I’m not going to sugarcoat it…I’ve never liked the Prius. Aside from good gas mileage, it is a lousy car. Here are the ten things I hate about the Toyota Prius:
1) It’s too small for a family: There is absolutely no possible way that I could own one and transport my two young daughters. With the seat moved into position to accommodate my 6’4” frame, the only things that will fit in the back seat are groceries.
2) It’s ugly: U-G-L-Y it ain’t got no alibi, it’s ugly, yeah it’s ugly. I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder thinks that the proportions are all off. The Prius is as pretty as that daughter of your mother’s friend who isn’t married despite her “great personality”.
3) It’s loud inside: An amazing thing – when you take all the sound deadening material out, a car becomes really frigging loud at speed. A Prius seems to transmit more road noise to the ****pit than a 60’s Corvette with warped bias-ply tires. I’d hate to go cross country in one.
4) It’s uncomfortable: The seats are lousy and even in the rearmost position, there’s not enough room to extend my left leg into a position that doesn’t hurt after fifteen minutes.
5) The traction control can’t be disarmed: This is actually a problem with most Toyotas. Try taking a Prius up a snowy or icy incline, and you’ll find that the power cuts out the second the wheels start to spin. The only way a Prius makes it up a snowy hill is on a tow strap behind an old Land Rover.
6) There’s no secured storage area: This is a problem with hatchbacks, but the Prius’ expansive use of glass means that everything you own is on display. So much for bringing along anything like a laptop.
7) They handle poorly: Small, soft tires and numb steering translate to a car that is totally out of its element on winding back-country roads. The Prius is about as fun as two hours in an emergency room waiting area. It’s certainly one of the least entertaining cars made today.
They are SLOW: We’re talking four seconds slower to 60 mph than a Toyota Avalon sedan! Entering a highway in one can be downright dangerous, especially if there is a passenger and some luggage.
9) They are cheaply made: The interior materials are hard and shiny. The seats are of low-grade cloth. The paint is so cheap and thin that it makes 1950s British cars look like Pebble Beach Concours restorations. Paint on a Prius can chip from a bug splatting on the hood.
10) The fuel economy isn’t that great for the price: For all the technology and hype, the Prius isn’t any better than imports from the early 1980s. One certainly must take into consideration that cars today have 800-pounds of extra weight required to meet safety standards, but for a car that has mpg as its main focus, the Prius doesn’t do significantly better than top-tier non hybrids. When you factor in the additional cost of a Prius, you’d have to drive quite a bit in the city to make up the difference against some traditional gas-powered vehicles.
Given the ten things I hate about Prius, I’m fine not owning one. I do understand why people have bought them…perceived economy, image, a personal mission to “do the right thing”. This all just stands as a slap in the face to the automakers, because really any of the manufacturers could have built something better had they exhibited any vision. With only one good hybrid choice, though, the market went sprinting towards the Prius.
Indeed, when a better mousetrap comes from another manufacturer in the next year or two, the Prius lovers will realize that the cars they adore so much just aren’t as good as they thought
