The 2010 Toyota Prius Review

"Nibby" (nibby68) 08/31/2014 at 11:45 • Filed to: None

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This is a 2010 Toyota Prius. My family had it for 4.5 years until they got rid of it. While I wasn't the primary driver of the car; I drove thousands of miles in it. It's been to Canada, it's been to Virginia, to several colleges, and even an off road stint (not my greatest idea). The biggest reason why my parents got it in late 2009 was for the CleanPass for HOV lanes. So let's cut to the chase, shall we?

Firstly I'll give you some specs of the car. It's a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle.

Length: 175.6"

Wheelbase: 106"

Width: 68.7"

Height: 58.7"

Weight: 3,042 lbs

Engine: 1.8L I-4 98 HP engine mated to a CVT transmission

Hybrid electric motor alternator and battery with rundown protection.

Exterior

It is instantly recognizable. No one will mistake this for anything else on the road. Everyone knows what a Prius looks like. And they're not pretty. There are uglier cars out there, for sure, but I don't think it's *the worst* thing Toyota has put out recently. The dark blue paint is a bit dull on cloudy days but in the sun it shines nicely. The one we had, it had LED headlamps which look much cooler than the stock ones (and they're super bright too). However, the front end just looks like it's trying too hard and screams "LOOK AT ME MY FACE FALLS DOWN FLAT." The weird spoiler in between the rear windows looks quite odd too. And it really messes up the visibility, which otherwise isn't terrible. Except for the fact you can't really tell where the front ends but it is shorter than you think. The sloping windshield leaves a HUGE dashboard. This car was designed to perform... in a windtunnel. That explains its shape. Also the metal on this car is probably the same metal you find on a can of Green Giant corn.

Interior and Utility

I'll be honest; I hate this car's interior. The leather seats feel like rubber. They aren't uncomfortable, but they aren't very supportive. They're okay for long drives. The center console is a mess but most of the buttons are actually easy to find without looking. One thing that I do like is the dual gloveboxes but the center console storage had this weird integrated cupholder that just ate up valuable space... not to mention another cupholder with a useless flip open cover that I used to keep my iPod in (just like that picture).

Underneath the gear shifter, there is a cubby for putting smaller items... your phone, hairbrush, books, a 12V outlet, etc. This never bothered me except... this is where they put the heated seats buttons. REALLY?! Quite inconvenient when I am driving in a snow storm and I have to reach down to toast my butt.

The fit and finish is pathetic; cheap plastic everywhere. Toyota says it's biodegradable or super good for the environment, but that's their way of saying "We're using the cheapest crap we could find." I could bang my leg on the center console and the entire thing would flex. Same goes for the door panels.

The speedometer is all digital, with a trip computer that shows you your gas mileage and such. I thought it was pretty neat back in late 2009 but now it seems outdated and tacky. The car isn't as quiet as you'd expect, but more on that in a bit.

The rear seats offer a surprising amount of legroom for a car of this size. They fold down flat to give you a generous amount of cargo room. This is one of my favorite things about the Prius; it does offer a good deal amount of interior space for hauling your kids' sports equipment around... or, in my case, woodworking materials or an entire college dorm's worth of stuff in 2011. So yeah. I think the interior is definitely roomy enough for a family of 4 to consider. The trunk will have enough space for your luggage to the airport but keep in mind that rear sloping hatch will prevent taller items from fitting without folding the rear seats down.

Drivetrain and Handling

This thing is *slow.* 0-60 takes at least 10 seconds. Plan your passing and merging accordingly. There are 4 modes for this car: Normal, Eco, EV and Power. Normal and Eco (eco just revs it less IIRC), uses both gas and electric engines to move the car. EV mode is practically useless unless you enjoy doing 5mph in a parking lot for 2 minutes before running out. Power mode means gas only and it does make a difference, but not enough to justify using it all the time. This car also doesn't like to turn. Parking is pretty easy due to its small size and thus it has a small turning radius... but the steering wheel practically fights back when you turn it. "No, I want to go straight to get more MPGs."

There is no feeling in the steering. Sometimes that's a good thing, like when you're driving a Mercedes S550 and you feel like you're driving on clouds. But this is not the case. You don't feel anything at all. Also, body roll galore. You will also press harder on the accelerator than in most other cars you drive... you gotta press it down to move anywhere.

Ride

It's a bit rough. Not very uncomfortable though, it is fine on highways and local streets. But on bumpy roads, you'll feel how unrefined this vehicle is. The tires make a LOT of road noise (both the stock Toyos and the nicer Michelins I got after 38k). And the CVT + engine make rather unpleasant noises as well, so the car sounds louder than it should be, especially when accelerating. You almost want to feel bad for it. Almost. By the end of our time with the Prius, it was rattling a bit.

Here's a funny story... my friend and I took it to the Catskills for the day. I know of a path for powerlines on a mountain, but the road is unpaved and is essentially rough rocks and meant for trucks only. I decided why not take the Prius on there and see what happened... just a lot of rattles and shakes and whatnot (and hit the underbody a couple times). It was the stupidest thing I've done in that car but my friend and I enjoyed it. It was also the most fun I've had driving that car.

Brakes

This car has regenerative braking, which means it will recharge the battery as you brake. They stop the car well and it takes about 120 feet from 60mph to stop. It's a pretty small car so it's not bad to stop. However, the brake pedals are mushy.

Audio

The JBL system was decent. It had USB iPod integration + AUX port. AM/FM radio, 6 disc CD changer, Satellite radio. However, the iPod system was horrible. Slow to react and it would automatically play the first selection every time you scrolled down a page (eg. when selecting Artists/albums/songs). The newer Prii can be had with Toyota Entune, which is much better than the older audio system. The funniest part is that if you played a bass heavy song, the spoiler in the rear would shake according to your music.

Toys

Yay, this has a lot of toys to mess with. Heated leather seats? Yep. Power mirrors, radar assisted cruise control, self-parking feature that I never bothered using, lane keep assist, all digital speedometer + trip computer, bluetooth, JBL speaker system. It's got a lot, but for those features Toyota left out a couple things - automatic lights and power front seats (not even the driver's seat!). There was driver electric lumbar though.

Efficiency

At first we got 45-55 mpg. By the time we got rid of it, around 67k miles, it was getting 40-44mpg. If I tried really hard, I could get 60-62mpg. The car has a small tank, less than 12 gallons. Look for somewhere between 400-550 miles a tank.

Verdict

First off, I tried to be objective... and failed.

I don't like hybrid cars. I would personally never buy one of these things either and I fought valiantly with my parents back in 2009. But whatever, that ship has sailed. It gave me this opportunity to write a review about the Toyota Prius. That said; this car isn't a complete shitbox that many people claim it to be. Yes, it is unrefined, slow, has a cheap interior, and has that whole Prius snob thing going. But it is also quite roomy and affordable for many families while being fuel efficient.

Will it save you money? Most likely not, unless you're going from a Range Rover to a Prius (A family friend did this actually). Are there better cars for the money? Certainly. And by now, this model is 5 years old and running while being virtually unchanged (just a facelift in 2012 and a few minor interior changes). Bear in mind that many new midsize sedans will get mid-30s for MPGs for the same money as a new Prius. And there are more diesel, hybrid, and plugin options now than when the 3rd gen Prius first came out.

It is not fun to drive, but it does say more about you than, say, a Corolla or Camry would.

Brian Silvestro > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 11:50

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Sloping gigantic dashboards are becoming commonplace. My Fiesta's is huge.

My citroen won't start > Brian Silvestro 08/31/2014 at 11:56

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Anyone say gigantic sloping dashboards?

My car says Hi.

PS9 > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 11:57

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On a scale from 1 -10 how many zeros do you give it?

Brian Silvestro > My citroen won't start 08/31/2014 at 11:57

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Dear god.

My citroen won't start > Brian Silvestro 08/31/2014 at 12:02

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Feels like I'm in a spaceship, and have no leg space whatsoever.

The Transporter > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 12:08

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This little thing is the Devil!

The Transporter > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 12:13

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There are 4 modes for this car: Normal, Eco, EV and Power Slow, Slower, Slowest, and Not Quite As Slow But Still Dangerously Slow.

FTFY

Nibby > PS9 08/31/2014 at 12:15

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I'd rather not say.

Nibby > My citroen won't start 08/31/2014 at 12:15

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Which Subie is that?

jkm7680 > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 12:24

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How many dead hookers fit in the trunk?

jkm7680 > My citroen won't start 08/31/2014 at 12:25

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GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHBBBBLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

(If the dasbhoard could talk, that's what it would say)

Manuél Ferrari > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 12:26

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"At first we got 45-55 mpg. By the time we got rid of it, around 67k miles, it was getting 40-44mpg."

Wow. That is a sizable drop off.

Nibby > jkm7680 08/31/2014 at 12:35

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I would say 12.

jkm7680 > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 12:37

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Jeez, that isn't half bad!

My citroen won't start > jkm7680 08/31/2014 at 12:43

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While this happened.

My citroen won't start > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 12:44

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The Tribeca.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Nibby 08/31/2014 at 14:05

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Pretty much all you said is true. Except our brakes are extremely sensitive. Just moving your foot over basically stops the car. The 2007 had steering that was super light and didn't really fight except the under steer. Ours has around 100,000 miles and gets around 40. That spoiler pisses me off too.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > The Transporter 08/31/2014 at 14:06

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Have you seen the 2007? Its small near the wheel.

TDogg > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 08/31/2014 at 18:51

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Our 2007 has just over 130k & we're still able to get 45mpg regardless of how we drive (mostly in town). We trekked to Florida and back (from western Indiana) and got about 43mpg average for the trip doing 80mph. Definitely not what I'd call fun to drive, but it was a great value for a used car and I'm quite happy with it so far.