Hige mileage, novel dash and gear selector layout. No need to plug-in to recharge. High mileage good selling point upon resale to a used car purchaser. Not cramped as may be thought to average sized person. Standard features. Best suited for city usage. Stereo is nice.

Tire wears unevenly on front drivers side tireely resulting in an unbalanced tire and ride; crooked steering wheel; interior cloth is a dirt magnet; armrest too low and display monitor too low (eyes move too far off the frontal perspective) and distractive, steering rack replaced; starting battery too weak for accessory usage in non car-running situations; paint too thin and mars easily; notably underpowered for merging onto highway. Harshness of ride increases notably with five passengers.

Easy to fall in love with. Very responsive steering and once going, is peppy and holds up speed well on highway. Heating and cooling are very adequate however routing of air to the rear would be a plus. High miles per gallon is best point hands down. The standard features makes for a nice package. Like a reviewer of October 31, 2003, I too would not but this prodct again.

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Gas mileage higher than many cars of similar size. Automatic engine shutoff at stop makes for a vibrationless stop lights. The high mileage would be a good selling point of the used car to those in need of a run about car. The preponderance of use match with city municipalities seems to make sense.

Front drivers side tire wears unvenly at outer edge on about Prius I have seen. Steering wheel cannot be straightened and my steering rack, like many others, have been replaced. Paintis very thin and mars easily. Seats are dirt magnetgs. Starting batter is so poor that leaving any accessory on while engine is off may likely result in needing a boost - very embarrasing. The proliferation of these vehicles at government municipalities - w the writings on them and the poor conditions that the non owners keep them in - makes their novelty wear off quickly and has them easily relegated to seeming suitable for government use only. Replacing tires and paying for alighments gets to be expensive - and embarrasing. The small number of 2001-2003 units will likely make the cost of future maintenance parts expensive. As drive batteries get old, mileage decreases. Suspect will expensive for 2001-2003 owners to maintain long term for batteries on new models different and very low amount of vehicles in circulation may likely make all parts rare and expensive. New technology will likel be with fuel cells and the new version of the Prius runs on 240 volts not 120 - batteries may be different. Without the battery, car cannot run in reverse.

I too fell in love with the technology and the vehicle. Noticably weak at takeoff but holds it own on the highwayLike the reviewer of Oct. 31, I too would never buy this vehicle again and have noted so on my for sale sign.

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It is great on gas mileage, even though I have never gotten their posted mpg for either highway or city driving. The interior is very roomy and I love the look of the car.

-Tires wear very quickly and are very expensive -Very noisy car -Does not feel safe on slick roads or in high winds -With the amount of money I spent on this car, it should not have failed inspection being only one year old

I was at first very pleased with the car. Now that things are starting to not work, I'm left with the realization that no one knows how to fix the car except the dealer. I've had the car one year and one day, and I've just failed state inspection due to extremely worn tires. I had the tires replaced and was told to get the alignment checked. But then was told that I had to buy special tires (after I already discussed the issue with the dealer and bought a new tire!) And nothing is covered because I've had the car for more than one year. Honestly, I no longer trust Toyota and will never buy another car from them again!

Room for all, low emissions and high MPG. The only difference from a traditonal engine is how quiet it runs. Plus, we feel sooo smart and satisfied at bypassing the SUV craze--our other car is a mini-van for the long summer hauls with backpacks and kayaks.

At 48 years old, I'm ready for the sunroof and leather seats. The gawkers and endless questions from strangers in parking lots slow us down.

A beautiful machine: 45 mpg in our hilly town, and super low emissions. Roomy for our family of 2 adults and 3 kids. Our town car for tight parking spaces, soccer gear, and an evening out for mom and dad. Well designed console and dash. Ample power, easy to drive. Smooth ride. The wave of the future..our collective future, of cleaner air and quieter neighborhoods.

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Honda Civic (212,000 miles!), Chevy Cavalier.

Ample interior room for a car it's size. Love location of speedometer and other items in center of dash. Dealer/Toyota has replaced three sets of tires at no charge with minimal "discussions". Currently while waiting for new batteries dealer is providing a Camry at no charge and giving me $100 cash to cover gasoline.

1.No solution to tire edge wear problem. 2.Newly surfaced battery corrosion issue of great concern and no solution offered. 3.Deteriorating ride and handling coupled with tire wear problem suggests a suspension design flaw. 4.Dealer service capability queationable. 5.Free service at 7500 mile interval for 37,500 mile. Now that I pay dealer suggests service every 3000 miles! 6. Car is noisey. Driving through water is still scarey. Outside noises even with windows closed are annoying.

My satisfaction with my Prius and ealer has steadily declined since taking delivery October 2001. Mileage has declined to 41 to 42 mpg from 46 to 48 mpg. Replaced tires every 16K miles because of exterme edge wear. Ride and hanling deteriorating ( my son confirmed ) and most recently batteries are being replaced becauseof "corrosion". The dealer has always been minimally communicative which I first thought was personality but now suspect was deliberate. Would not buy another as I don't think Toyota did a thorough engineering job - too much CADCAM, not enough personal engineeing. Should be purchased as a second car that is used for short local trips by a person who will not rely on the Prius for critical transportation needs. Lease from Toyota for a short term to minimize risk.

The greatest strengths of this vehicle include the superior gas mileage (43 city, 53 highway), the ultra low emissions, and the quietness of the engine when in electric mode.

The rear seat could be a little wider with more foot space for passengers in the back. It would also be more fun if the computer could do more. To add the GPS function after purchase was estimated at $9,400.00 at the dealership.

We recently purchased the 2003 Prius, and we are in love with it! The exterior is sporty, and the interior is both roomy and comfortable. It almost has the look of a mini, with its shortened hood and truck. I especially like the funky gearshift on the dash - it was a convenient spot for an inconvenient instrument. We have been most impressed with the phenomenal gas mileage and the eerie silence of the vehicle when it switches to the electric engine - my son calls it "The Stealth Bomber." It also has an on-board computer which monitors the mileage as you travel as well as a large instrument panel. It accelerates well and maneuvers easily on the freeway -I've gone up to 80 mph with no problems.

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The gas mileage is continually climbing, so I haven't experienced its peak savings yet.

The 70 horsepower engine is not very powerful on hills.

I love this car. It's roomy, and a smooth ride. The quietness at stops is simply eerie, but you get used to it. Once you drive it, you can't understand how you lived with anything else.

Neat computer gadgets to play with. Neat concept, very roomy interior. Low fuel consumption.

Lousy dealer support. Poor paint quality. Should've bought something else. If you get in a wreck the 300 Volt cables might touch you - or at least they will scare away the paramedics from helping you.

This car spends it's time in the shop. Although it is a neat idea, the service and support are terrible. The NAV option costs $2000 and it wouldn't work for two months and 4 overnights at the dealer - with backordered parts from Japan. - Don McGill in Houston - who either didn't have or order the correct part or didn't know how to fix it. Now, that we have the car to drive every day, we notice the two left side doors paint does not match the rest of the car. Don McGill denies it was wrecked before I bought it new. Anybody know why the paint on the doors is darker than the rest of the car? It was fun to drive for awhile, now this lemon needs to go....spend your money on a good quality vehicle with a respectible dealer!!!

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Volkswagen TDI - quality and much more reliable.

gas millege

expensive, getto style. looks like echo.

This car dirve like lexus. It''s so comfortable to be in and drive long distance. It even have above average stereo. I love this car.

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None, this car is a joke. Did Toyota try to copy one of the german manufacuters again?

I feel like a loser driving around in this car. Should have bought a BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, or Saab instead. Don't buy this car

If you have $20,000 to throw away, donate it to charity!

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I'd rather be driving a 1991 Geo Metro with twin turbo engine