Toyota Prius

janprius · October 2003

Ordered a new Prius last Saturday. Dealer told me 8 weeks for delivery, which seems really fast to me.

Anyone else order one, and what did your dealer tell you for delivery?

Thanks!!
Jill

revka · June 2003

here's some news from our Future Vehicles Section: 2004 Toyota Prius Hatchback.

What do you think?

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

nippononly · June 2003

advancement from the current gen...the new A/C that can run with the gas engine off is crucial to fuel economy here in California...and the new one is cute too! :-)

0.26 Cd - wow!

Note: the '04 will be SULEV nationwide, but in California it will join a growing list of PZEVs. (partial-zero emission vehicles)

nippononly · June 2003

it is a ToyotA, not a ToyotO...any chance of changing the header?

revka · June 2003

Thanks. Not sure how that happened, but it's been corrected.

Revka

nippononly · June 2003

revka · June 2003

Here are more details from the Toyota main website.

I think the hatchback (or as Toyota refers to it "liftback") design will certainly add to the appeal. What do others here think?

Revka
Host/Hatchbacks & Wagons

nippononly · June 2003

are definitely the most useful configuration! Makes for better Cd too.

coolguyky7 · June 2003

For a smaller car, the hatchback style works much better than a choppy sedan like the current Prius is...although I like it.

The front end of the new Prius has a lot of G35 and Estima (modern Previa sold in Japan).

mrvadeboncoeur · June 2003

http://www.toyota.com/newprius
that's the info from the PriusView (Toyota) newsletter and also from the 2004 Prius commercials that aired for a bit on TV...

revka · June 2003

Thanks for the link. ;-)

Revka

daley4 · June 2003

Hi all, I am interested in the new Prius. I was wondering, I saw a commercial on TV last night that called the upcoming Prius a midsize? Has it grown in size? Would you say it's as big as the Camry or a Mazda, or is it still the size of a Corolla. Just curious, my wife likes them.

john1701a · June 2003

> or is it still the size of a Corolla

Corolla isn't even the same size as the Corolla. It got much bigger last year, quite similar to the size of the old Camry. So mentioning year is vital. Also, my sister's 2003 Corolla (a "compact" makes my grandfather's 1999 Taurus "midsize" look tiny. So note that category measurements have grown too.

The 2004 is notably larger than the 2003 Prius. It will be just a little bit smaller than the 2004 Camry in fact, making it similar in size to the 2004 Corolla... with the exception of cargo area, which will be *larger* than what even the Camry will offer since it's a lift/hatchback.

JOHN

mikus · June 2003

Nice XXI-century styling and engine setup. I would love to see Toyota mechanics inside nicer and more balanced Audi A2 aluminum shell.

revka · July 2003

to both our Future Vehicles and Hatchbacks message boards. This means you will be now able to access this discussion from either one of these boards. Hope this is helpful.

If you come across any other members that are interested in discussing the 2004 Toyota Prius, please tell them about this discussion. Here's the url: /direct/view/.ef169e3/16

Thanks for your participation!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

gild · July 2003

Here's another article. http://www.wired.com/news/prius/handraiser.html#

Finally a hybrid that's also practical. Any idea what the price might be?

gild · July 2003

"New Prius Could Sell on Looks Alone."

http://compactcars.about.com/cs/bestcarawards/a/newprius_style.ht- m

libertycat · July 2003

4-door hatchback=wagon. Could u also link this to the wagons board?

gild · July 2003

"Hatchback" means it has a liftback. I do agree there are some 4 door hatchbacks out there that look like wagons, but the new Prius does not look like a wagon to me. The slope in the back make is look more like a regular car. That may be another story once I see it close up.

libertycat · July 2003

to tell hatchback from wagon, so I say 2-door with liftback=hatchback, 4-door with liftgate=wagon.

libertycat · July 2003

I want LEATHER and I don't want to have to get it aftermarket. Toyota better improve the butt-ugly styling of the '04 Prius. At this point, hybrids are out for me, perhaps besides a used 01-03 Prius. I hate the Civic and Insight hybrids. And I dislike the RX330 and Escape coming hybrids.

revka · July 2003

Here's some news from Toyota's News page: http://129.33.47.206/about/news/product/2003/07/02-2-prius.html

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

alpha01 · July 2003

of BS-ing, if you ask me- when the Camry came out in 01 as an 02, they were saying that the new 4cylinder could joust the vehicle to sixty more than a second faster than the previous version, in the mid-nines. Now, the Prius is coming out, and the Camry takes mid-tens for the same task. Nice and deceptive, if you ask me, and I'm a Toyota fan.

Backup? The Feb 03 issue of Car and Driver has the manual 4cly Camry running to 60 in 8.3 seconds. I hardly belive the automatic would add a full 2+ seconds to that time.

Motor Trend last year posted similar numbers for a manual, and in the same test, got, I believe, 9.2 seconds for an automatic. A slightly heavier LE 4 auto with moonroof, airbags, etc in the April 03 MT ran 9.5 seconds.

~alpha

kspriss · July 2003

I don't know about sales, but looking on the road I see maybe one or two current Prius(es) on the road a week, versus maybe three or four Civic hybrids a day. Even as a Honda-Biased man, I admit the Prius has far superior technology, and I LOVE the hatchback idea, but Toyota has to get rid of the ugly, annoying, and just plain stupid interior. Didn't we already learn in the late 80s that digital dashboards are just a pain in the butt and nothing else? Small, offset numbers, which are hard to read, are paired with perhaps the biggest mistake to ever hit an automobile - the touchscreen. The Civic might get less MPG, but it has nice analogue gagues which are easy to read (still not as easy as a regular civic, though) and a simple radio/climate control system using knobs and no glitz.
The original Prius' flaw was its ugliness and its horrendously difficult to read dashboard. Now I like the new exterior design, but shame on Toyota for keeping the same, idiotic interior design.

little_pogi · July 2003

There's a popular quote "one man's junk is another man's treasure" ot how about "it may be ugly or stupid to you but to me it's not". In southern California, I see more Prius on the road than Civic Hybrids. Maybe someone can provide official sales stats on Prius and Civic hybrids for the year 2003. Ultimately, it is the consumer(us) who decides if the Prius is indeed ugly or practical.

flagmichael · July 2003

Here in Flagstaff AZ (pop. about 50K) I see at least 5 other Prius on the road in town, but rarely see a Civic hybrid. In our case, I think it has to do with dealer influence. When we were shopping we were told the HCH was special order only and the Toyota dealer had 4 Prius on the lot. We drove the Prius and loved it, we couldn't drive the HCH. Not a tough decision there.
In the Yahoo Toyota-Prius group there is a couple who have one of each and like them about equally.

nippononly · July 2003

how it looks in person - I think that as with many slab-sided Toyota cars of late, this one has the potential for the stock wheels to look too small in the wheel wells relative to the size of the side of the car. I hope I am wrong. I think in all other respects this one is worlds better than the first one. I especially like the keyless unlock and start option. That will come in various packages, the cheapest of which will be $1120 and include cruise and a couple of other things. So the car equipped the way I would like would cost $21,115 MSRP. Still no factory moonroof though, as far as I can see.

boxfan · July 2003

nippononly - I agree that the stock wheels look too small in the pictures I've seen of the 2004 Prius. It looked much better as the concept car version shown at the NY Auto Show, with the oversized wheels. I've also noticed that the wheels look small in the current Camry. I certainly don't think this car could sell by looks alone, in fact the looks might keep me from buying one. I'm a big fan of hatchbacks, so in many ways this is the car I have been looking for (although I'd prefer a manual and I'll have to see if it's at all fun to drive), so it's a shame that it's so funny-looking. Maybe I'll like it better in person.

I see more Priuses in St. Louis than Civic Hybrids, but the Prius has been for sale for several years longer, so you can't really compare. Anyone know the annual sales figures?

coolguyky7 · July 2003

I really like the look of the Prius--it's very G35/Estima looking. Concerning the interior--I don't mind having something different...I don't want to think I'm driving just another economical vehicle ie Civic/Corolla.

libertycat · July 2003

little_pogi · July 2003

Estima is a minivan sold only in Japan. The old Toyota minivan prior to the Sienna, if I I'm not mistaken is called Estima in Japan. Interestingly, the Estima is one of 3 current Hybrid production models sold in Japan. Go to www.toyota.co.jp if you want to see how it looks like. Just just work or figure your way through the Japanese script.

nippononly · July 2003

than the original Toyota van, though. It is a microvan, about the same size as the bb now being sold here as the Scion xB.

boxfan · July 2003

I don't think the Estima is THAT small. It's smaller than the new model (2004) Sienna, but still seats 7 or 8. I was hoping they would sell the Estima hybrid in the US, but I think Toyota (rightly) thought it was too small for American tastes. It would be great if they put the new hybrid system in the Sienna here.

The predecessor to the Sienna in the US was the Previa, which was pretty big (my parents have one). I think it was called the Estima in Europe (and possibly Japan), and the current Estima in Japan looks like an updated version of the older Previa/Estima.

Kirstie_H · July 2003

A journalist is looking for a person who is in the market to buy a hybrid vehicle. If you care to be interviewed, please respond with your daytime contact information to jfallon@edmunds.com by Friday, July 11.

jchan2 · July 2003

I like them both. The Prius sounds like it's the more practical one, with fold down seats. The RX330 and Escape sound promising too.

yerth10 · July 2003

Hatchbacks are efficient design, since the trunk extends to the roof height. Infact we can put box shaped goods like TV, washer, dryer, etc in hatchback, but not in sedan. There is no reason why some people think ugly. Anyway here is the comparison between

                 Camry, Corolla, Prius
                 ------ -------- -----
Length 189.2, 178.3, 175.0
width 70.7, 66.9, 68.0
Height 57.9, 57.7, 58.6
Cargo Capacity 17.0, 14.0, 16.0
Front head room 39.2, 39.1, 39.3
Rear head room 38.3, 37.1, 37.1
Front Leg Room 41.6, 41.3, 40.1
Rear Leg Room 37.8, 35.4, 37.2

Even though Prius-2004 is much smaller, it outweighs Corolla and compares quite favourable with Camry, that is why it is qualified as a mid-size vehicle.

mpgman · July 2003

of the center arm rest to get it off the floor into a good position to rest your arm on.

nippononly · July 2003

on the "update list" with Toyota for '04 Prius info for quite some time now, and I have yet to hear from them! I would still like to know what size and type of tire it will use...

I hear they will be out in October (Limited availability at first)...I wonder when they will be available as TRAC cars...I would like to take one out for a weekend and see if I can really get 55+ mpg out of it.

boxfan · July 2003

Apparently Toyota is adding hybrid versions of the Sienna and Highlander as 2005 models in the US, in addition to the Lexus RS330 model they had already announced.

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=01546239

little_pogi · July 2003

Security System/Garage Door Opener that cost another $340. If the Smart & Entry Start system prevent the unauthorized engine start-up, what does the security system do? Isn't the Smart & Entry Start some sort of security sytem?

I also have one hypothetical situation. I am stop at a red light waiting for the light to turn green. Suddenly an armed person decided to carjack the car to make his get away. Pulls me off the car, get into the drivers side and drives off. If I have the Smart & Entry system, will the car stop dead in its tracks after a few feet? If it does then "cool" and if it dose not "bummer".

quasar4 · July 2003

Uhm, if the new Prius is supposed to be quote "...bigger in every aspect than the 2003," then how come the front leg room has decreased from 41.2" to 40.1"??!

jchan2 · July 2003

I thought that they'd be coming out in late August or early September.

john1701a · July 2003

The latest news is production begins the end of August and delivery (of the pre-orders) the middle of October.

In other words, it will seem like forever. Fortunately, I am currently averaging about 50 MPG in my classic Prius. So I hardly have a reason to complain about the wait.

JOHN

nippononly · July 2003

does that mean you are trading for the new one? That will be an interminable wait if so! :-)

mkinson · July 2003

Any word on whether the new Prius will have run-flat tires or optional wheel tire combinations?

john1701a · July 2003

Like with most vehicles, you get a standard OEM tire only, no pre-delivery option.

But since the new Prius uses the very common P185/65R15 size, you can put just about any type of tire on it that you want afterward.

JOHN

jchan2 · July 2003

It will be one of the longest waits ever! (Except the wait for a Sienna!)

john1701a · July 2003

> longest

Nope!

I waited longer for my first Prius.

JOHN

mrvadeboncoeur · August 2003

Most of the 2001 and 2002 US Prius were only available
through Internet ordering. An average wait time
between your order, and receiving the car, was about
4 months (a little longer on the east coast).

Since the 2004 Prius only became orderable in July,
the expected first deliveries in October only puts
the wait around 3 months to start. Not too bad.

jchan2 · August 2003

will be the longest wait of my life! I want to test drive one to see how it performs on the road. Anyone have any predictions? Camry like, or what?

nippononly · August 2003

more Echo-like than Camry-like, in handling. In terms of interior appointments and NVH, I am sure it will be similar to Camry, however.

Toyota Prius

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