2007 Toyota Prius - First Drive - Car and Driver

[robinrmscheer]

@LOLDISNEYLAND

Just wondering, how many miles is on yours? I'm considering buying a used one, but I don't know if the quality will be good fir one with 85,000 miles.

[princecthulhu]

now a see why jeff dunham is sick of this car lol

[ignoranceintolerant]

I agree about Honda's trannys, but Toyota, despite the recent news, makes quality cars. I've driven all types and they are good.

[LOLDISNEYLAND]

I can fit a whole door in my prius or about 3 doors stacked together lool.

I love it. haha

I am doing a lot of renovations at the moment and keep deferring on buying a utility truck.

[citrusspoon]

i dont know what he drove but i have a prius and the steering and braking seem better than a normal car

[uoyuoy444]

You must be stupid to buy one of these. What a waiste of money. And the mileage is noe what they claim. How safe is the death trap?

[calmspirit1]

Nothing in this world is "safe". The world is a "death trap". There is always something that can get to you.

[99gsx4g63]

How do you figure it's a unsafe car?

Waste of money? How so, when I get 68mpg

[lamdo23]

how many years does the battery pack last

[12valvepower1]

10 years. then replacement is needed. diesels out do the smart car too. golf tdi

[palebeachbum]

I read 100k miles and will cost $6,000 to replace. I laugh. I laugh. Back to efficient gas car we go!

[99gsx4g63]

it's $1500 to replace the battery.

And it's 100,000 miles for the warranty or 8 years.

Although any that haven't been replaced under warranty have all been VERY high mileage taxi's.

If you feel the need to post, at least know your facts. I laugh....at you.

[palebeachbum]

Just what car owners need. Another $1500 headache to worry about. Everyone who buys these used will have to deal with this problem. Suddenly your gas savings took a hit with an extra $1500 repair that a traditional gas car will never have.

[99gsx4g63]

Thats the thing, it's not "Another" 1500 to worry about over another car. Since it has no transmission to worry about if the battery did go then it's only $1500. However, price out a NEW transmission and installed! Try at least DOUBLE of what the new battery would cost. You can get used batteries for around $500.

[palebeachbum]

If course your Prius has a transmission. I'm not sure why you think it doesn't. As far as used batteries go, that's never a good idea. So like I said, another $1500 repair to worry owners. Transmissions rarely cost $3k to replace, unless you are talking higher end cars. It cost $2,500 on my Mercedes to have the trans rebuilt.

[99gsx4g63]

See, more proof you know NOTHING about the Prius. They don't have a transmission, I'm not sure why you think they do. And like I said, it's NOT another $1500 repair to worry about...it's just A repair, not another....and even stil, your mercedes is another grand to fix...a repair that the prius doesn't have.

[palebeachbum]

So the Prius doesn't shift or have gears? No wonder it's such a slug.

[99gsx4g63]

It's not a slug...just people like you like to think it is.

And correct, it doesn't shift or have gears....uses a Ecvt

[palebeachbum]

I know what a CVT is, but what's ECVT? CVT is a transmission (continuously variable transmission).

[hongkongsucksballs]

there full of shit about the gas mileage,my aunt has a 08 model and it gets 44mpg over all.

[gnrrocks123]

well thats much better than a normal car which usually gets like 20 mpg

[palebeachbum]

I have an '06 Kia Optima. It has a 2.4L 161hp 4cyl. and 5-spd manual. If I drive it respectably, I get 35mpg in mixed driving. Not bad at all I'd say from a midsize car with good power that is actually fun to drive.

[99gsx4g63]

and my 06 Prius with 110 hp gets double the mpg you get. Not bad for a much more reliable car and it didn't loose almost half it's value when it drove off the lot in 06.

[palebeachbum]

First of all, you're not getting 70mpg, so don't lie. Second, if you bought your Prius new, you literally paid 3x as much for it than I did for my barely used Optima. So much for saving $600/yr on gas over me, lol. Reliability ratings on the the '06 and up Optima/Sonata are very good. In fact better than Camry. Mine has been no different. Love the car and got way more than Toyota could ever offer me for the price. No regrets. Beside, the Prius is slow, no fun, and drives like a fridge.

[99gsx4g63]

And what, your car "is fun to drive" lol RIGHT!

C'mon, it's a Kia...I've driven them and they are CRAP! I've had a few rentals that were new with only a few thousand miles on them. CRAP!

And you are correct, I'm not getting 70mpg. I'm getting 68. Don't believe? Look around on here and you can see for yourself that it can happen. btw, I bought my 06 used a year ago. Trust me, you think you got more car then Toyoat could ever offer you? Think again...that cheap price means something.

[palebeachbum]

Well like I said, take your $600/yr gas savings and subtract it from the THOUSANDS more you had to pay for your Toyota. Not such a money saver when you do the math. Oh yes, the Optima is SUCH crap. That's why people are buying them over Accord and Camry. *rolls eyes* You're just being a brand snob. Get over it. Toyota isn't as divine as you think.

[99gsx4g63]

Not sure how you figure it's $600 a year..even based on epa ratings it's 800 a year. Some people (like you) will buy anything if it's cheap...not worrying about it untill later in life...when it bites them in the ass. Brand snob? maybe you should get your mind out of conventional thinking and take a hard look at hybrid technology...I already know you know NOTHING about the car.

[palebeachbum]

Conventional thinking is immediately dismissing a Kia simply because it's a Kia and immediately thinking Toyota will always be superior. Hyundai is already beating them. What part of that do you not understand??? Toyota and Honda people very much have a superior complex, even when facts say they aren't the best anymore!

[99gsx4g63]

Funny, cuz when I look it up...Camry and Accord win.

Here is the final word from car and driver "No question Honda still wears the kanmuri in this class. "

kanmuri means crown in jap.

Sorry, you loose

[palebeachbum]

Err, that's a road test review. Not an ownership survey. Consumer Report says Sonata is better than Camry. Beside, wouldn't you expect a better car for thousands more? LOL

[fast55chev]

People aren't buying the crap one you bought though LOL.  Yours is a early 06...they are looking at the 2006.5 models.

[palebeachbum]

Nope sorry, it is the newer body style 2006.5.

[fast55chev]

Sorry, but based on the info you gave...it's the 06 not 06.5.

Either way, it's a kia LOL

[palebeachbum]

Haha, I think I know what year my car is, jeez! It's the larger redesigned model '06.5-'08, not the '01-06. Those were mediocre.

[palebeachbum]

Yes, sad sad Kia. Getting higher rankings than Toyota. I know, Kia is so sad, right?

[loweredtalon]

LOL, your car at BEST gets 33mpg and thats ALL hwy. My Subaru gets 28mpg, with awd and a 2.5l with 173hp and IS fun to drive...you shouldn't say your kia is fun to drive...cuz it's not

[palebeachbum]

Sorry to dissapoint loweredtalon, but I do indeed get up to 35mpg in my Optima. I track every tank. Lowest has been 27mpg. Averages around 31mpg most tanks.

[loweredtalon]

Even if you did...the only big deal about getting 31mpg is your car is the only optima to get it.

My Subaru gets close to that and is a much more solid car....and I'm not bragging "Look at me, I'm so cheap I had to buy a kia" LOL

[palebeachbum]

Well, I don't know what to tell you other than my Optima is a manual 5-spd which helps mileage a bit and I don't drag race from red light to red light. Might have something to do with it. Listen "loweredtalon", don't be a snob. I test drove the Optima, thought it was smooth, quiet, and big enough for me. The price was right, so I bought it. No regrets yet!

[loweredtalon]

You summed it up with the last word you typed.....

[palebeachbum]

All cars eventually break down, and that's a fact.

[99gsx4g63]

but see again you are missing the point.

The Prius has an amazing track record. They don't break down as often as the rest. The batteries are designed that they use 40-80% not the typical 0-100% like most batteries and therefore last a VERY long time. There are reports of Prius cabs going even 600,000 and 800,000 miles and not doing anything more to them other then one battery, oil and tires and brakes. They are well proven, and that's a fact.

[palebeachbum]

If that is the case, which is very hard to believe, that is fantastic. But the Prius is a man-made machine just like anything else in the world. It will break down. It will have problems. I know the first-gen Prius was junky and had problems. I assume it's the same technology, just improved. And like I keep say, YES, the Prius is much better on gas than a conventional gas car, HOWEVER, you have to pay thousands more over a comparable car to get it, so really you break even in the end.

[fast55chev]

your car at best gets 27mpg, combined is 23mpg and city is 20mpg.

Your car wouldn't have the same options that the Prius comes with either..nor the refinement. The Prius is a fun car to drive...just a different type of fun.

btw, 99gsx is correct, there is no transmission in the Prius and I get 64mpg out of mine!

You also said yours is a slightly used 06...explains why you got it for "thousands" cheaper since the resale value of a kia is considerably less then most other makes.

[fast55chev]

Let me guess, you bought it from Car Pros...and paid $8000 for it. LOL

[palebeachbum]

Acutally I paid $6,800 with 32k miles. Low resale value means kickass used car value! LOL

[99gsx4g63]

LOL, so you are saying your cheap. Means if you choose to get rid of it.... LOL!

[palebeachbum]

Very untrue. I track every tank of gas. I get anywhere from 28 to 35mpg, depending if I use AC or not and how hard I drive it. I would have had to drop double the money just to get a Prius, so its gas mileage is hardly worth it for me. Why not just pay $50k for a car that gets 100mpg? What stupid logic.

[99gsx4g63]

If you look around you can find a used prius with about the same mileage your crapbox has and for not much more....however you seem to forget the options the Prius comes with and the fact its not a crappy kia product. but hey, to each their own.

[palebeachbum]

I dare you to find a 3yr old Prius with around 30k miles for about $7k and a clean title. It won't happen. And what options are you talking about? The Optima is one of the best equipped cars in it's class. My Optima is the base model and even it came standard with full power, 6-speaker CD stereo, active headrests, 6 airbags, tire pressure monitor, tilt wheel, etc. Can the Prius claim that for $17k? Oh wait, you can't even buy one for $17k. LOL

[99gsx4g63]

Standard is 9 speakers 8 airbags, power windows and locks, smart key (which you can't get at all) and I can find a few 06 Prius' for under 17 with around 34,000 on them. So, proved you wrong LOL

[palebeachbum]

Uh, big difference between $7k and $17k. LMAO So I saved $10k to spend on gas, which will take me longer to spend on gas then I'll own the car. Prius is such a waste of money, like most Toyotas in general.

[99gsx4g63]

And you are a waste of space...you just don't want to admit that you bought a piece of crap and are stuck with it because you are sooo cheap. Just wait, it'll bite you in the ass...and I'll be laughing at you.

You are looking at it from a "saving gas" point of view...however, you are forgetting that your kia has cut corners...hence it's price. Whatever, you seem to think you have a good car...so keep thinking it.

[palebeachbum]

I know I have a good car. It's given me no reason to think otherwise. If you think the lower price is because of cost cutting, how do you explain Camry's higher price and lower reliability ratings than Hyundai Sonata? Think about that for a minute. PS, Optima is the same as Sonata.

[fast55chev]

In a Prius, doesn't matter if you use the a/c or not since it's electric...you could of dropped double the money..however, in the long run you'd still have the Prius...you'll have another kia by the time my Prius needs to be replaced. Double the price and double the mpg and double the time I'll own it.

[palebeachbum]

Haha, whatever you have to tell yourself to justify owning a Prius. I beg to differ.

[fast55chev]

I don't have to justify anything owning a Prius. I KNOW the differance between owning a kia and owning a Toyota.

It sounds to me like you're the one justifying owing a kia....why else do you keep replying....

[palebeachbum]

You obviously have something to prove or you wouldn't keep arguing. I keep arguing because I don't like snobbery. I have owned both Toyota and now Kia. My Camry sucked my wallet dry with it's high cost of ownership. Expensive problems, expensive maintenance, and a very mediocre car. Interior was very bad quality. The Toyota superior complex is getting old. Hyundai is ranking better than Toyota now. Time to end the attitude.

[fast55chev]

You amaze me then...cuz here you have a kia that gets better mileage then anyone eles does with theirs. AND you are the only person to have a Toyota that had expensive problems, interior was bad quality. I've never heard anyone else with a Toyota say that. And after poking around, no one else has ever claimed the mpg's you do.

Your a funny person, I'll leave it at that.

[palebeachbum]

I explained earlier to someone else why I might get better mileage than others. Most Optimas have an auto, I have a manual. I drive gently as well. There are plenty of unhappy Toyota owners. I work with one actually. The 2.2 4cyl in her Camry seized at 176k miles because of the infamous sludge problem. It's very common. Also many people disappointed with the quality of their Corollas. Toyota isn't as superior as people want to think. Same story with Honda. Auto trans failure is very common.

[fast55chev]

What you are leaving out about that, is A) That was 10 years ago and B) That was a few cars not all of the engines had that problem and C) Toyota has a recall on that issue for the cars life.

Now, lets bring Kia/Hyundia's problems into view. SOOO many problems that consumers complaints says "In fact, there are so many problems with Kias it's hard to know where to start. Most cars have one or two problems that tend to be dominant, but with Kia, pretty much everything seems to go wrong."

[LOLDISNEYLAND]

I completely agree with you.

How many 2000 model hyundai and kias do you see on the road today? how many toyotas of the same year model do you see today? Toyota is still in abundance compared to Hyundai and kia lool.

On another note, one of my prius is about 6 years old now and has done too many miles. I never replaced a part yet except for oil, petrol, air filter, brake pads, tires and air freshner lol. Prius is an epic car, It honestly is.

[99gsx4g63]

When they start using your kia as a taxi, can get 50+ mpg and has all the abuse and mileage a taxi has...then you can talk. There are Prius cabs out there that have over 300,000 and 400,000 miles on them. Know whats been done? Oil changes, tires and a VERY few brake jobs. No batteries though. Find me a korean car that can claim that.

[palebeachbum]

Actually, I have read reviews of people putting 300k on their Hyundais, so it's definitely possible. Hell, you can even do that with a Fords in Taxi use. Toyota isn't anything special. I put 200k miles on a Plymouth before, so what's your point? lol

[99gsx4g63]

You completely missed my point.

My point wasn't how many miles on them, it was the fact that they had nothing done to them other then oil changes, tires and a very few brake jobs. I know this because a friend of mine uses the Prius in his fleet of taxi's, already put 140,000 on the 08's he's bought and hasn't done a thing to them other then what I mentioned...his mechanics can't believe the little amount they've done to it at this stage.

[99gsx4g63]

He went with the Prius based on others using them as a cab and how much they are saving. He figures each one has saved him over $25,000/year in gas...never mind all the other repairs his crown vic's and civics have cost him by this point of their life.

He is actually one of the reasons I went with a Prius.

[pshawfocus]

I own a Prius with 95000 miles and it still drives as new. The engine and gearbox are perfect and I still get 55mpg (UK gals) with zero effort. The Prius biggest "problem" is that it's misunderstood, people are too lazy to become accustomed to it's few nuances before writing it off. An example? The brakes aren't hard to modulate - drive for 5 mins and you'll be used to them. But I don't care - enjoy your F150's etc - my gas savings get me 5 vacations a year, Apple's, gifts for my nieces...

[fleckenstien]

60/51 mpg? LOL!

A friend of mine just got one and it get more like 45/50.

I bought a 1997 BMW 318 about a year ago, the little thing gets over 40 mpg on the highway, where I do most of my driving. It looks great and handles awesome, much unlike the Prius.

For around town I have a truck that runs on vegetable oil, which I love just as much. I wouldn't be caught dead driving one of these snotpiles.

[TeamCrusade]

I don't care about the death trap's mpgs, I still getting my F-150. When my truck accidently crashes your Prius, .... make sure you will is written.

[sidney782]

ford= fix or repair daily

[TeamCrusade]

Bullshit, Fords new models now released are on average as good as Toyotas.

[SnizzFizz]

personal opinion, but the opinion of car reviewers worldwide says that a non domestic car will always outlast a car made in america

[hybridlancer2004]

Thats a BIG negative.

[hybridlancer2004]

YOURE CORRECT ABOUT FORD!!

[hongkongsucksballs]

i drove one of these cars its over rated,if gas wasnt so high no one would give a shit about this car.

[palebeachbum]

The gas mileage is the only advantage this car has. It's considerably more expensive than any comparable, conventional gas car, the driving dynamics are abysmal. The looks are...unique to say the least.

[creamyfilling102]

idk what's so borring about it. i think it'd be kinda cool driving a futuristic machine like that. the only thing it lacks is performance; and if that's what you look for in a car, then don't bitch about it. just drive something else.

[FORCDIN]

Can you say, boring? Yawn...

[LJAR28]

This car is so blahhhh.

[bg1379]

This is for people who dream in beige.

[muslimboy101]

one of frist ppl to comment suckassss, lol its a good car it gets me hecka gas millage but all my friends hate on it :-(

[Billy4202]

Why are we just getting the '07 review?

[shai32]

Because it is an inaccurate report about a rubbish car!

[homemadevids]

These are in demand now, my friend was told there was a six-month waiting list at the dealership.