2010 Toyota Prius II Hybrid 1.8L

Summary:

Great technology, smooth ride

Faults:

Not the tightest seal on windshield and windows.

General Comments:

Rides smooth and quiet, has more pop than I would have thought for a hybrid. Mileage is 48+.

Quality-wise it's a huge step above the old BMW 7-series I drove; too many electrical issues with German engineering that just weren't worth the headache anymore. Call me crazy; I just expect that windows and the sunroof should close after opening, even on a 12-year old car.

The main thing that bothers me about the Prius is that it was made in Japan; I'd have preferred to buy American.

The snide comments from 'experts' on Jalopnik and other sites don't bother me at all though... drive your gas guzzlers all you like, don't come crying to me about the cost. And take the time to learn where your components are really made. Hint - not the US.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th September, 2015

2010 Toyota Prius IV Hybrid

General Comments:

The only thing that I like about it is the low fuel consumption.

Negatives; stability, handling, rear visibility, dashboard configuration (power button on the far right of the dashboard, instead of part of the gear shift) and driver comfort. My car also rattles.

2 and a 1/2 years is long enough; I am trading it for a Camry Hybrid.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th September, 2012

2010 Toyota Prius II Hybrid

Summary:

Great gas mileage, but a ticking time bomb

Faults:

Our Prius was affected by the massive Toyota recall. We had the recall software update performed in February of this year, and are still having issues with the brakes. Toyota refuses to address the issue.

General Comments:

We traded in our extremely unreliable 2007 Kia Rondo for a 2010 Prius. After having the Rondo in and out of the shop over 30 times in the year we owned it, we decided enough was enough. The sales department at the dealership was wonderful. They gave us a great deal on both the trade allowance, and the final selling price of the Prius.

The problems all started shortly after purchasing the car. Before we had the recall service done, we did not have any problems with the car. Since having it done, we have had numerous. I have spoken with both the dealership and Toyota customer service, and they are both less than helpful.

This is my first, and also my last Toyota product.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd July, 2010

6th Mar 2011, 11:11

What problems are you having? Are these imaginary problems because you got a recall notice?

8th Mar 2011, 12:17

I agree. This post seems a bit fishy as they made no reference to any actual problems. Most people list out actual problems they have had and how they were handled. Not to be negative, but this almost sounds like a vague post by a anti-Toyota person. I've known many people with Priuses up to 2010's, and they all love them and have had pretty much no issues with them.

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2010 Toyota Prius II 1.8L

Summary:

Great car, excellent MPG

Faults:

No problems.

General Comments:

First off, please don't comment about "no brakes" and all that jazz. The media can handle that for all of us.

I researched the Honda Insight, Ford Fusion Hybrid, and the Toyota Prius before I made my purchase. All of them are great cars. The deciding factors came down to cost, MPG, and overall design.

I chose the Prius because it has the highest MPG rating, and it's a hatch/wagon. I NEED a hatch/wagon for hauling all kinds of things. My '08 Civic was driving me nuts not being a wagon, but other than that I LOVED that car as well. If the Ford Fusion came as a wagon, it would have been a much more difficult decision.

On to the car! The Prius is great. It does everything I want it to do. I am averaging 52.5 MPG over the 6000 miles I have driven it since purchase. I commute about 1000 miles a week, and the savings are already adding up.

Comfort. I must admit the front seat on the base model is not very comfortable to me. I liked my Civic's seats much better, but the upgraded models with lumbar support might help that out. All controls for the car are easy to access and use. The stock base model radio is more than sufficient. I couldn't tell enough of a difference in the JBJ to upgrade to a Prius III, and I would never use the bluetooth function.

Performance. The car rides smoothly. Accelerates onto the highway with no issues at all. I live in Southern California where freeway speeds are often 80mph+ and I have never felt like I couldn't get up to speed to safely enter the highway. There is very little if any transition or "neck jerking" as I read in a comment when the ICE (internal combustion engine) comes on. It is smooth and under light acceleration often isn't noticed.

MPG. The car does as performed. Sort of. If you have a very short commute, say less than 10 miles, you will not see the true benefits of the hybrid. When you start the car the ICE comes on to warm up, and on a short trip may not spend much time off. On a week of vacation, all I was doing was running around town on less than 10 minute trips and I was averaging only 42mpg. A highway trip at the end brought my overall average up on the tank. I personally see better MPG on the highway.

Per tank/lifetime.

Best - 55.7mpg, Worst - 49.9mpg, AVG - 52.5.

There are many capable hybrids and non-hybrid cars out there that can achieve excellent MPG. I hope this review helped out with your research.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th April, 2010

13th May 2010, 03:56

To the original poster:

I am considering either a 2009 Civic or 2007 Prius. One of the deciding factors is the handling against wind on the highway. I live in Eastern Canada, so, snow will be an issue as well.

I am wondering if you would kindly offer your input on how your Civic handled as well as your current Prius?

Thank you.

PS. The look of the Civic looks very sharp, but hatchback space seems like a strong factor as well (Prius). What are your thoughts on this?

Let me know if you would rather email me and I would provide my email address for ya.

13th May 2010, 12:00

If good handling in the wind is a consideration, take a look at some Ford products like 2010 Fusion including the Hybrid. They have cars have a feature called pull-drift compensation that makes handling in the wind much easier. It is like the next step in the evolution of stability control. It is not advertised at all though. Maybe even other manufacturers have it if you look into it. I have it on my MKT, and my brother in law has it on his Mariner, and it works fantastic.

13th May 2010, 14:58

Hey to the writer of comment 3:56.

I am not the original reviewer. However, from my own experience with the Honda Civic, a 2008 model to be exact, I found it to be excellent. I never had any issues with crosswinds, it sliced right through the air. I can't tell you about the Prius, but the Civic was great. Just make sure you don't buy one that was built in the States. Look for a VIN that starts with 2HG, those models were at least built in Canada. Unfortunately you can't get a J-VIN Civic these days.

20th May 2010, 20:53

Original poster here.

The Civic vs. the current Prius model dealing with wind is not much different. The old Prius model however, my friends have an '07 that does get pushed around more than the new one and the Civic. The suspension on the older model is softer and it can wave around a bit. The 2010 model Prius does not have this. I have driven in 25-30mph crosswinds in both cars, with little concern for safety. I of course felt the wind, but it was never uncontrollable or scary. Both are great cars, I'd give both a drive and see which one fits you best.