The vehicle of choice: Drawbacks of Prius
I’ve been driving the Toyota Prius for some time now and have also written about it. The car has completely surpassed my expectations on all levels including comfort, fuel economy, reliability, etc. This car is surely a keeper in times of high petrol prices and long queues on CNG lines, but this article is about one drawback of the vehicle which will be discussed below.
Before the Prius, I travelled about 500-600 km per month (including office plus general use). And I thought after buying Prius that now, my fuel expense would slash in half because of the obvious fuel savings I’ll get from this Hybrid, however, my fuel expense remained the same! But my distance travelled in a month doubled.
Most of the people I know, who don’t own a Prius themselves but they take this car like it is free to operate and drive in terms of fuel. In my office, if anyone wants to go anywhere, they will prefer to go on my Prius and eventually do go on my Prius. You ask them why? They utter, “Ae te hybrid gaddi ae” (This is a hybrid car).
If my boss wants to get dropped at his home which is about 12 Km off course for my drive home, again Prius is the leading candidate, because, “Yeh to battery pe chalti hai yaar (This runs on Battery)”. People seldom realise the difference between a car that runs free and a car that runs efficiently.
The situation at home is no different. For everyday tasks, Prius will be used if it is standing in the garage. If the Family has to go somewhere, Prius will be again be the preferred choice. In your friends’ circle, usually you will have to travel the longer distance for a meet-up/get together because, Hey! You have a Prius.
But then there are other drawbacks too, though they don’t bug you as much as the one I have written above, but they exist and I should report them.
- Looking through the rear-view as the break between the window and the spoiler takes a little time getting used to.
- If you are moving on electric only mode, press the accelerator a bit (assuming cabin is quiet without any music), the engine makes a lot of noise because our ears are not used to the engine running all the time + due to CVT transmission
- The beige/suede seats can get dirty very easily and require careful use.
There are no major complaints with the Prius as vehicle which used fuel very efficiently, and that is exactly what it’s designed to do. Go the extra mile so when you’re buying a hybrid, expect some long hauls.