Toyota Prius Prime......Brief Test-Drive

[mmcartalk]

Toyota Prius Prime.....Brief Test-Drive.
I took in the entire upper floor of the D.C. Auto Show yesterday afternoon, which included the Toyota displays...Praise God, my relatively weak back and legs held up suprisingly well for those several hours on and off my feet, much better than I expected. As usual, Toyota had its Test-Drive circuit set up around the downtown streets. One of several new Toyota vehicles available for the test-drives was the new Prius Prime, the most expensive and sophisticated of the extended-range, plug-in Prius versions (and, IMO, a relative bargain for its 27K base-staring price).

Those of you who have followed my posts know that I've never liked the Prius's driving characteristics or road manners, but did like the solid construction of the 2Gen model, and criticized the 3Gen version for its lightweight, Cracker-Jack-thin materials and hardware, which was designed to save weight (and cost?). Happy to report, the new 4Gen version is a substantial improvement on both counts, if one can get past the ridiculous exterior styling, which reminds me of a Halloween mask.

Under the skin, though, this is easily the best Prius yet.....solid construction, noticeably better hardware and materials then the 3Gen, solid thunks when the doors and trunk-lid close, relatively comfortable seats and upholstery. Sure, the controls, electronics, and video screen were complex, but that is the case with all Prius models...complexity defines the very term Prius.

The brief spin around the city streets, in stop and go driving, was not enough for a true evaluation of the car's road manners (and certainly not enough for an MM Review). But it was enough to tell that it has a noticeably more refined feel, a relatively smooth ride over the rough city streets from the smallish wheels and higher-profile tires (more vehicles today, IMO, should have wheels and tires like this), relatively good handling, by Prius standards, from steering-input at low speeds, good noise isolation (the electric motor, of course, runs quietly), and overall much better refinement than before. Except for the Freddy-on-Elm-Street exterior styling, Munchkin-rear-roofline, and the usual odd and complex controls inside typical of a Prius, I was quite impressed and pleased with the new 4Gen version. It's also my opinion that IF Lexus wants to replace its existing CT200h, this would be a good basic platform to use...with better styling than the Prius.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

Even more important, what swag did you get in exchange for the test drive? I know they can't not give you a gift for doing so.

 

[mmcartalk]

Even more important, what swag did you get in exchange for the test drive? I know they can't not give you a gift for doing so.

I don't consider that important...and that's not why I test-drive cars.

Toyota routinely gives out small inexpensive items (like yesterday's cell-phone charge-plugs) at the test-drive site (and for correctly answering auto-trivia questions at their displays). I don't care much about that kind of stuff. In fact, when I DO get things like that for a test-drive or trivia-match (which I often do because of my automotive knowledge), I usually just turn around and give them to little children next to me.....or to a nearby adult, if it is something that little children don't use. It is just wonderful to see the delight on little children's faces when they suddenly get something totally unexpected.


Kia, Subaru, Mazda, and Scion (until Scion was discontinued) also give out small gifts for their own test-drive circuits at the slow, but don't usually have the trivia-games at their displays. Being smaller companies than Toyota, though, they share the remaining test-drive space that Toyota doesn't use, and don't each have one every day...they alternate.

One program, though, that I DO like (and I'll admit it) is the $50 and $75 pre-paid Mastercard debit-cards that the Ford and/or Lincoln sign viewers up for at the D.C. show every year. (I don't know it they have that program at the other shows or not). A rep takes down your E-mail and address, sends you a form in the E-Mail, which you print and take to any Ford or Lincoln dealer for a test-drive on any new vehicle. The salesperson or sales manager writes in the dealer-code, and you register it on-line, and get your card sent to you in the mail. I would, of course, review or test-drive anything I wanted to.....whether I got a card for it or not. But, it's nice to get the card(s)....and I usually redeem them at Starbucks for bags of the French Roast ground-coffee I like, which I brew at home every morning (that French Roast is good stuff). There's two restrictions, though....First, the test-drive has to be done and redeemed by March 30, and, Second, the cards expire at the end of August. So, of course, you can't save them and use them for new vehicles bring introduced late in the year....like with the EcoSport coming-out next fall. Sometimes the program will allow you (as was the case last year) to sign up for both the Ford and Lincoln cards......other years, it's one or the other.

And, Ford may not necessarily be wasting money either, in a program like this. People often come to me for sales-advice, and if I think highly enough of a Ford or Lincoln product, I might recommend it as a possible sale (a colleague of mine, for instance, got a C-Max that way). But I'm an honest and ethical person...if I don't think very much of a vehicle, I'm not going to recommend it, regardless of what kind of gift the manufacturer gives out for test-drives. Cadillac and Buick both had a similar programs several years ago (but dropped them)..and, after a test drive, I actually ended up buying a new Buick Verano. I still have it.....it's been an excellent car.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

Haven't kept up with your test drives Mike, but did you get to test a Bolt? And do you plan to try either the Kia Niro or Hyundai Ioniq when they arrive in showrooms?

 

[mmcartalk]

Haven't kept up with your test drives Mike, but did you get to test a Bolt?

Not at the D.C. show...Chevy doesn't have a test-drive circuit there, though I might do a regular review or test drive of one later on, if they are available in my area (D.C. suburbs)., especially now that you have requested it.

And do you plan to try either the Kia Niro or Hyundai Ioniq when they arrive in showrooms?

Kia has a test-drive circuit at the show. I'll try a Niro if they have one available for the drive, and not just inside at the display. it's not a real test-drive, though.....at least not by my standards. Just a few blocks on downtown city streets.

I'll be going back to the show (probably) Tuesday and one other day. My back and legs aren't what they once were, and I have to give them a couple of days rest in between.

My brother has become sold on Kias. He had a Soul for 5 years....and a Sportage after that. Loved both of them...and the local Volvo/Kia dealership (which is owned by the District's representative in Congress) treat their customers like a king.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

Not at the D.C. show...Chevy doesn't have a test-drive circuit there, though I might do a regular review or test drive of one later on, if they are available in my area (D.C. suburbs)., especially now that you have requested it.

I saw one being test driven at my local dealer here in California, so you should be able to do so now or soon enough.

Kia has a test-drive circuit at the show. I'll try a Niro if they have one available for the drive, and not just inside at the display. it's not a real test-drive, though.....at least not by my standards. Just a few blocks on downtown city streets.

I'll be going back to the show (probably) Tuesday and one other day. My back and legs aren't what they once were, and I have to give them a couple of days rest in between.

My brother has become sold on Kias. He had a Soul for 5 years....and a Sportage after that. Loved both of them...and the local Volvo/Kia dealership (which is owned by the District's representative in Congress) treat their customers like a king.

Yeah, not sure if the Niro is with the test drive fleet, but Kia usually has most of their models available to drive (and gives $10 Amazon cards). At the LA Auto Show, they were on the show floor to sit in and what not. Same for the Ioniq as well.