Interactive Review: 2012 Toyota Prius Four

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

December 6, 2012

In for review this week at the Cheers & Gears Detroit garage is the vehicle that started the hybrid revolution. I'm of course referring to the Toyota Prius.

Our test Prius is the Prius Four, which is the almost top of the line model in the lineup. As tested price for this $33,118.00 (includes $760.00 destination charge) thanks mostly to a Deluxe Solar Roof Package which adds a solar powered ventilation system and a load of tech goodies including navigation and Toyota's Entune system.

Spending a few moments in the Prius, I found the interior is much like the current crop of Toyota's passenger vehicles (aside from the new Avalon); hard plastics are abundant through the dash and the standard leather seats feel like the vinyl covering your grandma would throw over the furniture to protect it.

Positive points include how much space is inside for front and most rear passengers, cargo space, how quiet the car is in electric mode, and of course the fuel economy. At the moment, I'm averaging around 52 MPG.

Now, I have the Prius till next Thursday and will be updating during my time with it. In the meantime, if you have questions, drop them below.

Update: November 9, 2012

Its been a few days since the Prius came into my care and I'm undecided on it so far. I wish there was more power so I can keep up with traffic a little bit better without switching to the power button or sticking my foot into it. I do like that I'm averaging so far around 50.1 MPG with mostly suburban driving.

Some things are causing me to scratch my head. For example, who at Toyota decided to put the heated seat controls in the storage cubby right underneath the center stack? Also, no instant MPG readout?

I'll be updating this once again after I take the Prius out on the highway and spend some more time with it. Get your questions in.

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[bobo]

I admit being a fan of the Prius. The hard plastics are an obvious cost cutting measure. The seats are synthetic leather.

[regfootball]

i can't imagine being stuck in one of these things.

[Drew Dowdell]

They are very quiet until you put your foot into it. Handling is terrible in my view.

[Flying Car]

Just purchased a Prius V 3. Traded an 07 Lucerne plus 13k.

It isn't as confortable as the Buhog. But the build quality is far superior to anything that ever came from Detroit.

@Oldsmoboi, Compared to the wallowy Buick, the Prius V handles like a Can-Am racer.

[Drew Dowdell]

Just a different kind of bad.

[William Maley]

They are very quiet until you put your foot into it. Handling is terrible in my view.

They are noisy when you stick your foot into it.. Want more sound deading.

Handling isn't terrible. I drive it like a normal car, not a sports car.

[Drew Dowdell]

They are very quiet until you put your foot into it. Handling is terrible in my view.

They are noisy when you stick your foot into it.. Want more sound deading.

Handling isn't terrible. I drive it like a normal car, not a sports car.

Just about any "normal" family sedan will handle better, ride better, and drive better IMHO. I believe a large part of the issue is the tires they fit on the Pruis. They're relatively narrow and low rolling resistance.

[William Maley]

mudmonster, on , said:

Oldsmoboi, on , said:

They are very quiet until you put your foot into it. Handling is terrible in my view.

They are noisy when you stick your foot into it.. Want more sound deading.

Handling isn't terrible. I drive it like a normal car, not a sports car.

Just about any "normal" family sedan will handle better, ride better, and drive better IMHO. I believe a large part of the issue is the tires they fit on the Pruis. They're relatively narrow and low rolling resistance.

Yes, the low-rolling resistance tires.. I think it rides ok, however the noise isn't pleasant.

[regfootball]

I think I would rather have a Kia Rondo.

[bobo]

I like the Kia Rondo too! RIP, poor Rondo. I took a short drive in the Ford C-Max, and I liked that a lot too.

As for the Prius, it's been crossed off the shopping list because the wife doesn't like the visibility out back, just from sitting in the car on the dealer lot. I would be curious to Mr. Monster's observations regarding visibility in day-to-day driving. The Prius is still on my mom's shopping list, and my parents live in a hilly area. If Mr. Monster is able to drive any hills, I'd like to know how it performs. I'm assuming from your "November 9, 2012" update that it would require a foot to the floor to keep up with traffic on a hill.

[ponchoman49]

I would take a CMax if I had to have a hybrid. The Prius is just not good looking, the performance just isn't there, interior materials seem and feel cheap and the rear visibility just plain sucks. And my 2008 Detroit product Impala's interior is holding up far better than many 2008 used Prius interiors I have sat in including mis-aligned glove box doors, worn off silver trim, loose center consoles and trim pieces and cheap carpet. Not one thing is worn or loose in my 100K Chevy!