GTP Cool Wall: 2003-2009 Toyota Prius

[TheBook]

Working on one is pure hell though. Plastic oil filters that need a special $50 tool from Toyota just to replace? COME ON.

Four things with this statement.
1) Wrong generation. This one takes a regular spin-on oil filter.
2) You can take the cap off the oil filter housing (which is plastic, but the actual filter media is paper. Same as a spin-on, except those are encased in metal.) on the third generation ones with one of these (except slightly smaller):

3) Other simple jobs are ridiculously easy. Power steering fluid? Doesn't have it. Transmission flush? Easy as a manual trans, just make sure you get the right amount of fluid. Air filter? Ten second replacement.
4) Look at my vote, then consider that when I tell you that out of all the reasons to dislike a Prius, this is probably the worst.

 

[Slash]

How do you think it's spacious though? I find it to be the most cramped car I have ever been in, other than the Pontiac G6.

 

[TheBook]

How do you think it's spacious though? I find it to be the most cramped car I have ever been in, other than the Pontiac G6.

Interior-wise? I didn't find it all that bad (my friend's mother has one and I've ridden in it), though it's hardly massive. It's easy enough to fit five people in.

Under the hood? The only thing making it cramped is the electric motor assembly and related cooling system (and I'm not going to go anywhere near a high-voltage hybrid system that I don't know how to work on). Other than that, it's not too bad.

Also, bit of trivia you might find interesting: the Prius' 1.5 and 302/351W have the same oil filter thread size/pitch. If the diameters were the same, you could interchange the two filters.

 

[Mark II Blit]

Put this gen Prius against the gen 1 Insight - bearing in mind the Insight design stems from 1999: One is bright and fresh, the other is grey and predictable. It has no soul.

Why would you even compare the Prius to a first-gen Insight? You might as well compare it to an LS600h and moan at how the Prius isn't luxurious enough. They are both hybrids, but that's where the similarities end. The Prius is a much larger car aimed at luring much more conservative Camrolla buyers into a hybrid. In comparison, the Insight is a much more compromised car with freakish styling, but it gets away with it because it's a subcompact.

The newer Insight is more of a direct competitor to the Prius, and it looks remarkably grey and predictable...

 

[Slash]

Interior-wise? I didn't find it all that bad (my friend's mother has one and I've ridden in it), though it's hardly massive. It's easy enough to fit five people in.

I agree it's definitely not huge inside. I've only been in one once, and from what I remember, it wasn't pleasant.

Under the hood? The only thing making it cramped is the electric motor assembly and related cooling system (and I'm not going to go anywhere near a high-voltage hybrid system that I don't know how to work on). Other than that, it's not too bad.

It's rough under the hood but not nearly as bad as some other vehicles, I'll give you that. Personally, I prefer easy access to everything, which is why I'm partial to larger vehicles.

Also, bit of trivia you might find interesting: the Prius' 1.5 and 302/351W have the same oil filter thread size/pitch. If the diameters were the same, you could interchange the two filters.

I like eet.

 

[Wolfe]

As a car enthusiast I'm not a big fan of diesel. It's economical and they can offer good performance, but they go about it in such an unenthusiastic way. There's absolutely no fun to be had winding a diesel to the red line. There's no fun to be had doing so in a Prius either admittedly, but at least the rest of the time it's near-silent. Even the best diesels still grumble away most of the time.

I've tentatively accepted it as the best option and a distant inevitability, rather than a perfect ideal. I'm not yet convinced electric is the answer -- outside of population centers it may never be -- but of course it's all still up in the air.

Well, quite. Though honestly I don't mind them. Most econocars are pretty good these days, though I'll drive basically anything without prejudice. Even an anonymous box of a car is better than no car...

I think you've missed what I mean. The fact that it's a "boring" box isn't what bothers me, it's how it generates a lot of huffing and puffing from extreme viewpoints. It's like listening to political talk.

 

[GranTurismo916]

Uncool, started the hybrid craze so I have to give it something.

 

[Turtle]

I was going to avoid giving it seriously uncool because it does its job well- get good gas mileage (And the whole emissions thing). But the new Honda Accord Hybrid gets comparable gas mileage, and it's a much nicer car overall. Additionally, as people have said, it's soulless and unimaginably boring. Seriously uncool.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, I voted uncool. I mean, they can't be that cool simply because it is more of an appliance and less of a soulful companion. But, just like a standard Ford Falcon which was otherwise the same damn thing back in 1961, it doesn't stop me from liking it. It's still the generation of Prius that I like most style wise, and with a proper set of wheels, tires and a decent suspension, it can significantly increase it's coolness... But, it's more for those who know, or care to know. And in the end, it's not that cool.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Considering the job it is intended for and then you see the other cars that get close to it or do the same as it and look better and not boring inside, you'll see more reasons it is seriously uncool.

 

[Zenith]

I live in the CA Bay Area. I pass more of these on the right than most people will see in a lifetime. They are a symbol of so much that I hate.

Cool. It's seen as a car for responsible, realistic people who probably have other hobbies besides cars such as standing on sidewalks and asking people to give money to Greenpeace.

 

[Badasp5.0]

I live in the CA Bay Area. I pass more of these on the right than most people will see in a lifetime. They are a symbol of so much that I hate.

Cool. It's seen as a car for responsible, realistic people who probably have other hobbies besides cars such as standing on sidewalks and asking people to give money to Greenpeace.

LOL I bet 50% of cars registered in Santa Fe are Priui (is that the plural?) since that city filled with the same kind of people.

 

[niky]

The Prius is a fantastic daily car.

Except for the stupidly large center console, it's relatively roomy. It's no Camry, but it's decent.

Fuel economy is second to none. I've driven many other modern hybrids, and none of them come close to what a Prius can get in traffic, despite being rated as high on paper. Diesels will beat the Prius on the highway, but only just.

Maintenance, barring any battery problems (and the Toyota Nickel batteries are the most reliable on the market) is easier than anything else. Less oil changes. No power steering fluid to go bad. Brakes go infinitely longer than on other cars.

And there is nothing quite so relaxing as waffling along in traffic with no fuss and no noise. It rides great, too.

-

I give it a "meh". It's a very, very good appliance, but the steering sucks and it's heavy. Heavy enough to get into trail-braked drifts with the traction control off, but such shenanigans feel like twerking with somebody's grandmother. Eww.

 

[Pupik]

Sure some people buy them to save the environment, but I think there's quite a few that buy them because they're decently practical and get good fuel economy if driven correctly.

Two good reasons to buy one. Even the best-sounding idling motor is pointless if you're going nowhere. (Insert irony about hybrids getting better fuel economy in city driving, not optimized for continual highway-speed use.)

These cars are quite competent on the highway, and quite comfy for long drives. There's no real trouble summoning up speed while it's already moving, although dishearteningly lethargic from a rest (insert obvious statement about not being a sports-car). They actually get 50 mpg, even if you drive it like the rental car owes you something. (Insert braggadocio about having rented this car before.)

Steering the car at slow speeds with a hint of vigor implies the tie rods are made of wet cardboard, communication is sent via third-class mail. (Insert trite statement about nobody confusing this for a BMW.) Interior is like playing a video game. (Insert something about how technology is always changing.)

Other statement about car being a stereotypical statement, even though people are buying it because they like it. Personally, I'd rather save some money for a different new-car purchase in the $25,000-35,000 range. And yes, I've driven an 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, it's just as boring.

Warmer than meh temperature rating. Mainly because it goes EEEEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEE every time you put it in reverse.

 

[White & Nerdy]

Some of the recent replies here depress me to no end. They take the exact reasons the Prius is uncool, and use them to support its non-existent coolness.

I trolled one of these while I was out today. Pulling up next to a Prius, putting the clutch in and revving at it is way more fun than it has any right to be.

 

[edawg456]

Seriously uncool. This car alone is one of the main reasons why I like muscle cars even more.

 

[Bo]

Why would you even compare the Prius to a first-gen Insight? You might as well compare it to an LS600h and moan at how the Prius isn't luxurious enough. They are both hybrids, but that's where the similarities end. The Prius is a much larger car aimed at luring much more conservative Camrolla buyers into a hybrid. In comparison, the Insight is a much more compromised car with freakish styling, but it gets away with it because it's a subcompact.quote]

They are both hybrids that were on sale at the same time as each other. There were no other hybrids available at the time other than Japanese-market-only cars that were mild hybrids, therefore the two cars were fighting against each other in an exclusive market.

 

[homeforsummer]

I think you've missed what I mean. The fact that it's a "boring" box isn't what bothers me, it's how it generates a lot of huffing and puffing from extreme viewpoints. It's like listening to political talk.

Ah yes. That too.

Some of the recent replies here depress me to no end. They take the exact reasons the Prius is uncool, and use them to support its non-existent coolness.

They wouldn't depress you if you just accepted that people like different things. Again.

I trolled one of these while I was out today. Pulling up next to a Prius, putting the clutch in and revving at it is way more fun than it has any right to be.

If they even noticed you at all - and I suspect they probably didn't - I can't believe their thoughts would have gone any further than, "Why is that guy in the crappy Pontiac revving his engine for no reason? What a bell-end"

That's certainly what I'd be thinking.

They are both hybrids that were on sale at the same time as each other. There were no other hybrids available at the time other than Japanese-market-only cars that were mild hybrids, therefore the two cars were fighting against each other in an exclusive market.

To be strictly accurate, the gen-1 Insight was on the market the same time as the gen-1 Prius, not the model being voted on here.

There was only a very small crossover between the Insight (which sold until 2005) and this Prius, which went on sale in 2003. And even then, they weren't really competing. Nobody cross-shops a two-door coupe with a four-door family car.

Incidentally, the Insight, and indeed every Honda hybrid up until the latest Fit hybrid, Accord hybrid, NSX etc, is a mild hybrid. The electric motor is mainly used for assistance and regeneration - it can't drive the car itself like the EV mode in a Prius.

 

[Crash]

Great car for what it is designed for, however being competent doesn't equal to "cool." For a while, this car was seriously uncool, but it's gotten to the point where it's ubiquity makes it merely another appliance vehicle for those who is not looking for driving fun. This isn't solely the territory of wealthy, smug, eco-hipsters anymore.

The Prius gets a meh from me.

--

Also, bit of trivia you might find interesting: the Prius' 1.5 and 302/351W have the same oil filter thread size/pitch. If the diameters were the same, you could interchange the two filters.

Car becomes instant sub-zero for Slashfan.

 

[Azuremen]

If they even noticed you at all - and I suspect they probably didn't - I can't believe their thoughts would have gone any further than, "Why is that guy in the crappy Pontiac revving his engine for no reason? What a bell-end"

That's certainly what I'd be thinking.

And why I voted Sub-Zero - for the lulz. That, and pretty sure you could beat that Pontiac off a light with a Prius, because torque.

 

[TheBook]

Car becomes instant sub-zero for Slashfan.

Minor, completely insignificant detail that has to do with a Ford? Right up his alley. Hence why I hold him.

 

[White & Nerdy]

Why are you trying to boost its score?

 

[Famine]

Probably because annoying you is the most fun that can be had with a Prius.

 

[Slash]

 

[Roger the Horse]

I'd argue that driving around the west country with a group of friends and The Chemical Brothers blaring out of the stereo is the most fun that can be had with a Prius, but I'd rather do that in a Touran.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I just rate it at uncool. It's not at seriously uncool due to the fact the Prius was sort of the Pioneer of Hybrid cars I think & it does get decent gas millage. What makes it uncool imo is that it's ugly, boring, & plus I've seen some morons drive this car before. Like this lady (warning, video may contain strong language):


Of course, I'm not saying that everyone that owns a Prius is smug or stupid, there's normal people that just drive it to save money on gas and I understand that. It's just not the car I would drive if I wanted more MPG, I would pick a Ford Fusion Hybrid or a VW Jetta TDI.

 

[Azuremen]

Why are you trying to boost its score?

Because #YOLO

 

[niky]

Probably because annoying you is the most fun that can be had with a Prius.

I object. Hypermiling can be fun.

When you find yourself nodding off after two hours of accelerating from 40 to 60 mph and coasting back down again, however, there is the temptation to turn on the radio to listen to a little Footloose.

 

[Slash]

I'd argue that driving around the west country with a group of friends and The Chemical Brothers blaring out of the stereo is the most fun that can be had with a Prius, but I'd rather do that in a Touran.

I'd still be bored

I just rate it at uncool. It's not at seriously uncool due to the fact the Prius was sort of the Pioneer of Hybrid cars I think & it does get decent gas millage. What makes it uncool imo is that it's ugly, boring, & plus I've seen some morons drive this car before. Like this lady (warning, video may contain strong language):


Of course, I'm not saying that everyone that owns a Prius is smug or stupid, there's normal people that just drive it to save money on gas and I understand that. It's just not the car I would drive if I wanted more MPG, I would pick a Ford Fusion Hybrid or a VW Jetta TDI.

At that point I would fire it up, rev the snot out of it and proceed to do a big smokey burnout. And laugh. Hysterically.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

At that point I would fire it up, rev the snot out of it and proceed to do a big smokey burnout. And laugh. Hysterically.

Hey, that's what one guy in the comments section said.