This is purely a "seat-of-the-pants" review and comparison to my wifes '11 Cruze Lt1.... It is offered...FWIW Prius 4500 miles...98% driven by me... Cruze 4000 miles...98% driven by wife... $10,000 difference in cost..!! Prius has much better average(CITY) fuel economy..42+ to 26+ for the Cruze (Highway it gets closer(40+ to 36+)...but 90% of my wife's driving is short trips in the city... Prius is easier to get in and out of....Prius has a much better rear seat experience... Prius has more rear storage... Cruze feels more "solid" and is noticeable more QUIET (both running ICE)Prius in EV mode, it has the advantage although road noise is higher in the Prius.... Cruze steers/feels better to me.... Cruze has better seat adjustments(more) and despite the front seats being lower they can be adjusted to be somewhat more comfortable.... Cruze has DRL's and TPMS readings for each tire...I like this a lot..!! Cruze has "ON-Star"...I like this feature...so does my wife..!!! Initial "build quality" between the two appears to be about the same..ie: very good..!!! There're may be other differences but that's enough for now....it's all offered in an unscientific manner..... Would I rather drive the Cruze..NO..!! Would my wife rather drive the Prius...YES (on long trips)
I looked at a Cruze when I started shopping. Then looked at the Prius lineup - here's my take: The Cruze - is the replacement for the "cavalier" and "cobalt" lineup - it's a compact car in my opinion. powered by either a 1.8L or a 1.4L turbo. The turbo being the more standard option. 225HP - much better then the 98 in the prii. For a car in this class - GM has finally come to the table - offering a "luxury" car trim for the budget concious. They used to always consider the compacts as an entry-level car. noisy, no frills-etc. I sat in an LTZ fully loaded - and it was impressive. what wasn't impressive was rear seat leg room. When I set the driver seat where I needed it, my litmus test is to then try to get in the rear seat. I couldn't - there was only 4 inches between the seats. I'm 6ft. They do offer 40mpg but only in a stripped down 6 spd mannual version called the "eco" ... they are a sporty car with moderate steering response. for a commuter or college kid - they're probably perfect. for a family or rear passengers - not so . The prius- is a small mid-size - designed to sip fuel. that means, it's not going to accelerate like a mazeratti. what it does have, is ample room for 4 adults comfortably. interior as a lot of people have mentioned seems to be a little on the cheap - with a lot of hard plastic surfaces in monotone colors - Toyota could really soften these up a bit with a cloth skin door panel, wood grain dash inserts ... something. but for form and function - which is what it's about - it thrives. the v- adds suv storage a bit more headroom, and higher seeting for easier entry.
