USED Toyota Prius Hatchback (03 - 09)

My car

Had a T3 for nearly 3 years, covered 19,000 mls. Very good build quality... no rattles, squeaks and the woodlouse shape makes it very very quiet at speed. Economy nothing like that advertised... av 54 in summer & mid 40's in the winter, but even so I'm not unhappy. Is best either in town or on flat A roads between 40-55mph... fuel economy suffers on motorways. Visibility not brilliant out of the back and why no heated rear view mirrors? Also because its silent when on electric it could do with an external audible warning when reversing to warn pedestrians. Quirky dash & info displays a bit of fun... most useful is av MPG... least useful is the energy regenerated. Flat load space excellent when the rear seats are folded, but boot space bit small when 4 people in the car. Overall a very good start for hybrid cars... a bit pricey but wins out on its qualities.

My car

105,000 miles in four years. Nothing gone wrong, nice driving position and quick for an economical family car.

Interior could be a bit less tacky but has stood up to normal family abuse very well.

This is really a very good car, a bit dull, maybe but reliable, quiet, easy to drive and I am definitely buying another one.

My car

I've owned my Prius T-Spirit for 7 months and almost 10,000 miles now, and dispite all the criticism the car strangely seems to attract, there is simply no better car for my daily commute in and out of West London.

Forget Toyota's environmental claims - the main thing the Prius protects is your wallet. The 55-60mpg I get in the warmer months (it dips to around 50mpg during winter) is just the beginning; group 7 insurance, £15 road tax, 8-year powertrain warranty and arguably the best numbers of them all - JD Power 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey winner (and joint top in 2007).

It's totally stress-free and easy to drive, while being smooth and quiet too. It's spacious inside and has a terrific specification (the T-Spirit has touchscreen sat nav, bluetooth, parking camera and MP3 connector). Interior quality is better than you might expect. Incidentally, a previous review suggested that tall people may find it hard to get comfortable; I'm 6' 1" and have absolutely no comfort problems at all.

Only downsides are a lack of performance - especially when the main hybrid battery is spent and needs the petrol engine to recharge - and it's perhaps not the prettiest thing on the road, nor the most exciting to drive hard. But if cheap, easy motoring is your priority, purchase price aside of course, you'd be hard-pressed to find something better.

My car

I own both a Prius and a Honda Jazz and like both for different reasons. I have driven the Prius across Europe and growing children have been very comfortable in the back, unlike the Jazz which is a rough ride in the back. The Jazz guzzles petrol at high speeds whereas the Prius has consistently delivered great mpg (although it consumes considerably more in the winter when it is cold). My complaint is that the bodywork feels flimsy and when I had an accidental brush with a post in a car park the bill was about 3,000 pounds to repair. Conclusion: cheap to run, expensive to repair.