Toyota Prius reviews

I have had the Prius hybrid for just over a year and there have been no problems whatsoever. I am currently getting 108 miles to the gallon overall. The worst consumption I have experienced was on a long, cross-country return journey without any initial charging. On that journey it only managed 63 miles to the gallon. However, given that I have zero road tax, and lower insurance I calculate that I will recover the extra initial cost of the hybrid in the five years that intend to keep it. Plus it is doing something for the environment as I am able to usually re-charge it during the day when our PV roof panels are functioning. The car is comfortable, spacious for four adults, and the rear boot space adaptable enough to take large items such as a redundant freezer to the local tip. The car is simple and easy to drive, relaxing even. Two minor quibbles: 1. The warning sounds are not differentiated, so you get the same sound for a door that has not been properly closed or a seat belt not fastened or the parking brake not released etc. 2. The rear vision is not good, especially in the wet when the lower part of the back screen gets covered in spray. The rear camera is helpful but you still need to have a wider awareness of all that is happening behind you. I have also been impressed with the Toyota service. prompt, thorough and administered by polite, friendly staff who are not obsequious.

Being well past the "Boy-Racer" stage in my life I chose my Toyota Prius for several reasons. It is well equipped with assisted parking - when I can get it to work! - rear view camera, and many other extras you would normally expect. Plenty of places to store a bottled drink and even a handy drawer above the Rear View Mirror (Auto-Dim, of course!) for your spare glasses. Easy to drive with Cruise Control, Built in Sat/Nav, Climate Control and a good sound system including integrated Hard Drive for your own music collection, or just plug in a friends player. Integrated hands-free phone from the steering wheel controls where many functions can be activated. Some voice control over the Sat/Nav and Phone. There is a Head-Up Display for your speed and Road Directions with Sat/Nav in operation. Plenty of luggage space for my partner and I on our journeys away, with the added safety precaution of strapping down your larger items using the four rings set into the boot for the purpose. At present, there is no Road Tax to pay and it is very economical to run with a realistic 50 mpg Urban and a good 60+ mpg on longer trips using 60-65 on Trunk/Motorways.

I love my car - it's comfortable and easy to drive, (first time I've owned a hybrid or an automatic) - and I love all the little design details (e.g. stroking the door handle to lock it, the hybrid power display and the 'no key' unlocking) - someone has taken a lot of trouble over the small things as well as the big ones. The Sat Nav is good - detects traffic and offers route alternatives as well as being accurate and not taking you down dirt tracks - so far at least!...although you can't put in a full postcode and my house number isn't on it despite being built 14 years ago (come on guys!) I am getting between 55 and 60 mpg, despite whizzing down the motorway and not really paying much attention to my driving style - if I do, I can easily get more than 60 mpg.... Only gripes are the almost-invisible 'low fuel' indicator light (a tiny bit of flashing on the normal fuel gauge display)and the not-very-spacious boot (I had an estate car before so that's to be expected). The free tax disc is rather nice too!

This car has been reliable and economic. The ride is slightly hard due to the battery in the back however no more than other cars. Apart from normal servicing and replacing the 12 volt battery after 7 years this car has proven to be extremely reliable. The amount of leg room is more than most cars especially in the back for passengers.It cruises on the motorway no problem at 70mph however when you accelerate it tends to be very noisy due to the CVT gearbox. The only criticism I have that some of the plastics used inside around the dashboard and doors have marked very easily and scratched due to wear and tear. Could of been better quality. The driving experience is very pleasant, easy to drive and steer however you need to get use to the brakes as they also recharge the battery on braking and can be rather sudden if you are not use to it. Overall I recommend this car for local running around and the occasional long journey returning overall an average of 47mpg and even more in the summer.

My Prius has never failed in 7 years. The only item to fail was the engine-start battery after about five and a half years. It is a good idea, in my opinion, to replace the hard high-mileage tyres with something that sticks to the road a bit better. I just love all the gadgets and integrated Bluetooth system. My only real complaint is that the onboard SatNav maps are STUPIDLY expensive to replace! The car is quiet, MUCH quicker than people would believe, and the fuel economy for such a huge petrol car is awesome. You do need to drive it *really* carefully to get 60MPG, but I regularly get over 50MPG from normal driving (Mixed motorway, 'A' roads, town and country, etc). Oh, one thing to watch out for though - UK Prius' are often behind the US-spec cars. In the US they had HID headlamps, auto-dipping rear-view mirror, keyless-entry, and so on, when I bought my "New 2006 Model" UK-spec.

Comfy, very reliable car, cheap to run, but not as good petrol consumption as claimed. Probably better in town than on motorway. Automatic system unusual as no there are no gear changes and hybrid system works in background. It has, in effect, 2 engines, a conventional petrol and an electric motor. The computer manages which engine to to use and how much of each. It is however quite expensive to buy new, due I assume to having two engines and lots of batteries which are never needed to be plugged into the mains as the car charges itself, unlike a conventional electric car. Seat 5 comfortably. Performance OK but it's no hot hat. Jeremy Clarkson hates it so that's a strong recommendation in itself. From a driver prospective, it's probably the easiest car to drive I've ever had

I had a Toyota Landcruiser Colorado petrol automatic which was THE most reliable car I've ever had - sold it with 90k+ miles to 4 guys who stripped it down and used it as the 'mule', one driving, three riding motorbikes to Nepal...and back! The only thing that went wrong was the horn...25 miles from home!! Then onto a RAV4...yet another great car and so reliable too. So I gave it to my wife Karen and got a Prius...£10 road tax. Low insurance. Average 57mpg (without trying). Very quick when needed. Inside space like the Tardis. Turning circle as good a black cab. And famous Toyota reliability...just wish I could afford a new(er) one now!

I bought a secondhand Toyota Prius Hybrid in February mainly to go greener and save petrol. It has exceeded my expectations on driving performance, comfort and accessories. We drove Plymouth to Edinburgh on one tank of fuel in the summer and we are really noticing the reduction in fuel consumption in our normal weekly driving. The only downside is the fact that a hybrid car cannot tow so we will not be able to take so much equipment when we go camping but have not experienced that need yet. Overall we are very pleased with the Toyota Prius and would highly recommend it, even though it is not cheap to buy.

Excellent car, comfortable and relaxing to drive. Best for moderate journeys where frequent changes of speed and stop/starts occur. Very cheap to run tax is £10 per year, servicing via a monthly agreement reasonable and local agent friendly and helpful. In 5 years has required battery replacement (not the drive battery), 2 new tires and wipers. Niggles: power outlet (cigar lighter) in a silly position, secondary battery difficult to access, rear wiper clears wrong side of window because it is positioned for LH drive. Would definitely replace with new model if necessary.

my prius is a great car to drive quiet economical for me comfy seats and good driving position and contrary to some reports they can go pretty fast on the motorway - but if like me you do not drive often then flat batteries are all too common and the nice AA people have to come and start it a 3 week holiday or just a couple of weeks when I don't drive does this. They have a small starter battery so the hybrid battery cab be fully charged but that does not start the car. Toyota needs to sort this out.

Being a hybrid I can drive a large family car that has all the modern electronic driving aids and comfort features with the running costs and economy of a small city run around. Popular myth is that hybrids are slow, the new model is more powerful and has lower emissions but with a combined petrol engine and electric motor the car accelerates swiftly and smoothly. Being a toyota I know it will keep going for a long time with bomb proof reliability. I see no reason to change it anytime soon.

We love this car - the styling, the comfort and the drivability. It is a real pleasure to drive. The only disappointment is we think the mpg is oversold - we typically manage around 55 mpg (and we don't flog it) which I know is quite good, but I would have expected it better in view of how Toyota push this aspect of the car as a selling feature. The £10 a year car tax is a great bonus and I suppose if we lived in London we would appreciate not being charged when in the congestion zone.

Manuals totalling about 900 pages are difficult to understand, telling each little detail, but not giving an easy total picture, nor giving any reasons for or importance to the recommendations. Consequently, am still struggling to learn to drive it. The sreen and its controls are difficult to use - almost impossible to use safely whilst driving, and the satnav display and their setting are difficult. On the other hand, driving with CVT is quite pleasant, and the car is responsive.

I love this car. It is so quiet you can join in any conversation without straining to hear what has been said. It is very reliable and I feel so safe in it. It has a turning circle which is smaller than my Fiat Panda and very good for a large car. The petrol consumption is very economical and since I bought it I only need to go to the garage once a month instead of weekly. It is very 'roomy', comfortable and it looks good.

Having driven various automatics since 1977, I find this the most comfortable, easy, trouble-free and enjoyable car I have ever driven or owned. Contrary to other reviews I have read, it is a smooth drive, very quiet, the acceleration is excellent when I need it and it is pure pleasure to drive. There is absolutely no issue with the hybrid drive, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Nice car, though a bit basic for the cost. But the worst thing about it is tehdreadful user interface. The manuals are too long (c 900pp) and difficult to understand, and the operation of the screen is almost totally unintuitive. Eg I still can't do something simple like set the time, despite numerous explorations. Using the satnav is very difficult. etc etc

Always having driven automatics, the Prius took little adjustment to our normal driving habits, but its smooth ride and quiet performance make it a real pleasure to drive. It has excellent acceleration when required yet its eco rating means we pay little road tax. I really cannot fault it, although perhaps the boot area could be improved slightly.

I have just brought the car last week, therefore I cannot fully comment on the running cost, performance or the reliability as yet. I do find it very comfortable to drive and it is very spacious. It is my first time with a automatic, I love it is so easy to drive. I am looking forward to see how the cost effective its going to be.

Originally bought to gain exemption from the Congestion charge, I was surprised about how much I have saved on fuel costs, not to mention road tax. It is very comfortable and easy to drive and has been very reliable. The only negative is that it is expensive to buy when compared with non-hybrid equivalents.

I bought this used in March 2013 and it's been fantastic. Very comfortable, roomy, and with plenty of amenities. And of course the miles per gallon can't be beat. It has all the features I could want and is a joy to drive. Plenty of power when needed as well. Absolutely no regrets in getting a hybrid.