2008 Toyota Prius user reviews

5.0 stars

"A perfect and ECO Car" on September 1, 2009 by hurtado77

Pros: Low consumption and maintenance.

Cons: Not for you if you want to race.

5.0 stars

"B Mode is for Engine Breaking!!! Outstanding Car!!!" on December 20, 2008 by johnnmorgan

Pros: The best 5-passenger car on the road. Highly versatile hatchback design. Back seats fold flat for station-wagon style cargo capacity. Very comfortable seats with large leg room. Touring Edition has great handling.

Cons: The lawers messed it up by causing many of the high-tech features accessed by the multi-function screen to not be available while moving

Summary: B is for engine breaking. This is only used when decending long grades. I am very disappointed that CNET would have a writer make such a grevious error. The highly computerized power management system provides just the right amount of electric motor power and engine power to meet the demands of each moment of driving. It works like magic.

5.0 stars

"Great car, inaccurate review" on December 15, 2008 by caseyahenry

Pros: Outstanding gas mileage, spacious cabin and cargo area, geek chic

Cons: Subpar fit and finish (for Toyota), no EV-only mode on US models, geek chic

Summary: I love my 2008 Prius! It gets oustanding gas mileage (I've averaged 54mpg over 17000 miles) with surprisingly few compromises as a result. It would be nice if the North American models had the electric-only operation available in other markets, and the fit and finish does leave a bit to be desired (the passenger seat and glove compartment have been plagued by persistent rattles since day one), but the spacious interior and geek-factor of the cockpit and hybrid system more than make up for these shortcomings.

I was surprised by the grossly inaccurate description of "Battery Mode" in this review, however. The Prius doesn't have a "battery" mode; the "B" on the shift lever stands for brake mode and is designed to be used to slow the car's descent on long hills (much like the low-gear option for vehicles with conventional transmissions). Ironically, the reviewer tested the efficiency of the car's electric drive by driving around in the least-efficient transmission mode available on the Prius--the "B" shifter option has nothing to do with electric-only operation!

4.5 stars

"It does what it says it does." on May 21, 2008 by joviolus

Pros: Lot's of space for 4 tall adult, MPGs, Tech galore

Cons: Not an inspiring driving experience, Navigation grey out

Summary: If you bought this car, you can't hate it. Like I said in the title, it does what it's made to do. The new 2008 EPA gas mileage is much more accurate than the 60 mpg that is not really possible in real world driving (unless you enjoy being flipped off while people pass you). The tech in the car is amazing: touch screen navigation, bluetooth, economy info screens. It's almost like driving in a video game, a slow video game. There is an annoying feature that locks out most of the touch screen controls while the car is in motion, but I don't see why they couldn't use the that detects the passenger (for seatbelts) and enable these functions. That said, I am really impressed with this car and glad we purchased it.