2012 Toyota Prius v consumer reviews

My wife wanted a wagon that was a hybrid. We were expecting our first child and wanted something efficient with added comfort because she commutes far for work. Let me tell you. We love this car. My wife's last car was a Mini Cooper S, I have driven many cars in the past, have done all the racing stuff so we both know what it feels like to drive a fast, great handling vehicles. The Prius v doesn't compare in sports handling, but we have been impressed and surprise that it doesn't drive like a boat. Ride is comfortable, but solid. I love this car alot. Best buy in 2011. You will love the extra cargo. We got a great deal on this car. $28,400 out the door.

We were looking for a hybrid car and almost purchased a Lexus CT 200H before deciding that we needed more space for the family. Luckily, the Prius v came along. It's a comfortable car and we've already logged 6000 miles on it within 2 months. Here's what i love : Dynamic Cruise Control Leg Room ( i'm 6 feet tall) Overall space - I don't need my SUV now that i have this. Could do better : The voice commands are quirky . I'd have loved leather seats No Sun Roof. I get the rated gas mileage when 1 person is in the car. With a full load, the mileage drops by 4-5 MPG.

What's to say? 1) It's a Prius & 2) It's a Toyota. A beautiful new machine. We love it. Recommend it. This one we plan to keep till it goes off a cliff. Thank you Japan, Toyota, Prius etc.

We've wanted a hybrid but couldn't find one big enough to accomodate our family of 4 plus the labrador retriever! Now we have found it. We have been averaging about 42 mph, and the ride is smooth, comfortable, and quiet. The second row seats both move and recline, which our tall sons appreciate. Definitely recommend for families that want to pay less at the pump.

My wife and I purchased the 2012 Prius V to replace our faithful 1994 Volvo 850 Turbo (19/28 MPG and a lot of fun to drive). We were using the Volvo 850 this car as our commuter car and all around hauler (it can hold disassembled motorcycle in its back!) and we wanted a car that did the same. We've put about 1,000 miles on our new Prius V and it mostly replaces the Volvo 850. Here's the goods and not-to-goods: GOOD: 1) MPG: My wife's commute is 35 miles and it is a mix of highway/local streets and a LOT of idling in traffic. For this commute, she is getting about 40 mpg. This is DOUBLE mpg of our old Volvo 850. That's a lot of money saved! 2) Interior Room: You can be a 6 footer and still have plenty of leg room in this car. 3) Storage: Easily the equal of the Volvo 850. A full size dresser fits inside the back (the rear seats go fully down - flush with the back). 4) Amenties: Nice cup holders. There's even a right handed cup holder for the passenger. 5) Noise is very low: I have never been in a more quite car. This car does not emit much engine noise and there is nearly zero noise when the electric motor is running the car. The low noise is really a pleasure then you listen to the HD radio (the first one I have ever had also). 6) Ride: For a family car, the suspension is good. The ride is neither too firm or too mushy. We expect the ride degrade with age, but for now it is okay. NOT-SO-GOOD: 1) No Zoom-Zoom: The 1.8L engine (yes, I was surprised the engine was so large for a hybrid) is just large enough that you can merge on the highway and not feel that you will get run over. Its take-off speed/acceleration is just okay too. I find that I am pushing the pedal to the floor all the time and that will take some getting used to. This car is almost a complete dog on acceleration. 2) Plastic EVERYWHERE/EVERYTHING: It is hard to find anything that is NOT plastic in the interior. It feels cheap inside, but I'm getting used to it. 3) Handling is nowhere to be found: This is DEFINITELY NOT a fun car to drive. It has a fair amount of body roll and will easily squeal the tires in moderately curved highway exits. By contrast, the Volvo 850 takes equivalent exits at 15+ miles per hour faster. My wife loved the Volvo 850 for its European handling and finds this car completely dead. 4) Busy dashboard and controls: This is probably a small ding - as all cars have busy control now. We'll have to get used to this, but I prefer less buttons to push/turn/toggle. 5) USELESS EV MODE: There are 3 modes to run the car in and one is EV mode. This is supposed to be make the car run on the battery in town/city driving (i.e., under 25 miles per hour). The EV mode willl turn off when driving demands the gas engine be used. Well, I can't get the EV mode to stay on for even light-footed local driving. EV mode will cut out just going up a hill or going past even 20 mph. This is a totally useless mode. 6) A Low Ride Height: This car has long nose and we have to be careful with its speed going up the driveway or on ramps/speed bumps. The nose does touch down if you are not careful. It would be UNTHINKABLE to get the performance handling package (a $3000+ option!) for the Prius V as it would just deck-out much easier with the lower nose. A hard nose-dive on a Prius V can be an extremely expensive mistake. OVERALL: Even with the lack of acceleration and handling, we find this to be an excellent commuter car. The $$$ savings overrides all the negative aspects (with are not terrible). We have easily cut our commuting cost in half with this car and that it more imporant that handling for my family of 4.

I had mine for about 4 days now. I am averaging about 44 mpg between highway and city. Exterior styling is sharp and the black color does look good. I wish I would have gotten the upgraded wheels as the base hub caps look cheap. The car handles nice and has more than adequate power. The layout of the interior is good and the cloth seats are more than comfortable. The space is considerably more than the regular Prius. Adults can sit comfortably in the back without complaining leg or headroom. The car handles well. It won't win any races but it does have enough power when you need it. I would recommend the car and yes, I am glad that I paid more for the Prius V. I have two children and I think the extra space will be really necessary.

We looked, read about the different models, and chose the Prius V. Is everything we were looking for plus. Comfortable, great mileage, fun to drive.

We bought our Prius new in 2005 just before Katrina and the first of many since gas price shocks. We love the car. We've carried 8 ft lumber with the hatch closed, a couple dozen bags of mulch, an entire garden planting, 32" exterior and interior door units, twin-sized matress sets...the list goes on. I've even slept stretched out (I'm 6'2") in the back on overnight camping trips. Our lifetime winter/summer/highway/city mileage average is around 50 mpg. Plenty of leg room, great sound system, lots of storage, etc. Dependability has been great and at 110,000 miles, we still have 50% of the original brake pads left. That's something that a lot of folks forget...the cost of maintanance for this car for things like oil and brakes is much lower compared to other cars (oil change interval is increased because the gas engine does run all the time and brakes last longer because of the regenerative braking feature whereby energy that would normally be lost as heat is captured and moved to the main battery). Like the title says...best car we've ever owned.

Because of my commute, my Prius actually saves me money. Even with the monthly car payment I am still spending less then I would have, had I kept my element. I get above 51mpg fuel economy. Love it ! The key to driving a Prius is to learn how to use the vehicle's momentum to reduce the combustion engine strain. Great JBL sound system came with it. I wish it was a plug-in....

We bought a 2010 Prius II right off the lot beause of the MPG. We had a Dodge Durango that compared to the Prius DRANK the gas. Our Durango would have to be filled up every 7-10 days, and with gas prices it was about 80-100 bucks per fill up. Getting about 300 miles to a tank of gas. NOW... We are currently getting 55 MPG and sometimes cannot recall the last time we filled up! It is only costing us about 35 bucks on the high side to fill it up and it is going about 450 miles to a tank of gas! THIS CAR IS PAYING US TO DRIVE IT! I LOVE IT! It isn't a luxury car or a "sweet ride" like my Durango limited with leather... BUT, how much money does it cost to look good? I have a few complaints about the interior design, but the overall leg room for everyone is awesome. The back seat is actually rather roomy. There is still room for the dogs in the hatchback and although they aren't crazy about it, it is usually for a short across town trip. I am totally digging the Prius. Between the gas, the insurance and the 7 year extended warranty, we have more money to do other things with in todays economy. I feel that it doesn't drain our pocket book.