Toyota Prius

Since the 1950th Citroen DS, there was not much of a serious design change in personal vehicles until the Toyota Prius was designed with some updates and successfully sold worldwide. After my beloved top of the range 8 cyl. Lexus, I remembered my Citroen DS home in France and purchased in 2019 a late Toyota Prius. This to polish up my renowned environmental image and to be independent of the petrol prices. I am known to be a rather critical customer. Toyota has never let me down. The Prius has it all, an excellent manufacturing company, a superb design, an unsurpassed proven technology, and a great friend of my often deflated wallet. It's a gutsy car and just what I always wanted.
I purchased my car from Canberra Toyota online at 4 pm on a Friday and the car was delivered to me with all the documents and guarantees by the representative of the company at 5 pm. To purchase a car online is something only a rather eccentric person as I am would do. Nevertheless, I trust Toyota as during over the last 20 years with my Toyota Lexus manufactured cars had never any difficulties. The service and especially the written guarantee makes a decision easier to purchase from a Toyota dealer than from a private seller without any guarantee. It may be a little more expensive, but you have far better purchase security.

Well done Toyota, and especially Canberra Toyota, I can only praise you!

We bought one of these second-hand, but in good condition. We also have a 2004 model (still going) so I guess I know enough to compare.
The pros -
Slightly more economical than the older model; seems to sit around 4.9 l/100 km in real-world driving, which is pretty good..
To my eye, a better looking car inside and out than previous Prius'.
Plenty of zip in the PWR mode
A very good stereo is standard - better than the 'Prestige' brand stereo in another car we have
HUD display (Head Up Display) of speed. Surprisingly useful.
They're very popular as taxis, which is a good sign re. their longevity

The cons-
Definitely lighter built than older models; the doors particularly sound cheap and flimsy when you close them.
Some of the buttons and switchgear is not as well laid out. The dashboard generally is a little fiddly, confusing and plasticky.
Not as comfortable (to me) as the older model. Thinner seats.

We wanted to make sure our daughter had a car to drive that was first easy for her to pass her tests in but also safe. She passed her learners and as a gift we then have her the car. It drives very well and got it for a great price second hand dealers. The only issue we had was a scratch that cost a lot to get fixed

We were looking for a new family car with loads of room for the kids in the back but also looking for confront. This car ticked all the boxes for us so we bought it. It handles very well on the road. The only small issue we had was where the fual release button was but we found that as it has no icons on it.

We picked this car up from the toyota used car yard having only one half year since it was made with just under 100k. Today we have just over 200k and enjoyed how much space our car has when taking the family on holiday. The only issue is we tried getting it converted to gas but the deler said be cheaper cashing the car in and buying a new one but we love this car so much we won't be doing that

Great car, fun to see how the regen and battery storage work as you're driving along. Always gets 5l/100 for us. Actually my favourite car to drive so far, and more powerful than you think once both the petrol and electric motors come on together. Smart efficient driving, what more could you want. And with regen braking, you get better stopping force and hardly ever have to change a brake pad.

The only drawbacks of our car is when you have someone else try and start it its so funny because like us when we first got the car had to almost get our lift the bonet up and try and hear if the car had started.
The last issue is a huge one and that's re battery really sucks only getting us on short trips and probably going to die days or months out side of warranty. The dealer won't accept its faulty too until it's dead so have complained to acc and then got a replacement 8 days before warranty but I expect the battery to go again in a few years time.

Very few drawbacks owning this car. I can start with those, because afterwards the overall ownership has been really great.
Negative -if it doesn't get driven daily the main (hybrid) battery can fail. Ours did about a month out of warranty and Toyota wouldn't help. This said their price for replacement was more than twice what the independent service repairer was, an that's not including labour.
Negative - so quiet it takes some getting used to. Reversing in a carpark pedestrians ignore it.
Negative - no towing/ CVT Trans so give up on that concept. If you need to tow buy a utility.
That's about all the negatives I can give.
Positive- great fuel economy. Coming to a stop in traffic and watching consumption drop to zero- a good thing.
Positive - Extremely roomy, front and back. Spacious in the hatch. Practical, fold down seats accommodating.
Positive - Service costs are reasonable but - forget the dealer. Get a good independent mechanic, they're worth it.
Positive -easy driving in traffic.
Positive - surprising power
Positive - Engine brake - shift it to B going downhill and save your brakes.
Positive - Smart car. Unlocks without clicking remote if you open the door or hatch in proximity of the remote.
Positive - Night time, approach the car in a dark garage the interior light comes on automatically.
Positive - good sound system - JBL speakers sound good for a factory stereo. 6 disc stacker a plus.
Positive - Quiet interior on the road,
Positive -comfortable seating
Positive - Superior Reliability as with all Toyota products. Can't fault the brand.
Final opinion
There are probably 50 more positives - for an older car, 6 years old when bought and now 6 years owning one, I'd do it again. I would say that buying a low km car had one issue that was the Hybrid battery failure. Still, I've seen taxis with over 700.000 km and the original battery. Bad luck for me, but still worth it.
Great. Little. Car. Toyota does not disappoint.

I find little or nothing to fault in the Toyota Prius Hybrid. Quiet, smooth and fuel efficient running. Plenty of leg room front and rear and a joy to handle on the road. I blown away with the classy interior, comfortable seating and the additional features incorporated on the dashboard and steering wheel combine to make this vehicle a ‘dream’ to own and drive.

few years ago i was quite skeptical about priuses as i thought they don't have enough power or their looks and etc, but they have upgraded quite a bit from the beginning!
the I-tech version of prius has all the bells and whistles of the top luxury car, leather heated seats, sunroof, solar panels, led lights, radar system and so on with plenty of power!
the car handles very nice and smooth and its super economical , average uses 4.8 or 4.6 if you buy brand new it will be under 3.8 ltr per 100k
everything about the inside is good just one thing that im not a huge fan is they've used very dry and boring plastic for the dash therefore its squeaky and it just doesn't look that good for a top of the range model i think. although they have change that in the brand new 2018 models.
Toyota is known for their reliability so don't worry about that and running costs could be high or low depending who you choose as your mechanic cause a lot of mechanics charge arm and legs for hybrids just for sake of it!

The performance of Toyota prius is great. It is quiet and efficient. All the features of the car are great. There are lots of space in front of the seats and in the boot too. There is a lot foot room in the front and rear. It is a very fuel efficient vehicle. Best car!

Great ride, smooth and trouble free. Really enjoy driving this quiet, efficient and fuel efficient vehicle. Roomy interior with ample foot room in both front and rear. Panel has all you need to ensure a drama free and hassle free drive. Radio controls very simple to use. Lots of storage space as well

Bought car at auction in 2009, it was 1 year old. 8 years later i have spent nothing on repairs apart from the standard service, 2 sets of tyres and 1 $80 starter battery. Fantastic for city driving, goes great on the open road and excellent air conditioning when driving out west. Done 210,000 km and still getting 4.8 litres per 100 km. Still on the original hybrid battery and going strong. Will upgrade soon and buy another prius. Its the least trouble i have had with a car and i have been driving for 29 years.

Looked at a lot of cars before l chose the Prius was blown away by the performance when l tool it for a test drive it's a zippy little car for getting around town but has the power on the open road it is very economical to run l absolutely love it

We've owned our 2012 Prius i tech since end of 2012. So far, it's been great, no issues, petrol consumption has been 5L/100. Bear in mind, i tech has 17 inch tire and heavier (solar panel) than none i tech. My friend's none i tech has 16 inch, so he gets 4.5L/100. The car (at the time we bought it) had good features, e.g. radar cruise control and emergency braking (of cos now "all" cars have it), digital radio, electric air con, heated seats, heads up display, touch activated door etc etc. I couldn't find all features on a $80,000 BMW / Merc at the time.

The transmission (eCVT) is superb! Forgot those CVTs in corolla or subaru. This CVT is different than those metal threaded belt driven CVT. This one is the best! It's smooth and efficient in terms of torque and power band. I know those traditional petrol heads don't like it, but so far I can't find any issues of it.

One issue I found so far is that, the front tires seem to have tire cupping issue. The dealer was reluctant to acknowledge that it's a real issue. The answer I got was, you drive too fast and turn corners too hard. This is one thing which I'm not happy about the car. Also when turning, (I know it's not a sports car) the centre of gravity is too high (I guess due to where the battery is placed. It's behind / under the rear passenger seats), hence the rolling during turn is quite noticeable.

The other issue is probably depreciation, not that I'm going to sell the car any time soon but last time I checked, this car is probably only worth a bit over $25000 now (compare it to a hilux, or a corolla!).

I'm not sure about the latest gen prius, but it could be better if solar roof panel could charge the main drive battery. This would be awesome.

Overall I'm really happy with this car. Unless Tesla drops its prices in the next few years, I would buy one more prius before going full EV.

Great car. Have driven over 2000kms now and love it. The hybrid system is seamless and there is no loss of power switching from electric to petrol and vice versa. Uses about half the petrol of our old Ford Fiesta (which was also a great car). Lots of features like LED headlights, auto adjustable cruise control, wireless phone charger, 10 speaker stereo with bluetooth, large console screen with fantastic reverse camera. Very quiet car even when the petrol engine is working. Almost silent when it's just the electric motor. Can't find any issues. Love it.

I have had my Toyota Prius I Tech for seven years and I absolutely love it. I do not have to fill it up with petrol very often due to its effective use of fuel. It is also very spacious inside with a high roof. I couldn't live without my Prius.

The 2012 Toyota Prius delivers stellar fuel economy without requiring much effort on the part of the driver. The smartphone-connected Entune system brings live destination search, traffic data, and Pandora streaming to the dashboard. Voice command tech and intuitive steering-wheel controls help to keep eyes on the road.he 2012 Toyota Prius just works, delivering outstanding fuel economy, good cabin-tech options, and a comfortable ride with few compromises.

We bought our Prius V i-Tech (7-seater version of the Prius i-Tech) just last month (march 2017). I like the standard of trim of the itech with leather seats and my wife loves the moon roof for those gloomy wintery days. Compared to our previous 7 seater which was a Renault Grand Scenic it is a bit more squeezy for my 6 foot plus frame and its a little narrower. But having said that there is a bit more length in the car that makes the legroom acceptable whatever the seat position of the front seats. The two extra seats in the back also have reasonable leg room. Too many of these Wagon style 7 seaters make you compromise too much to actually fit people older than 5yrs into the two back seats. I also like the 2-3-2 configuration better than the 2-2-3 configuration of the Honda Odyssey. Much more practical and allows you to use the boot for most journeys with our 3 kids.
Driving it is easy. No lurching between gears as it has the CVT gearbox. No gear change lag. But it does have its own lag when attempting to accelerate hard. Most of our driving is around town and the suburbs and the drive is very easy and smooth. You can select between 4 different drive modes. Normal, EV (electric only - very short range), Eco (for best fuel economy in normal driving) and PWR for more grunt. We alternate between normal and Eco around the burbs and have found acceleration pretty comparable to our old Renault (4 speed Auto 2.0L).
It has pretty good keyless entry. Just have the key in your pocket or handbag and reach for the handle or press the button for the boot. Tap the handle to lock. It has a heap of other functions we haven't got to in the user manual.
Warranty for the battery is now 8 years and I have spoken to many Prius owners who have had no problems at all for over 12 years.
My minor gripes would be for me the reduced roof height with the moon roof, the slow electric seat adjustment (no presets and I have to stand in the rain for 10 to 15 secs to get from my wife's seating position to mine.). No alloy wheels as standard even on our top of the range i-Tech.
The economy is pretty good at around 5l/100km but they make you buy Premium fuel to maintain the warranty. So the cost saving is a bit reduced.
Am I happy with the car....Yes. Would I choose differently next time. Probably not. At least until someone makes a larger 7 seater with comparable cost of ownership.

These cars last forever, with regular servicing. There are cases of taxi's in the USA which have over 1 million miles and all they needed was regular servicing and one hose replaced. The reason is, that the electric/battery tech helps the mechanical/petrol engine, which means the petrol engine doesn't get anywhere near as much stress/work as a typical car engine. Less wear and tear = more reliable.

We've had ours since 2011 and it's been brilliant to drive and saves so much in fuel. A tank (say $60 for a full tank of 95RON nowadays) does between 900 - 1000 km's (depending on how/where you drive).

Nothing major has gone wrong. We had to replace the 12V battery once as it wasn't a Prius compatible one (any battery of the right size will fit, it's just that the Prius compatible one's hold their charge better).

The centre console fabric wore away in a couple of places and created a hole in one, so we paid less than $100 to have it recovered in a nice velour.

Priuschat.com is a brilliant resource.

We've installed a flip-down monitor for the rear passengers (went way too big, so something like a 12" screen would be best), connected to a Sony Head unit with USB. Don't buy Sony (or Pioneer) if you want to play video's via USB as they use Divx, so you have to try and re-encode all your video's into Divx, and at the correct bitrate and resolution.... which is all but impossible as the source video's are all different resolutions. I'm experienced at video conversion, and even I gave up and went back to burning DVD's. I'd suggest a half-decent Chinese head unit, as they play pretty much anything you throw at them, without having to have it converted first. Something from https://www.carjoying.com/au-warehouse.html for instance. I've not bought from them yet, but in correspondence with them they've been very honest and informative (even directing me to another site for a component)