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Long-Term Test: 2004 Toyota Prius

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    2004 Toyota Prius Picture

    We bought our 2004 Toyota Prius for $26,053 and sold it for $8,476. | January 04, 2011 | James Riswick for Edmunds

18 Photos | See more photos in this gallery »

Road Test

Long-Term Test: 2004 Toyota Prius

Wrap-Up

By , Vehicle Testing Manager | Published Jan 5, 2011

    27 Ratings

    Toyota Prius. We all know the story. This was the hybrid that changed the way we look at hybrids. While the original Honda Insight holds the honor of being the first U.S.-sold hybrid, the Toyota Prius was the first offered to consumers (in Japan). But the second-generation Prius holds another distinction. It's the hybrid that made the largest impact on the automotive community and it became the poster child for the "Hey, look at me; I'm green" crowd.

    Which, as it turned out, is a sizable crowd. When the updated 2004 Toyota Prius hit the market, it brought the masses. Look in your neighbor's driveway. There's a Prius. Now glance at the car in the lane beside you. There's another Prius. They're everywhere. Heck, Tom Hanks has one. So does Cameron Diaz.

    Well, we weren't about to stand idle as the world passed us by. Before our local Toyota dealership even stocked the new version of its hybrid sensation we were shopping for one. It wasn't long before we purchased a Seaside Blue Pearl second-gen Prius for our long-term test fleet.

    Why We Bought It
    We have to turn back the clock several years to unlock our reasons for buying the Prius. For 2004 Toyota completely redesigned its first-generation hybrid. Season two added Hybrid Synergy Drive, a full hybrid system with a more powerful 1.5-liter gas engine producing 76 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque. Gasoline power was backed by an electric motor generating 67 hp and 295 lb-ft of its own. Efficiency improvements earned the new Prius a bevy of marketing acronyms. It was a SULEV (super ultralow-emissions vehicle). It was a PZEV (partial zero-emissions vehicle). And it was environmentally BA (badass).

    Toyota groomed the Prius to be king. When the 2004 model arrived, its popularity soared well above other existing hybrids like the Insight and Civic Hybrid. We'd like to say we predicted the Prius would become the Slug-Bug of the new millennium, and that's why we bought it. But our test began merely as an assessment of its emerging new technology. Nearly 400 new patents were issued for the 2004 Toyota Prius. This was a significant vehicle. Its hatchback versatility and top-ranking fuel economy made it a consumer must-have and secured the Prius an extended stay in our long-term test program.

    Our early Prius questions remained. Are the HOV-access stickers worth the money? Would fuel economy decline as the batteries aged? How long until the batteries failed and how much would it cost to replace them? But as our Prius test grew in length, it also evolved. Why we bought it became more of a question as to why we kept it. And six years later we were finally ready to part with our benchmark, second-gen Prius.

    Drive and Durability
    There was a general consensus when it came to how the Prius drove. Senior Editor Erin Riches echoed our sentiment, "Ride quality is not a strength of the Prius. The suspension keeps the ride reasonably smooth on the highway, but it's about as forgiving as my mom's '93 Accord — tolerable by today's standards but not ideal. There's also quite a bit of road noise. Besides that, the driver seat gets uncomfortable on long hauls. The biggest problem is the minimal number of adjustments. The steering wheel is mounted close to the dash and it doesn't telescope. On a positive note, the second-gen Prius is acceptably quick for a hybrid. During one trip I drafted off the trucks on Highway 46 while waiting for an opportunity to pass. Full throttle was essential for passing but it was hardly a white-knuckle event."

    Inside the cabin our Prius boasted an early-generation touchscreen media interface and a cassette player. It was bare-bones by today's standards. Even its cloth Ivory interior left something to be desired. Senior Photographer Scott Jacobs reflected on the last night he spent in the Prius. "My roommate in college had a denim couch that he absolutely loved, but the rest of us hated. It had a sickening dark sheen from pizza grease, cigarette ash and spilt beer. We nicknamed it 'Deal Breaker' because its vile presence would horrify any woman who came to our apartment. The Prius has become the new 'Deal Breaker.' The combination of dirt and sunscreen has made the driver side armrest akin to that damned couch. When I drove the Prius last night, I made sure my skin and clothing did not touch the armrest."

    Our Prius was not without its problems. We averaged about $135 per visit for routine maintenance as recommended by the owner's manual. This average included a couple of $22 do-it-yourself oil changes. Other repairs were minimal. We replaced the brake pads ourselves at 86,000 miles for $64. New tires at 84,000 miles remedied a stability control warning issue. Mounted and balanced, these new Bridgestone Ecopias set us back $460 and performed equally as well as the OE Goodyear Integrity tires. Extreme curb rash enticed us to buy a new front wheel cover, which cost $380 and concluded routine out-of-pocket expenses.

    Aside from the routine we had some notable non-warranty items during our test. One came in the form of an electrical short in the navigation unit. Another resulted from simultaneous failures of the air-conditioning compressor and inverter pump at the 71,000-mile mark. This was expensive and took days to fix, but Toyota recently began accepting refund applications for the inverter pump issue as part of a "customer satisfaction campaign." At the time of this wrap-up we've submitted our application and hope for a full repayment.

    Total Body Repair Costs: $690
    Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 72 months): $2,160
    Additional Maintenance Costs: $3,957
    Warranty Repairs: Recalibrate faulty fuel gauge, replace faulty fuel gauge, brake light switch recall and replace the steering shaft per recall.
    Non-Warranty Repairs: Replace navigation unit ($604), air-conditioning compressor ($1,709), inverter pump ($700), wheel cover assembly ($380), key fob battery ($40), brake pads ($64) and tires ($460).
    Scheduled Dealer Visits: 16
    Unscheduled Dealer Visits: 4
    Days Out of Service: 12
    Breakdowns Stranding Driver: None

    Performance and Fuel Economy
    One thing was clear after 84,000 miles of testing the Prius. Performance is not an area where this vehicle was meant to excel. But we knew that going into the test.

    The next morning I woke up and decided to buy the car myself.

    Give the Prius a quarter-mile of asphalt and the hybrid will dispatch with it in 17.7 seconds at 78.0 mph. It needs 10.2 of those seconds (with 1 foot of rollout) to reach the 60-mph mark. And from 60 mph the Prius returns to a stop in 124 feet. Each of these tests ranks the Prius as average among the hybrid populace. Its slalom speed of 59.8 mph and 0.72g of lateral force around the skid pad are similarly bland.

    Where performance ends, fuel economy begins. We averaged 40.9 mpg during our test. Admittedly, much of that mileage was accumulated with little concern as to our overall fuel efficiency. That didn't mean the Prius couldn't perform when asked. We found that even toward the end of our test the Toyota could attain 50-plus mpg with little effort.

    Best Fuel Economy: 63.5 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 26.7 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy: 40.9 mpg

    Retained Value
    When we purchased our Prius, there wasn't a dealership in town that would sell one without a markup. So we went to another town. We didn't need to go far before locating a dealership willing to sell at MSRP. We paid $26,053 to the Internet sales director at Carson Toyota for a Seaside Blue Pearl Prius with Ivory interior.

    Six years later it was time to sell. After 84,000 miles Edmunds' TMV® Calculator valued the hybrid at $8,476 based on a private-party sale. This equaled 67 percent depreciation, a valuation directly reflective of its length of service. Senior Consumer Advice Editor Phil Reed then took the keys, as he usually does when we sell long-term testers. This time was different, however.

    Reed discussed the process. "I was preparing to put the Prius up for sale, so I drove it home one Thursday afternoon. I left the office a little late and when I hit the 405 freeway it was locked up solid with traffic. I swung into the carpool lanes and cruised along at 50 mph past miles of stopped traffic. The next morning I woke up and decided to buy it myself. I've really been enjoying driving it — it's the perfect commuter car."

    True Market Value at service end: $8,476
    What it sold for: $8,476
    Depreciation: $17,577 or 67% of original paid price
    Final Odometer Reading: 84,033

    Summing Up
    Our test of the Prius began just like any other long-term test. We bought the car to drive around for a year and reflect on its emerging technology. As time passed, the focus of our test changed.

    Toyota built this hybrid to stand out among its peers. It set the benchmark for 2004 and beyond. During our extended test we watched the popularity of the Prius soar. Buy it for status. Buy it to save the environment. Buy it for the HOV stickers. It didn't matter why, but people were buying the Prius and doing so in droves. All the while automakers did their best to copy the mold cast by the second-gen Prius.

    Today much of the same excitement surrounds the Toyota. This is easily among the most significant vehicles of the past decade. It arguably sits atop that list. When judging its popularity we need look no further than our own ranks. We drove a 2004 Toyota Prius for six years and racked up some 84,000 miles. Then we sold the car, to ourselves. We can't give the Prius much more of an endorsement than our own, hard-earned cash.

    Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.

    Road Test

    Introduction

    Four years ago we purchased a Honda Insight and reported on the ownership experience as part of our Edmunds.com long-term test fleet. Since that time the Insight has been joined on the market by the Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. While the Insight was the first hybrid to be sold in this country (and the winner of our Most Significant Vehicle award that year), the Prius was actually the first production hybrid vehicle to be sold to consumers…in Japan.

    That Japanese Prius eventually made it into U.S. showrooms in 2001, but the car's diminutive size, quirky controls and "Echo-like" styling limited its appeal to mainstream consumers. Now comes the 2004 Prius, an all-new, more powerful and larger hybrid sedan that offers almost Camry-like seating space and a hatchback design for improved cargo hauling. It also burns cleaner than the original Prius, earning both SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) and PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) ratings. Fuel mileage is impressive, with EPA ratings of 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway. Yes, those numbers are correct — the Prius actually gets better mileage in city driving because the electric motor can often propel the vehicle at low speeds with no assistance from the internal combustion engine, meaning it uses no fuel whatsoever under these conditions. The Hybrid Synergy Drive power plant consists of a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine and a single electric drive motor. The gas engine produces 76 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque, while the electric motor generates the equivalent of 67 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. An electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard on all models.

    Demand for the all-new Prius has surpassed everyone's expectations, including Toyota's. The vehicle is currently one of the "fastest selling cars" in America based on how long the average model sits on dealer lots before being sold. In Southern California, waiting lists for a Prius are common, as is dealer markup. Many dealers have given current Prius owners the first opportunity to buy the all-new version, but without that factor on our side, we simply had to start calling around with the hopes of finding a dealer willing to work with us on acquiring a car.

    About four months before the Prius was due to hit dealership floors, Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed began contacting Toyota dealerships in the Los Angeles area. He told them that Edmunds.com wanted to get the new Prius as soon as possible. He was also upfront about the fact that we were on multiple waiting lists for the car. As far as specifications went, Phil told dealers that we were flexible on options and on color. We also asked for the sale price, and if the dealership was asking for a markup on the vehicle, we declined to buy our Prius there.

    Eventually, we wound up on three different dealership lists. Dianne Whitmire, Internet sales director for Carson Toyota, was the first to call. She told us about a lightly optioned Driftwood P, and we passed up this car since we weren't enthusiastic about the color and had decided to go for more options. Dianne was undeterred. She called us about two weeks later with a fully loaded Prius in Seaside Pearl Blue with an Ivory interior. We jumped at the chance to buy this car. The Prius landed on the lot just about when she predicted and we were there with a check in hand. We paid $26,053 for our Prius (including destination) which featured Package #9 (which includes items like a DVD navigation system, in-dash CD changer and HID headlights), floor mats, the rear bumper appliqué and a cargo net.

    Interestingly, our Prius was one of about five to arrive at Carson Toyota at the same time. When we got to the dealership, they were lined up and ready to be delivered to their new owners. As we waited, excited buyers showed up with money in hand. As we left the dealership, barely an hour later, all the cars were gone. For once, the car salesman's sales pitch "you better buy today 'cuz these cars are flying off the lot" was entirely accurate.

    With the loaded Seaside Pearl Prius in our possession, we were anxious to try out the hybrid drivetrain in terms of both power and fuel mileage. In fact, with just over 1,000 miles on the odomoter, we ran the vehicle through our standard battery of performance tests and recorded a 10.7-second 0-to-60 time and a 17.7-second quarter-mile time at 77 mph. Not exactly hot-rod figures, but when you combine those with the 40.4-mpg average we've scored in our first 4,500 miles of driving the car, it becomes clear that the Prius offers a compelling combination of performance and fuel economy.

    Editor in Chief Karl Brauer drove the Prius for much of those first 4,500 miles and had this to say about the powertrain:

    "While not fast, the Prius doesn't feel at all slow, and it can actually surprise you when you go from casual cruising mode to full-throttle application, such as when passing another car. The electric motor adds a noticeable punch when you floor it — assuming the battery isn't so drained that the car is in constant charge mode."
    Yes, like the Honda Insight before it, the electric motor can supplement the internal combustion engine for increased performance, but only if the battery pack has sufficient power. However, unlike the Insight, it was rare that the Prius' battery pack fell below half charge, meaning the electric motor was almost always ready to help out with acceleration chores.

    As helpful as the electric motor is when needing maximum acceleration, Karl really enjoyed trying to make the Prius run on pure electric power during low-speed city driving. "It's not easy to keep the Prius in 'electric-only' mode," Karl said. "If you ask for more than modest acceleration, the engine fires up and kicks in to offer more boost. But if you accelerate very slowly you can go from zero to about 30 mph on pure electricity…as long as you aren't going up a hill."

    Of course the Prius offers an effective method for monitoring energy/fuel consumption. The central monitor can be set up to tell you when the engine, electric motor or both are operating. It can also tell you instant fuel mileage, average fuel mileage and fuel mileage over multiple blocks of five-minute periods. As Karl opined, "All of this information takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out, you can get a feel for how subtle changes in driving behavior can cause vast changes in fuel mileage."

    Speaking of mileage, Karl observed that while the potential for mile-per-gallon figures in the upper 50s, and beyond, exists when driving the Prius, he also noted how hard it can be to attain those figures unless driving conditions are ideal. "I drove the car from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back, and I was surprised at how quickly the car's fuel mileage would drop when driving up a hill or into a head wind. It was also pretty skittish in strong crosswinds, no doubt because of the car's fuel-mileage-oriented low curb weight and skinny tires."

    Although Karl was somewhat disappointed in the Prius' initial fuel figures, he remarks that the car is still not broken in, and that he often drove it in anything but a reserved, fuel-efficient manner. During those times that he made a conscious effort to go light on the throttle and drive in a relaxed manner, he saw an immediate jump in fuel mileage. "Had I driven that way for an entire tank of fuel I'm sure it could have averaged around 50 mpg, which is pretty much what the car should be getting on the highway." Karl also noted that driving in a reserved manner for a tankful of gas is difficult, because when you drive that way a tankful of gas can last over 500 miles!

    Other than the somewhat disappointing fuel mileage, Karl had few complaints. "I have to have the seat all the way back, and even then I barely fit comfortably in terms of legroom. I also noticed that the central display screen can wash out in bright sunlight, and it doesn't have a tilting feature, like Toyota's own Sienna, to help combat this problem."

    On the positive side, Karl described the Prius' seats as comfortable, the front cupholders as fully functional and the cargo capacity as superb, particularly when folding the rear seat back down. He also liked the many features on our test car, including the DVD-based navigation system, the HID headlights and the voice-operated audio system. "However," Karl noted, "I still wish Toyota would allow passengers to interact with the navigation system while the vehicle is in motion, as Honda does."

    With a year ahead of us, we're hoping to see the Prius' fuel figures climb. But even if they remain in the 40s, we are already impressed with the car's functionality, comfort, luxury features and style. We'll see if our love for the Prius can survive a year with the Edmunds.com staff.

    Current Odometer: 4,887
    Best Fuel Economy: 48.6 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 28.1 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 40.4 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: None
    Problems: None

    Road Test

    May 2004

    Though hybrid systems are becoming a center stage technology for manufacturers, they really haven't taken off with the consumer as a whole. So, unexpectedly, the Prius has become a new "hot item" car. People are waiting long and willing to pay big for the second-generation version of Toyota's first hybrid. Why does this particular vehicle have the potential to open the hybrid market to the masses? That's a question that our own editorial staff wants to answer with rigorous long-term testing.

    Our car came loaded with plenty of nifty and thoughtful technologies, including some that may be overlooked because they're either unexpected or not very well documented in the owner's manual. One such example of the latter is the Voice Command system. It took the curiosity of our own Jeff Bryan, New Vehicles Editor, to find out what the true story was. Even though he perused the owner's manual, he couldn't find out what exact voice commands the Prius would accept. But he did find a detailed list on the owners' Web site. In theory, an impressive list of 88 commands can be given, though we found the practice to be a little different. Jeff gave a printed-out list of commands to this month's Prius owner, Photo Editor Scott Jacobs. This list prompted Scott to fully explore what this advanced vehicle was capable of.

    When Scott walked out to the car, he remembered that Consumer Advice Editor Phil Reed had mentioned that our Prius is equipped with a Smart Key feature. Scott kept the key in his pocket and was delighted when the door automatically unlocked as his hand grasped the door handle. Once inside, all it took was a touch of the "power" button and the car came to life. "A keyless entry and start system is something I've only seen on vehicles costing two or three times more," Scott commented. "That feature alone was enough to impress me with the Prius."

    After a quiet electric-powered ride around the garage, the four-banger engine came to life and chirped the front wheels as Scott floored it to quickly merge onto the road in front of the office. Once on the road, Scott immediately hit the Voice Command button on the steering wheel. The Prius' cheery chirp let him know that it was listening. "Mexican food" he said in a clear voice. Right away, the navigation system displayed small Mexican flags denoting the location of nearby Mexican restaurants. Impressed with this capability, Scott started to rattle off all the different types of food he could think of until the cluttered screen couldn't display any more flag icons. "What else can it understand?" Scott wondered. After looking over the list of commands that Jeff had provided him, he started proclaiming things like "72 degrees" and "guide me home." Pretty soon, however, he discovered that the system couldn't understand him every time. In fact, it lead to some comical responses by the Prius such as directing him to the nearest Chinese restaurant when he wanted to find an ATM.

    Another handy feature of the big center-mounted screen is the navigation system. Using said navigation system is a snap because of its touchscreen capability. Not only did Scott find it easy to use, but it was very quick in processing the information he was inputting. The annoying lag and frustration he experienced in other vehicles were eliminated with the user-friendly Toyota design. The system isn't without faults though. Problems arose when Scott wanted directions to his brother's house. The Prius diligently directed him to the most direct route, but ultimately the slowest as it traversed the congested streets of Berkeley, Calif. If the system utilized the freeways and expressways more, he could have shaved at least 15 minutes off his drive time. In double checking the navigation system settings, he found that it was set to make use of freeways but there was no default setting to taking the fastest route. Ultimately the system wasn't wrong, just not efficient.

    All of those thoughtful features may sound nice, but you still might not be hooked because the progressively styled Prius' looks are a little too much for you. Yeah, it may be just as funky as the Honda Insight long-term tester we had, but beneath its eccentric façade is a fully functional five-passenger hybrid vehicle. Our editors were surprised with the expansive, airy feel inside the car thanks to large windows and high seating positions. The plentiful cubby holes, storage bins, power points and expandable cargo room make this a very versatile everyday car that's able to handle the demands of families everywhere. About the only real gripe about the design (besides the aesthetics) is the limited visibility out of the aerodynamically shaped glass hatch. Its steep angle gives the window a narrow profile that is further blocked by the combination fin/rear wiper. Though the lack of visibility is annoying, most wouldn't find it to be a deal breaker.

    To really see what kind of mileage the Prius can get, Scott drove 400 miles north to San Francisco for Mother's Day. Sure it's a nice excuse to get out of town, but it's also a solid six-hour freeway drive that can shed some light on the mileage capacities of the Prius. Unfortunately, Scott experienced many of the same frustrations our Editor in Chief Karl Brauer did in the last update. Scott found that while traversing up the narrow passes out of the Los Angeles Basin to the California Central Valley, the fuel efficiency dropped like a lead balloon. When he finally made it to the flat expanses of Interstate 5, a stiff crosswind pushed the car around the freeway like a spinning top. "The force at which the wind pushed the car around made me uncomfortable," Scott wrote in the logbook. "I found myself being pushed toward cars to either side of me with shocking regularity." The end result of the experiment was that the Prius failed to impress us with astounding highway fuel efficiency. That's not to say it didn't perform well. With our average of 43 mpg, it is head and shoulders above most vehicles; we just wished a car with this kind of potential would get more.

    Unfortunately, we lost the primary key way back in January, and it took us awhile to get around to purchasing a new key from the dealer. We called the dealer in late April and set up an appointment for the next morning in order to buy a new key and have it programmed. After arriving at the dealer, we realized that our Prius had the Smart Key feature, and the dealer didn't have any in stock. They said they'd order one, and it would be in the following Tuesday. (This was Thursday.) The service guy said he'd call us when it came in. They never called and we forgot about it again. Two weeks later, we called the parts department and they said they had the key in stock. We made an appointment for the next morning. When we got there, the service guy checked, and said they didn't have any keys in stock. We told him about talking to the parts department the previous day, and he went to the parts department to sort things out. Turns out, they did have a key in stock for us held under another staffer's name from the initial request. We left the car to have the key programmed, and it was ready later that afternoon.

    Due to the fact that the "maintenance required" light came on the evening before we went in for the key purchase, we also had the Prius serviced during that visit. We had the oil changed and a 10,000-mile inspection done for a grand total of $379.82. The Smart Key alone accounted for a hefty $269.63 chunk of that total. We were dismayed, however, that just two days later the "maintenance required" light reappeared because the dealership hadn't reset the computer properly.

    Current Odometer: 10,035
    Best Fuel Economy: 48.6 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 28.1 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 42.8 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: $379.82
    Problems: None

    Road Test

    August 2004

    We've spent nearly eight months now zipping around town in our Toyota Prius, and there's no doubt in our minds that this is the ideal time to have one as a member of our test fleet. With over 12,000 miles on the odometer, the Prius continues to be a popular choice, especially among our staffers with long daily commutes.

    Manager of Vehicle Testing Kelly Toepke was thrilled to spend several consecutive weeks behind the wheel of the Prius. Kelly drives 33 miles each way to work, and with a guaranteed 330 miles clicking by during just the work week, it's typical to have to gas up at least twice each week. When driving the Prius, the convenience of a once-a-week fill-up is more likely.

    Researching our hybrid's fuel economy history, we realized that we've never pumped more than 8.7 gallons into our tank, and several of those eight-gallon-plus fill-ups occurred after the low fuel warning light came on. But a quick look at the manufacturer specifications for the Prius tells us that there was no need to rush to a gas station. According to Toyota, the Prius actually has an 11.9-gallon tank. "Here we were pleased to note we could drive nearly 400 miles each week on one tank of gas, when we probably could cover above 450 miles if we weren't as cautious about dipping into the Prius' reserve," Kelly observed. During a recent SUV comparison test, she appreciated the Prius' economy even more: "We had five SUVs in for a luxury V8 comparison test, and every second or third day, each SUV required fuel. By the end of that two-week test, I had visited every gas station between the local freeway exit and our office."

    The Prius is so economical that it's hard to treat it like any other car, but as Senior Road Test Editor Ed Hellwig noted, "After driving it around for several weeks on a daily basis, I realized that it really does function like a normal sedan. I think most commuters would find its level of power acceptable, and its feature content and passenger room leave little to be desired. Sure, this thing is no speed demon, but when it comes to daily driving, there's plenty of power to squirt in and out of traffic. Even on the freeway it's not too bad as long you don't expect neck-snapping acceleration. I was surprised to see how often I could run on battery power alone. Basically anytime I was in a parking lot or other low-speed situation, it was running on batteries and nothing else."

    Although power is surprisingly adequate, the rest of the car's mechanical components reveal more obvious differences between the Prius and conventional gasoline-powered cars. The suspension is less refined than that of a Toyota Camry, but that's to be expected with such a lightweight car. If you're not used to using a CVT (continuously variable transmission), the transmission might feel and sound a little strange, but it consistently makes the most out of the power that is available. The electrically controlled steering has a light, accurate feel that's just about right for this kind of car. It's hardly sporty but that's not expected. The brakes also seemed a little touchy at first, but they deliver good stopping power. "Although, they never really feel like they should," Kelly wrote, "and are clearly not the Prius' best attribute."

    Inside the cabin, we found little to complain about. It's downright surprising how much passenger room there is inside. The seats themselves aren't overly comfortable, but merely functional without excess padding or support. Still, there's legroom aplenty for both front- and rear-seat riders.

    With the rear seats folded down, this car can swallow a pretty healthy amount of stuff. The hatchback opening makes for easy loading, and the floor is nice and flat to keep things from sliding around too much. We loaded a new 36-inch Pottery Barn table (still in the box) in the back, and then picked up a colleague who needed a lift to the airport. At first it didn't seem possible that the Prius could handle the table plus a large hard-sided Samsonite suitcase, but we deposited both traveler and luggage curbside with no problem.

    When it comes to storage up front, the Prius is comparable to a minivan in terms of all the available space. Between the two flip-out cupholders, the center console and the dual gloveboxes, you pretty much have room for just about anything. It's a nice setup that would make any midsize sedan jealous.

    The Prius has been on sale now for nearly a year, and there's no shortage of folks who have heard about it and want to get a closer look — or who are currently on a lengthy waiting list and are desperate simply to gaze inside the car they hope to bring home soon. While cruising alongside our local Toyota dealer's lot, Road Test Editor Brian Moody came face-to-face with actor Donald Sutherland, who stopped to ask his opinion about the car. Brian (our resident on-camera guy who's never at a loss for words) quickly seized the opportunity to provide Mr. Sutherland with the Prius' key selling points. Mr. Sutherland was already quite hybrid-knowledgeable and seemed impressed as Brian related our Edmunds.com Prius experiences.

    Did Mr. Sutherland purchase a new Prius that day? Who knows, but there's no doubt that we've been responsible for promoting the Prius to our own friends and family (as well as the occasional parking lot stranger whom we've startled as we silently rolled by). With only a few months to go in our year-long test, it will be a sad day when we offer up our Prius on the auction block. One thing's for sure, though, with no sign of slow-down in the demand for Prius ownership, it's likely to be the best seller's market that we've ever experienced.

    Current Odometer: 12,601
    Best Fuel Economy: 45.8 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 36.1 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 41.2 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: None
    Problems: None

    Road Test

    November 2004

    Since our last update on the Toyota Prius, we've continued to be amazed at this little car's ability to impress. It remains among the favorites of the staff to drive and is one of the most frequently recommended vehicles when friends or family inquire about what they should be considering.

    The highlight of these past few months was when Consumer Advice Editor Mike Hudson dared to take the Prius across the fruited plain from California back to Michigan for a family visit. Would the great mileage hold up on the 3,000-mile long haul? In cold weather? On mountains? And could the mighty import win the hearts of drivers in the cradle of the Big Three?

    The car answered these questions with a resounding, "Yes."

    Put simply, there are few things this car can't do. It roared up steep inclines passing semi trucks and large SUVs in Colorado. And it consistently pulled down 40 miles per gallon and above through freezing stretches of Nebraska. It zipped through traffic and was easy to park in the congestion of Chicago. And felt perfectly at home winding through the fall colors along the country roads of rural Michigan.

    And despite being well over a year old, it still turns head from coast to coast. Unlike the Honda Civic or Ford Escape hybrids, the Prius looks different from any conventional car. And that counts for something to many drivers on our staff.

    Before this report becomes a nonstop love fest, we should point out that Mike was able to find several shortcomings for the Prius on his long trek. Most were nitpicky details, but one — the fuel gauge — was an inexcusable oversight by the folks at Toyota. Frankly, the gauge is so unreliable that it would be unacceptable in any other car.

    As previously mentioned in earlier updates, the digital fuel gauge has a nasty habit of dropping quickly from half-full to blinking, which signals it is close to empty. This tended to happen around the 250-mile mark. Considering the car's computer was suggesting it was getting more than 45 miles per gallon and the owner's manual was suggesting the car boasts a 13-gallon tank, the Prius should have been nowhere near empty until well over 450 miles.

    Despite knowing this, it's hard to ignore a flashing light on the dashboard when you're in Middle of Nowhere, USA in the dark of night. And without fail, Mike or his wife would be nervously hunting for a gas station, only to see the pump handle pop after filling the tank with only 6 or 7 gallons.

    For a car to suggest it needs fuel when it is still half-full is a little troublesome. Furthermore, since the Prius is built and sold specifically for maximizing gas mileage and has dozens of high-tech computers onboard to monitor its efficiency, then it should be able to accurately estimate how many miles it can travel with its remaining fuel.

    A "Miles Remaining" gauge is standard on many cars and the Prius should be among them. And on a basic level, fuel gauges have certainly been perfected for decades, and there is no excuse for putting such a blatantly inaccurate one in such a wonderfully advanced vehicle.

    That point aside, the car also struggled to maintain its high mileage on steep grades and in colder temperatures. Generally, the mileage would dip 4 or 5 miles per gallon through the mountains, as the battery would quickly drain forcing the gas engine to take over entirely. This made the car loudly scream its way up hills, although it was able to maintain a surprising amount of speed. In cold weather or driving rain, mileage would dip by 2 or 3 miles per gallon. The light weight of the car also led to its being blown around in any sort of foul weather.

    But beyond the fuel gauge mystery, this car was a very capable companion on the road. The navigation system made taking the roads less traveled a snap, accurately pointing out gas stations, restaurants and hotels. And the fuel-efficiency computer inspired dozens of mini-competitions among husband and wife as to who could regenerate the most electricity or score the longest "99.9" miles per gallon rating average with windshield cleaning and gas-pumping chores assigned to the loser.

    The car also hauled an incredible amount of luggage and the family dog, Buckley, in quiet comfort. With the seats folded down, the Hudsons were able to drag two weeks of clothes, formal wear, snacks, dog supplies and gifts for the family with room to spare and a clear view out the side and back windows. Buckley was particularly impressed that with his bed mounted atop the folded-down seats, he could easily see out the windows to stare down other canine passengers in nearby cars.

    Mike's family and even the in-laws, typically Big Three loyalists, were impressed by the Prius and likely will buy a few in the next few years. They were particularly shocked by how quickly the car accelerated from a stop — "Better than my regular four-cylinder," said Mike's dad, Keith.

    Literally dozens of friends and family wanted a ride in the car, making it more popular than its passengers by no small measure.

    On the trip back, the thought of giving the car up became less and less pleasant. And by the time Las Vegas passed, the Hudsons thought of the Prius as their own after some 6,500 miles behind the wheel.

    Perhaps to make the separation easier, Los Angeles was struck by some of the most severe rain and wind of the year as Mike approached home. And for the final three hours of the trip, he saw his life pass before him several times as the car was tossed about the road, almost buried under the spray from passing semis and nearly spun out of control (thank you, traction control) during high-speed collisions with puddles.

    Fortunately, as of mid-November, it hasn't rained to any extent since.

    The car is certainly most at home in warm, dry weather, where handling is less a concern and mileage can truly soar. But given the popularity of the car with Mike's family, Toyota might be slapping snow tires on more than a few Priuses in the future.

    Current Odometer: 21,538
    Best Fuel Economy: 52.9 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 38.1 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 41.2 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: None
    Problems: None

    Road Test

    February 2005

    Over the past year, one of the hottest discussions in our forums has been the inaccuracy of the fuel gauge in the 2004 Toyota Prius. Really. Owners are complaining that the low-fuel warning light comes on way too soon, when in fact there are two or more gallons of fuel still in the tank.

    Looking back over our year-long fuel log, it was immediately apparent that our Prius was suffering from the same pessimistic tank syndrome. Most of our fill-ups were prompted by the low-fuel warning light, which consistently illuminated after our Prius had consumed just over 7 gallons of gas. Since Toyota tells us the Prius carries an 11.9-gallon fuel tank, a 4-gallon discrepancy was enough to drive us into action.

    We called Santa Monica Toyota and voiced our concern. Toyota issued a technical service bulletin (number EL010-04, if you're interested) for the fuel tank complaint in August 2004, so we were confident our local dealer was aware of the issue. And they were. There are two issues combined into one TSB depending on the VIN range of the Prius. One fix requires a new meter computer and filler pipe, while the other service is for the filler pipe only. Our early-build Prius fell into the new meter and pipe category.

    Mark, our helpful service advisor, didn't exactly try to talk us out of having the TSB work completed, but he did warn that it would be a rather lengthy process by regular service standards. Chances were we'd be without our Prius for at least a week. Mark said the service department would note our current odometer reading and then place an order for the replacement meter parts which would arrive reflecting the same odometer reading. He estimated it would take at least three or four days just to receive the parts, hence the lengthy stay in the service bay. Although our Prius would remain operational during the first half of the service, once the odometer reading had been reported, it couldn't be moved until the parts arrived to complete the repair.

    After discussing our testing time constraints with Mark, we decided to deliver the car to the dealer the following week. Our date arrived and we left the Prius at Santa Monica Toyota, but not without again hearing the warning of an extended service period.

    A week passed, and just as we were beginning to pine for the Prius' quiet, functional cabin and fuel-efficient hybrid drivetrain, Mark called to say our Prius was ready to return to our fold. Our beloved hatchback was released with one caution: It was necessary to remove some fuel from the tank during service, so our Prius might not reflect accurate mpg figures until it consumes that tank of gas.

    As a result, we're unable to report back on the effectiveness of the TSB repair in this update. However, since our town hall community was instrumental in bringing this issue to our attention and we don't want another three months to pass before we share our results, we'll be posting a special update in our forums as soon as possible.

    Current Odometer: 24,413
    Best Fuel Economy: 39.8 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 36.6 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 41.0 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: None
    Problems: Inaccurate fuel gauge.

    Road Test

    May 2005

    Aggravated at the pessimistic gas gauge in our 2004 Toyota Prius, and curious to discover if the service bulletins mentioned in our last update actually fixed anything, our vehicle reviews editor, Jeff Bryan, went on a mission to find out just how far our hybrid would go beyond the "low fuel" warnings. For his experiment, Jeff stowed an emergency gallon of gas in the cargo area, and drove the Prius until it literally wouldn't move.

    Now, we don't recommend anyone try this stunt (nor does Toyota), as damage to the hybrid components can result. We took the risk under the veil of "testing," and if anything did break, we'd foot the bill. Fortunately, our Prius survived the experiment unscathed.

    Under normal conditions the engine shuts off quite frequently, and the Prius moves under electric power alone. With the gas tank empty, however, the battery pack can drain quickly, and the car cannot go faster than about 40 mph.

    Our brave editor reports, "I kept to familiar roads, stayed off the freeway, and was always ready to ditch the car into a driveway or parking spot should it completely die. Surprisingly, I was able to drive the Prius 158 miles after the low-fuel warning message appeared. My careful driving also resulted in our best mpg average this quarter, 45.2, and our best distance on a single tank ever, 516 miles.

    "Once the gas finally ran out, the engine shut down like it normally would, but a myriad of warning messages and lights filled the instrument cluster. I had just pulled into a quiet neighborhood with no traffic, so I continued to drive very carefully under battery power alone. This lasted all of a half mile, probably because I had just been sitting in heavy traffic with the A/C blasting (the A/C is powered by the hybrid battery). I coasted into an empty driveway as the car completely shut down and added my gallon of emergency fuel.

    "The Prius fired right back up just as if nothing had ever happened. The hybrid battery gauge was lower than we'd ever seen it, but the car drove away without fuss. The engine revved higher for a few minutes, working to recharge the battery, but otherwise all was fine."

    Toyota has programmed its hybrid system to protect itself. Even though the car stopped moving, the battery pack wasn't really completely drained. In fact, the battery gauge only represents a small window of charge level. Cycling the battery between deep charge and full discharge would shorten its life, so the computers never allow the pack to reach its extreme limits.

    What did we learn from this risky experiment? Running out of gas in any car, Prius included, is not a good idea. Yes, the Prius will keep moving with zero gas, but not very far — and at risk of vehicle damage and driver safety. Once the gas gauge blinks "E," there's still about 2-3 gallons left. Actually, most cars are like this, but the safety net is more generous in the Prius because the car gets such good mileage. A car that gets around 15 mpg would be lucky to go 40 miles on two and a half gallons, but the Prius could go more than 100.

    Keeping this in mind, we're more forgiving of the worrywart gas gauge. Despite the service bulletin repairs, the gauge still isn't very linear, but we do seem to be going a little (but not much) longer between fill-ups. And perhaps that's only due to our lack of panic when the gauge starts flashing "E."

    As our Prius nears its 30K service, we decided to check out the cabin air filter to see how dirty it was. The scheduled replacement interval of 30K miles seemed long to us, so it came as no surprise to find the filter quite dirty. The filtering media is not very thick either, so we can only imagine how much dirt has passed right through. Regardless, accessing the unit required no tools, and it slid out right behind the glovebox.

    Our much loved Prius also suffered a flat tire this quarter. Unfortunately, the damage was too extensive to repair, so we just replaced the tire, at a cost of $96.16, including installation. Despite regular rotation and an alignment, the original equipment Goodyears are nearly worn out. We've never been impressed with the performance of the original rubber, especially in rain and snow, so we'll try a different tire when it's time for a replacement. A bump up to a touring tire (versus basic all-season) will hopefully improve the Prius' freeway stability, steering feel and overall handling performance.

    We will share our findings in the next long-term update.

    Current Odometer: 26,456
    Best Fuel Economy: 45.2 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 31.4 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 41 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: $96.16
    Maintenance Costs: None
    Problems: Front-passenger door speaker still buzzing.

    Road Test

    October 2005

    What do you learn after two years and 30,000 miles with a long-term 2004 Toyota Prius? Actually, not much more than we knew after one year and 15,000 miles.

    Like most hybrids, it's still using much less fuel than the majority of cars on the road, but more fuel than the EPA estimates (in this case 60 city/51 highway). However, one of our editors read a document called "The Toyota Prius User-Guide" that he found online (it's available at multiple Web sites and easily located through Google). This guide is written by Toyota Prius owners and is not affiliated or sanctioned by Toyota in any way. It offers numerous suggestions about how to maximize your ownership experience, and one involved pumping the tires up to between 44 and 50 psi to improve fuel mileage.

    Our editor tried pumping all four tires to 40 psi (standard pressure is 35 front, 33 rear) just to see what would happen, both in terms of ride quality and fuel mileage. He felt going above 40 psi seemed a bit extreme, even though the tires have a maximum rating of 50 psi. Sure enough, there was a recorded bump in mpg and, better still, ride quality was scarcely affected. In our last three tankfulls, with the higher pressure, we averaged a consistent 44 mpg in mixed driving (as opposed to the vehicle's lifetime average of 40.8 mpg). Of course, doing this can have unpredictable effects on tire wear and handling dynamics, so, like Toyota, we can't officially endorse this action either.

    What we can endorse is the new California law (Assembly bill 2628) that allows PZEV hybrids to take advantage of the carpool lanes, even when only the driver is on board. Other eligible hybrids include the 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid and the 2000-2004 Honda Insight (the 2005 Insight doesn't meet the new, lower emission requirements). We ordered our stickers through the California DMV, and while it took three weeks for them to arrive, and while we wish it didn't require four of them to identify the Prius' ability to use the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicles) lanes, we do enjoy the benefits that come with them.

    In fact one staffer, who has sworn off the 101 and 405 freeways where they come together in the San Fernando Valley, actually tried using this interchange during his morning commute just to see how much difference it made. The result? "That route still sucks," he reports. "The carpool lane makes a bit of a difference as you come over the hill on the 405, but overall it remains slower than using my alternative, non-freeway route."

    So it doesn't really help people going from "the Valley" to L.A.'s West Side, but other staffers insist that the carpool lane makes a huge difference in getting to our Santa Monica offices from the South Bay/Long Beach area. We'll let you know their findings at our next update.

    After it crossed the 30,000-mile mark in September we had the Toyota serviced at Toyota/Scion of Long Beach. According to Senior Consumer Advice Editor Phil Reed, "We have received excellent service at this dealership on our long-term Scion tC, and our experience was duplicated this time while getting the oil changed, engine and cabin filters replaced, multiple inspections done and tires rotated for $119. After paying for the service the car was quickly brought up to us so we didn't stand there, twiddling our thumbs the way we have at so many other dealerships. The dealership is clean, the people are friendly and the car is ready when they promise it. What else could you ask for?"

    Normally we end our long-term reports after two years, but with the growing popularity and interest in hybrids, and with the many questions they continue to raise in terms of long-term costs ("What ultimately happens to those batteries?") we have decided to continue our long-term relationship with the Prius, albeit at a reduced reporting rate. Starting this month we will report on the car every six months instead of quarterly. We also reserve the right to post an impromptu update if something drastic or fascinating happens. We're also going to try to put as many miles on the car as possible in the coming year to accurately address the question of battery wear and replacement issues.

    In the meantime, we'll continue to enjoy the benefits of 40-plus mpg in a world where $3-a-gallon gas is no longer a scare tactic used by special interest groups, but a painful reality that seems here to stay.

    Current Odometer: 30,829
    Best Fuel Economy: 44.4 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 44.1 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 40.8 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: $119
    Problems: None

    Road Test

    May 2006

    Read the Toyota Prius's real-time logbook entries.

    As more and more hybrids enter the market, there's growing concern about how these technologically sophisticated economy cars will hold up over the long run. Will the battery pack go dead or need premature replacing? Will a host of electrical and software-related problems sideline the Toyota Prius? So far the answers are no, no and no.

    While some Prius owners have experienced a software-related stalling problem, our car has faced the daily challenge of commuting with only a few minor problems, none of them mechanical. With more than 40,000 miles on the odometer, our Prius is well past the new stage but we'd like to put 100,000 miles on the car so we can see how a really used hybrid holds up.

    We're almost halfway to our goal, and while the Prius continues to perform admirably, its age and wear are starting to show. As the Prius starts, or rather is switched "on," the barrage of clicking and whirring seems to grow louder as time goes by. Road Test Editor Brian Moody made this observation, "As the Prius sat in my driveway with the car and A/C on but the gas engine off, I noticed it was noisier than in previous months."

    Other signs of age have also cropped up. Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds noted that the brakes were "excessively grabby and non-linear" and that the whine the Prius makes when coming to a stop seems "much louder" than in a new Prius. Manager of Vehicle Testing Kelly Toepke also noticed that "the light-colored interior is looking a little shabby." And the fabric on the center console looks "especially bad." She did point out, however, that the car is more than two years old and has never had a serious interior detailing.

    Minor chinks aside, we're definitely into a groove with the Prius. In fact, some staffers see the Prius as part of the family. On February 23, Road Test Editor Brian Moody became the proud father of a baby girl — Grace Athena. The Toyota Prius rushed mommy to the hospital for delivery and brought home mommy and baby only days later. During that hectic time, Brian relied on the Prius to drive to and from the hospital as well as shuttle family members to and from the Long Beach airport. "I think it's kind of cool that my daughter's first car ride was in a hybrid, something that was probably science fiction when I was born. Also, the Prius is so effortless to use with the keyless entry, push-button start and electric steering — I'm glad I had this car at the time; it's a car you can just use like an appliance almost without thinking and sometimes that's a good thing."

    Driving alone in the carpool lane is another aspect of the Prius most of us can't get enough of. Brian Moody said, "Driving alone in the carpool lane could be a deal maker for me — that one feature alone is almost priceless." Also, the Bluetooth capability combined with the large touchscreen is such a useful tool, several staffers have said they feel lost without it.

    We have had two minor glitches with that system, however. Once a phone call ends and the driver presses the red "hang up" button, that phone screen will occasionally stay up until the car is turned off. One driver also mentioned that the screen wouldn't allow navigation information to be input even though the car was stopped. This has only happened once but it's something we're going to mention at our next dealer service.

    Unfortunately, those two problems had not occurred before our last service, which was only about 1,000 miles ago. That 40,000-mile service was completed at Santa Monica Toyota, a dealership that continues to exceed our expectations thanks to service advisor Henry. We called ahead to schedule an appointment, took the car in at 9 a.m. the next day and our Prius was ready by noon. The total cost was about $90 and included an oil and filter change, fluids top off, tire rotation and inspection of various components like belts, hoses and dust covers.

    Some editors feel the Toyota Prius is an average economy car at best. However, throw in 45 mpg, the ability to drive alone in the HOV lane and the "I'm doing my part" hybrid badge of honor and the Prius suddenly becomes a superstar. But even with its few minor problems, the car continues to deliver exactly what it promises: great fuel economy with little compromise.

    Current Odometer: 40,687
    Best Fuel Economy: 50.1 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 33 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 41.4 mpg
    Body Repair Costs: None
    Maintenance Costs: $90.30
    Problems: Some drivers report minor glitches with the touchscreen navigation and phone book system.

    Read the Toyota Prius's real-time logbook entries.

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    jasonbprius04 says:

    12:40 AM, 10/23/2011

    I too have a 2004 and I love it!  No major repairs except routine maintenance.  Best car I've ever owned.  I have to laugh at the imbecile that loves CNG.  I feel sorry when he/she runs out and ends up having the car towed.  LOL!!  What a POS!!

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    snakepuncess says:

    07:17 PM, 08/27/2011

    I have a 2004 Prius just like this one. I have the Nav, etc... LOVE THIS CAR. I now have 138,000 miles on it. I have driven it in the mountains of SW Virginia, the plains of beach areas, and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. I have passed other vehicles on the interstate with ease, and laughed as they pulled off for gasoline.  80 MPH is easy. Curvy roads are easy. Mountains are easy. The only place I haven't been able to drive her is up a very steep dirt road - and that was because the car has an automatic function that stops the front wheels if they start to spin.

    I will drive this car until she dies completely. And about maintenance - I haven't done any other than oil and tire changes, windshield wipers. NOthing else. No need for brakes, no need for anything. Oh - I think my husband did change the air filters once.

    The interactive screen was replaced under warranty at one point, and a couple of other service bulletins I can't recall.... but she's been out of commission only 3 days in the last 7 years. The interior is dirty, as I'm not a dainty female driver. I love my tools and use them hard, including my cars. But she is awesome, and I look forward to another several years before treating myself to a new one. (Or maybe I'll look at a HyCam, but that's to be decided.)

    This car has transported babies, toddlers, and now a 6 year old. There are probably still cheerios under the seats. It has been packed floor to ceiling with various pythons, boas, lizards, and frogs (I operate a reptile rescue). It has transported furniture and tools - it is quite large with the seats down. It has helped power a house when the electricity was out. And, the one thing it did that nothing else has ever done - it made me look "cool".

    I love Sipper. 'nuf said.

    --Bonnie

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    shaohsiin says:

    06:38 PM, 01/16/2011

    Bought a Prius few months ago as I am expecting the oil price to reach $5 in the next 2 years.

    Originally wanted a Golf TDI, went to test drive, loved how VW drive and feel, disliked the colors and too little options, not totally excited about the new look. The deal breaker was the crappy dealers knew nothing about their cars but tried to sale me over MSRP (25k for a 4dr DSG, I am a family man...). The Toyota dealer on the other hand, offered me 3k below MSRP (around 20k) and I bought one. The Prius is smooth and I averged 47 mpg on rush hour freeway, no complain so far. Although I won't want to drive it fast on twisty roads.

    Can't beat that $5k I saved over TDI, which is good for a fairly new Ducati or Triumph if I need  some fun.

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    bean3422 says:

    08:44 AM, 01/14/2011

    Phil,

    Glad that you had the option of buying strictly a commuter car, but some of us don't.  I have the family mobile and my commuter car.  I could choose boring, or I could have a little fun on the way to work (and on the weekends).

    So I have a Mazdaspeed3 GT.  Can still load the family (and a bunch of other stuff).  Commuting I get 25-27 MPG.  Got it for 22,5 out the door (much less than a Prius with most of the same stuff, maybe more options on the 3, but it doesn't have a handy dandy graphic display of brake to battery power transfer, so we will call it even). :-)

    So for the reality of the up-front cost difference, it mostly makes up for the gas cost.  But what price can you put on the smile on my face.

    Now granted, occasionally in rush hour I feel my sore clutch knee and look over at all the boring clutchless cars around me and think, hmmm, maybe....NAH.

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    cjasis says:

    09:56 AM, 01/13/2011

    Please keep us updated Phil.  I'm an auto enthusiast so I have a hard time warming up to the Prius but I can also appreciate good, interesting engineering solutions and would love to see how your Prius holds up as you continue to put miles on the car.

    I'm not sure I could own one but I do know there are several days every week where I'm sitting in gridlock in my enthusiast car watching Prius drivers scream by me in the carpool lane and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was envious.

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    philip17 says:

    12:35 PM, 01/11/2011

    Brace yourself because I'm about to make a really controversial statement.

    I think the VW TDI is a sensational car, particularly the current redesigned TDI. Now here's the really amazing part. I ALSO think the Prius is a great car. If I was driving on any roads that were twisty, I'd much prefer the VW. If I'm commuting between my house and the office, and I can get into the carpool lanes with the Prius, I'll take the Prius. My purchase of the Prius was a practical decision, not a desire to thumb my nose at anyone, and certainly not a statement of my political position. And it was especially not a move to try to prove VW TDI drivers wrong -- because they're not.

    If someone says the Prius is a blob to drive, I completely agree. But to me, that's like saying a hammer is bad because it doesn't cut wood. IF you want to cut wood, use a saw.

    I'm glad there are some who are still interested in the Prius and I will check in and let you know how things are going. I'm still enjoying driving it. And right now, I'm working to get the $700 back for the inverter we paid to have replaced. Toyota has said they will refund the money now that they have launched a goodwill campaign to fix it.

    Phil Reed, Edmunds.com

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    sideflare says:

    07:37 AM, 01/11/2011

    Average 40.9 MPG?? That happens to be 1 MPG more than what I average in my 2010 VW Golf TDI. And the TDI is torquey and super fun to drive, without long-term battery hassles.

    Of course my car has 6 years on this one, but hybrids ain't quite all that...

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    jc_auto says:

    09:08 PM, 01/10/2011

    Agree with Superjet.  CNG is the simple domestic solution.  NG is available in every city with a virtually infinite supply.  Any vehicle on the road today could be quickly & inexpensively produced to burn CNG.  No complicated NiMH battery & onboard computerized charging system.  

    I have a '99 Civic GX which I bought from a gov't auction outside of Wash DC for ~$4000 about 18-months ago.  I drive it on a daily basis to/from work about 60-miles roundtrip and average 30~36mpgge.  CNG was about $1.50~ish per gge last year but is now about $1 since they removed the roadway tax once again.

    My only repairs thus far have been the replacement of a failed CNG injector for $150 and a $12 oil pan gasket.  I'd guess that I put close to 15k miles on the clock before changing the oil and it looked exceptionally clean.

    During the last 12-months, I've driven 12177 miles for a total fuel cost $556.23 or roughly 4.6 cents per mile.  With the cost per gge down to a buck, I'm at 3 cents per mile (or less).  With gasoline in the vicinity of $3.15, most any gasoline car is going to be in the range of 9 to 12 cents per mile or more.  Rough calculations lead me to think that a Prius would cost roughly 6 cents per mile.

    CNG is the answer.

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    Debunker says:

    01:28 PM, 01/10/2011

    Are all the hateful comments that invariably pop up, no matter what the subject, because of the rough economic times, or is there something more rotten in the State of Denmark? It appears that the annonymity of the internet empowers all the little twerps of the world to spew their bile with precious little prompting. It's such a low way to live, and cowardly too.

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    superjet801 says:

    08:43 PM, 01/06/2011

    wow, what a POS.
    Lets start out with the fact the HOV stickers for Puis expire on June 1, 2011. You have six months to enjoy the HOV lane and then you will be getting out of my way.
    second you get poor gas mileage (not to mention my car is cheaper to run)
    you spend a lot of money on repairs
    and you will spend more in a few years when the battery needs to be replaced.
    Lets compare this POS to my commuter car.
    I drive a 2007 Honda GX Natural Gas vehicle (CNG), I have 74,500 miles.
    I have a clean Air Sticker good till 2016 (in white, not yellow like the Puis). because I run on alternate fuel, Natural Gas an all Domestic fuel source to boot....CNG is all American, try and beat that
    Maint costs so far, new set of tires ($600 Costco), four oil changes (since CNG is clean, you only change the oil every 17k-20k (try that stunt in your Puis.....). cost $100.00. That is it for total maint cost $700.00
    Plus I don't have a battery pack to replace in 10-years..
    Now for MPG, Natural Gas sells for $1.99 a gallon and I get 40 MPG. So for $3.25 I can go 65 miles, try that in your Puis....
    Lastly the Honda GX natural Gas vehicle is the cleanest running internal combustion vehicle in the US period.
    I will laugh come June as I pass your new buyer of this POS on the HOV lane on the 405.
    Good Purchase ISL.....ha, ha, ha...

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