situman

Yea the Prius is ugly but no one can deny the new one has character. Sure the Ioniq and Volt is prettier, but I bet most people will forget it or lose it in a parking lot. There's just something unique about the current gens styling that both promotes controversy and can't help but have a little smirk on my face at the same time while looking at it.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

huh? if the faults of liion outweigh benefits of nimh now you're saying nimh is better overall. perhaps not what you meant or i misinterpreted.

the pontiac aztek had character too, people didn't forget it. they threw up after seeing it, but they didn't forget it.

Fizzboy7

It's really sad anyone would waste time talking about this car and it's technical achievements. All talk should have ended the day it debuted, as nothing can trump or negate the ugliness. If a nugget of gold was encased in excrement, but that excrement could not be removed, would you take that piece of gold anyway? Unlikely. For those who will sadly be able to look beyond the horrid body shell (and there will be many innocent takers who don't know about basic aesthetics), I will have no pity for them on the road or in parking lots. How rude of them to dirty up our streets with this shocking piece of trash.

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

That is a fine looking automobile.......






























Said no one ever.

LeX2K

Well speaking of trash this post is about the biggest pile of elitist trash you'll ever read. Just brilliant.

Fizzboy7

Sorry about that. I take my driving very seriously.

chromedome

I'm here late but yeah, the elitist tone is ridiculous. Not everyone has to drive something with a flat-plane V8 to be a good driver who enjoys driving. Gas and car taxes in most parts of the world are higher than in the US so a cheap, reliable, fuel-efficient car makes sense. I'd also put more trust in a Prius than a GM or VW Group hybrid, especially the turbo-DSG plugin hybrids that Audi and VW are launching.

As for the styling, I'm glad Toyota has the guts to try something new. Check out the Toyota Harrier and Lexus RX, both based on the same platform - they don't look the same any more but each design is aggressive and polarizing in its own way.

mmarshall

There's truth here on both sides. The Prius is obviously not an enthusiast or aggressive-driving machine.....but it is not designed, marketed, or intended to be such. Although the 3Gen version handled somewhat better than the softly-sprung, Roly-Poly 2Gen, it still was no sports car. It is a vehicle for those who want very high gas mileage, very low emissions (in other words, for environmentalists), appliance-like driving feel, and don't mind the quirky interior designs and sometimes cheap flimsy hardware.

On the other hand, I also agree that so-called driving "enjoyment" is too often presented as speeding (often too fast for road/traffic conditions, high-G canyon-carving corners, instant steering response, rock-stiff suspensions/tires, super-bolsterd seats, a sense of aggressiveness, and the general idea that "The road belongs to me....**** everybody else." I certainly don't agree with that view....never did.

situman

Oh come on now, nothing is comparable to the Aztek. Let's not even go there! That was at the height of GM arrogance and incompetence.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

lol, even the aztek has fans and a forum.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.VpPaMFnQQRk

http://www.aztekfanclub.com/

situman

It's like Iphone users talking to Iphone users about how great their phones are. No one wants to hear it's a piece of crap.

ST430

Was considering the new Prius to replace our RAV4 (i know, go ahead and laugh :X), so went to look and test drove the new one today.

TL;DR: Much, much improved handling and all around better package, but the styling choices inside and (especially) outside makes it very polarizing.

- Externally : Front isn't bad in person, but the rear is just way overdone (in a bad away). Too many incongruent angles, unnecessary body panels, etc. I think Toyco was trying a little too hard to be different.

- Internally : Much, much better than the older gen, with better materials all around. Glad there is no stupid green LED screens either (that was annoying imho, even if it was done for legibility purposes). However, why did they slap on a white middle cup holder console on ALL the trims? It just doesn't much at all. Some of the vents have a blue outline as well, with nothing else matching it. I did like the "cool grey" / white interior combo (on the Prius III / IV package).

- Driving impressions : It is light years better than the older Prius (which isn't saying much, I know). Power has sufficient pickup even for quick freeway merges (moreso than the RAV Hybrid I drove afterwards). Handling was a world's apart than the older model. I did a decreasing radius freeway loop at a good rate of acceleration and it handled it like a champ.

- Overall : Loved the new TNGA platform and can't wait until it proliferates to all the other Toyco cars. With a price around $27k for a II package, materials are finally decent....BUT that styling is just a bit too much. Let's see how it does with more "traditional" Prius buyers....

mmarshall

Sure Does.

Years ago, right after my then-supervisor retired, I was helping him shop for a new GMC Yukon XL (or Suburban). We were at a local Pontiac/GMC shop, checking out a silver XL, when a young couple drove in, spotted a while Aztek on the lot, walked up to it, looked it over, took it out on a test-drive with one of the salespeople, and fell in love with it.....right there. They took it home that afternoon.

(Oh, and my ex-boss also took home that new Yukon XL).

Not from me, you won't hear any laughing. Although some people do buy more (or less) vehicle than they actually need, or is practical for them, I'm a firm believer in showing respect for one's buying decision. Most people I know are satisfied with their buying decisions, but there have been a few exceptions....and it's important for buyers to know what their options and choices are before signing on the dotted line.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

bagwell

agreed

come on guys, can't you be original...bashing the Prius on it's looks is so 2004, LOL.