it SUCKS. any time you touch a pedal, turn the wheel, engage any electronics in this POS you hear a horrible tone. i'd expect more out of these cars.
all in all, i hate being a passenger and driving in these cars. sad.gif
02-12-2010, 02:57 PM
#2
Administrator
Wow...nice review. I guess if you're an old hippy, then these cars will work for ya. But for those who are not complete tree hugging world saviors....they're definitely not for them then.
02-12-2010, 03:04 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 850
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Vehicle: 2002 Accent
additionally the "super modern and hip" split windshield in the back = NO VISIBILITY. Put a piece of electrical tape horizontally across your rearview mirror, and that's exactly what it's like in these cars. maybe being a car guy just made me hate this golf cart they call a car, but i hope the roads aren't filled with similar vehicles in the next few years. They have some cool gadgets and ideas, but it's just not a car anymore.
02-12-2010, 04:23 PM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 850
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Vehicle: 2002 Accent
like V said, they're probably great cars for some people, but in the end it's just a people mover. There's no joy in driving them at all. i've had more fun in a windstar.