GTP Cool Wall: 2003-2009 Toyota Prius

[White & Nerdy]

2003-2009 Toyota Prius nominated by Roger the Horse

Stats:
Production: 2003-2009 in Japan, 2004+ in China
Style: 5-door hatchback
Engine: 91 ci/1,497 cc naturally aspirated DOHC Atkinson cycle inline 4 (rated 76 HP & 82 lb-ft) backed up by 6.5 ampere permanent magnet synchronous motor (rated 67 HP & 295 lb-ft, though one source says 82 ft-lbs) for a combined 110 HP & ??? lb-ft
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Layout: Front-engine, Front-drive​

My take? I take back what I said about the Aztek, this, the ultimate "Look at me, I'm saving the planet! I'm a Mother Earth Hero!" car is the least cool car ever built (perhaps excepting cars produced under communist or otherwise totalitarian regiemes) and it deserves a rating no higher than -2.

 

[Azure Flare]

This car is perfect for people who don't care about cars.

For the rest of us, it is the epitome of Seriously Uncool.

Screw it, send this thing to Hell.

 

[Roger the Horse]

Cool wall rules state that your own car is automatically seriously uncool.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I kind of like the Prius, simply for the well executed technology. Still, it is an uncool car in general.

 

[ZeroTheNorth]

Oh god, BURN it. Its not the WORST car ever made, but its so lifeless. Seriously Uncool.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Kill it with nuclear fire. This car produces most hot air in the world due to the smug owners.

 

[homeforsummer]

Good car. Genuinely.

Still seriously uncool.

 

[Joey D]

Brace yourself, the stupid, misinformed posts about the Prius are coming.

It's still uncool though, despite not being nearly as bad as people like to make it out to be, because of all the undeserved hate it gets.

 

[Tornado]

Prius?

 

[Cano]

Needs a big block. Seriously uncool.

 

[NotThePrez]

It's a Toyota family car, so by default it's perfect. Uncool.

To it's credit though, it did introduce hybrid technology to the masses, which I think is something really cool.

 

[Adamgp]

Official car of liberal elitist eco snobs.

Plus it looks like a big suppository on wheels.

Seriously uncool.

 

[TheCracker]

Seriously uncool on so many levels - But it is the future, whether you like it or not, so just scrapes into uncool.

 

[TheBook]

I've nothing in particular against hybrids, but I wouldn't own one yet for two reasons: a) I don't fit in the general image of hybrid (especially Prius) owners, and b) they're really friggin' expensive, and the fuel savings don't make up the extra cost for several hundred thousand miles. All that aside, this is still an uncool car.

 

[MatskiMonk]

I'm sure it's quite a good car.

Epic Seriously Un-cool

 

[AudiMan2011]

It's a Prius. So seriously uncool it creates it's own distrortion of the space-time continuum

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

I wouldn't be seen dead in one of these. Seriously Uncool.

 

[QuattroDelta]

Top Gear is overrated.

 

[Dennisch]

Underneath it is cool. But the styling is just awful. Horrible. Even worse than seriously uncool. This goes into the barfbucket, which will be emptied in a septic tank.

 

[Bo]

People who drive Prii think that they have made a smart choice, and in driving one they feel as if they are elevated above others on the road. It is a social statement for them - when they're having a relaxed chat or a coffee they can say "Oh, I just bought a Prius. It really helps the environment." I am not against hybrids, I am against how uninspiring it is, and I think only a G-Wiz can rival it in that respect. If it were a colour, I think it would be something like this:

 

[Murcie_LP640]

Rounded out to a Meh.

Uncool because it's almost completely dull inside and out, and it's a bit of a yawn to drive as well.

But Cool because it was a pioneer for hybrid technology and while fuel efficiency is not a cool item to brag about, it is nonetheless a piece of both the present and the future that is a Good Thing™.

 

[Bo]

Rounded out to a Meh.

Uncool because it's almost completely dull inside and out, and it's a bit of a yawn to drive as well.

But Cool because it was a pioneer for hybrid technology and while fuel efficiency is not a cool item to brag about, it is nonetheless a piece of both the present and the future that is a Good Thing™.

The Honda Insight was introduced to North America and quite a few other places many months before the Prius, and I cannot express how much better executed it was. It may have died out in the end, and it doesn't have the Prius legacy, but it was so much more inspiring than the Prius.

 

[Bopop4]

I like this car and would absolutely no problem driving one.

Heck, I actually want one.

Great gas mileage, and it's the size of a normal car. (Unlike the Insight.)



Think about it like this, you can't go faster than 65mph, so why buy a car that can go much faster?
This car saves you money, (Screw the environment, a Prius isn't going to change anything.) which gives you more cash to pump into your track car.

Voted "meh".

 

[TheCracker]

65mph?

 

[Bopop4]

Yeah, you can't really go any faster than 65mph on highway, doesn't matter if you're in a 1983 Civic or an F40.

Kind of like how you can go 100mph in 1st gear on a superbike, which is great, apart from how you'll lose your license in 5 seconds.

 

[xXKingJoshXx]

65mph?

I'm guessing he was referring to the speed limit where he lives. edit: Tree'd. Damn slow phone...

Seriously uncool. There are many cars that can be more efficient while looking better and not making you look like a 🤬.

If it was a first gen, it would just be uncool.

 

[Joel]

Great car and I wouldn't mind owning one as a commuter box, but it's still seriously uncool, as much as I want to vote cool for how butthurt car guys get about it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Great gas mileage, and it's the size of a normal car. (Unlike the Insight.)

Depends which Insight you mean. I'd argue both are the size of a "normal" car - the first-gen is what we'd call a supermini here in Europe (the highest-selling segment here, and therefore very normal), and the second-gen is the size of a Civic, so a compact.

I'm guessing you mean the two-seat early Insight though.

 

[MoLiEG]

The 2009-onwards Prius is a good looking car... this one is not. Yes, technologically speaking, it's a very impressive car. Saves some petrol, feels great behind the wheel and it's very comfortable.

BUT... and a very BIG BUT... it looks awful... My biggest problem with this kind of cars is that they always look like a massive pile of 🤬 Is it necessary that all these "green" cars have to look like Playskool toys????

I can't give it a cool just because of the high tech stuff, but I can't rate it uncool either just because it's looks like 🤬 ... I think those 2 are perfect counterparts, so this car gets a meh...

 

[Murcie_LP640]

The Honda Insight was introduced to North America and quite a few other places many months before the Prius, and I cannot express how much better executed it was. It may have died out in the end, and it doesn't have the Prius legacy, but it was so much more inspiring than the Prius.

I'm not entirely sure how it was better executed considering the Prius pretty much dominated it in terms of sales despite being a more expensive vehicle that wouldn't actually recoup the price difference between the two in fuel consumption alone over a general life of ownership.

The Insight introduced hybrid tech, Toyota made it mainstream.