I see Toyota going in the sporty direction. My own preference is a economical car to get around in that is comfortable and gets good MPG. Even when I was younger this was my preference for a daily driver. I bought a 2014 Avalon Hybrid with a terribly stiff suspension that Toyota backed away from in 2016 and softened. I actually removed the 2014 strut springs and put 2016 in and the ride is now comfortable with very little if any sacrifice in handling. The trend for the huge wheels with little sidewall seems to continue on the higher level trims. For me I prefer more sidewall and a comfortable ride and tires that don't go flat over potholes. Everything has it's trade offs, but just wondering what the rest of you think.
The options feel rather weighted toward non-sporty—or maybe it’s just me? It seems to list more of the cons of sporty vs the pros of non-sporty, so I imagine people are going to want to choose the pillars on which the Prius was built (comfort, practicality, amazing MPG) when weighted against options that sound like the poorer choice (rougher ride, reduced MPG, reduced practically), especially to us Prius people. But that sportier handling could make it more pleasant to drive for some, as made evident in the positive driving reviews. I will personally reserve judgement on that front for when I can actually get behind the wheel. That said, while I am a bit sad about the departure from the anti-sports car platform, I am still quite excited about new gen and don’t dislike the update and believe it was a pretty fair trade-off. I do think the 19” wheels are a bit much, but I’ll give ‘em a try and see how they go and maybe swap for 17s down the road. Yeah, it would have been nice to see the MPG improve a bit more significantly across all models, but it’s STILL one of the most efficient cars on the road and this new design is going to likely bring more people to the hybrid/Prius platform, potentially getting more people out of pure-ICE vehicles—people that might never have considered a hybrid before because they thought hybrids were “boring”. I would say that’s a win.
I’d vote for 15” rims if an option above. I guess you’re trying to keep it realistic to what’s going to be available on gen 5? I put ticks on 2, 4, 5 (who wouldn’t…) and 7. ^ I typed that before “casting my vote”; see I’m voting 100% with the herd (of 3), so far. How about adding: sunroof AWD 3-door SKS I’ve got to say, Toyota is the penultimate car salesman, pitching the deletion of the spare tire as an “upgrade”.
i was hoping for something more cuv, utilitarian, not sporty i think toyota got caught up in the tesla madness. i'm not convinced many who want a sporty car will buy into a sporty prius.
I’ve got similar take. And maybe last gen they were (hamfistedly) emulating Hyundai styling? Prius supposedly means “to go before”? I think “before” that was truer; now maybe not so much. kinda like Yes in their disco phase: you have to look away.
they're definitely stumbling around in the darkness. i wonder if there is a lot of disagreement at the top?
