-- I wish the Prius had more soul...it reminds me sometimes of HAL. I think our on-order Wet Okole covers with a kokapeli design may help remedy this. -- I wish I didn't feel like a wine/cheese wimp driving it. Maybe I need a support group to help me get over years of trucks and SUV's. -- I wish it had enough ground clearance to not worry about every pot hole and parking space I encounter...jeez that front air dam is low and those tires. -- I wish the ICE would shut down more gracefully. -- I wish the parking brake wasn't such an integral part of the operation. -- I wish I could read the steering wheel displays at night. -- I wish I could see out the rear window(s). -- I wish the center console was more robust. I could go on but I know I'm already redundant with a lot of posts about irritants. I've gotta be honest and say that it is the first sedan we've owned in nearly 20 years and that's probably a LOT of the adjustment. The closest to this vehicle we driven over the years has been two Subaru Outbacks...and they were like Hummers compared to the Prius. But, hey, I know environmentally we are doing the right thing and the mileage is great...guess I don't need Prius adjustments as much as I need an attitude adjustment.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mootsman @ Nov 16 2006, 05:28 AM) [snapback]350065[/snapback]</div> Not for me, I only use it when parking on a steep incline. Maybe once or twice a month.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seasalsa @ Nov 16 2006, 08:36 AM) [snapback]350067[/snapback]</div> You should use it all the time, everybody should. Contrary to popular belief, automatic transmissions are not designed to hold the vehicle in park. EDIT, I know I'll hear this, neither are CVT transmissions
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mootsman @ Nov 16 2006, 08:28 AM) [snapback]350065[/snapback]</div> haha, you would die driving my car. There is 0 gap between my front fenders and my tires, from what I've seen of the priuses they have the same clearance as most small cars. Dodging potholes is a skill you'll develop over time.
In spite of its faults, I'd buy another one tomorrow if say, a tornado hit Raleigh and dropped a tree on it (seems like a possibility today) or some other calamity befell it. You'll get used to some things, like operating the steering wheel buttons by feel, and as for visibility, once I got the mirrors set, it's not been too bad. The Prius doesn't seem especially low, but I was driving a Volvo 850 before this, and a CRX before that, so it seems about the same or maybe better to me. If you are coming from something much taller, then I can see where it would take some adjustment. My biggest gripes are probably the tires, which I plan on remedying soon, and the glove box rattle, which I fixed with some adhesive weather stripping. I don't understand your complaints about the console, it seems fine to me, and I love the hidden drawer in the bottom. I would've liked fabric on the top of the doors, since I usually rest my elbow there, but from me, that's a pretty minor complaint.
