[90BHP]

Today I spotted a Prius on the Mumbai roads and was surprised with how quiet & peppy the car is. The car had 5 occupants with some luggage behind and it was going like a dream. The roll on acceleration was as if the car did not feel any friction at all, it was not lightning fast but butter smooth. I tried sifting through a lot of websites to see how good the car really is but, there are very mixed reviews. Considering the car costs 28L in Mumbai ex showroom it is a humongous premium to pay for fuel efficiency. Has anyone got any expert reviews on this car, I also went through t-bhp archives but, didn't find anything conclusive enough. Here's a glimpse of the interiors.

Mind you the gear knob is touch sensitive as per their website.

[Turbanator]

I was getting a very good deal in Chandigarh 2 months back - about Rs 7 lac off on a 2010 model lying with dealer . Few units of 2010 are with TKM . I drove the car for some distance - unless you want to show you are concerned for environment - there are much better options at this price range . Internal size vise it fits between Corolla & Camry but i was disappointed with interiors -maybe they have spent all money on Technology ! The warranty they offer on battery in India is way less than what they offer in International market .

[Y@SH]

I dont think it is worth buying it! You rather buy a BMW 3 series CE and enjoy the sheer driving pleasure. 28L for this car makes no sense to me. Till the government doesn't reduce its taxes on at-least hybrid cars it makes no sense to buy them. Nothing really exciting in the car, than it being a hybrid.

[revintup]

Basically the prius is for environmentalists or pseudo socialites who just want to show.Great technology but simply not worth the moolah!

And the interiors.Corrola's got a way better one.I think the prius would do better as a lexus.I mean if the technology is transferred to a lexus.Premium is justified and CEOs will purchase wanting to be a role model.If the govt. is serious about environment,why dont they reduce the tax on the cbu so that prius is priced about 15lakhs.That could be justified.The govt. neednt sweat over it,just dont make an insane profit over something good for the earth.

[swiftdiesel]

I won't buy the Prius for the same reason I won't buy the Reva. In my books, hybrids and other e-cell cars are just worth scrap metal. I don't care about the trees or the birds when it comes to the pleasure of driving which only a proper diesel/petrol car can give. Well some bigwigs are really out of their minds to be seen driven in on of these!

[kadanaJ]

Well, if you're thinking of buying it just from an economic perspective, don't!

A diesel will turn out to be much cheaper.

Not to mention the maintenance hassles of such a complicated car.

[rangakishen]

Dont know about buying. But the acceleration is really good because the car will give the rated torque (IIRC 207Nm) from 0 RPM!! Yeah that's right!! Right from stand still!!

[parsh]

I am not sure if the title should be "Is it worth a buy?".

Prius among others of its nature and also Reva stand for the way forward to Green Planet in someway or the other.

While we motoring enthusiasts love revving, the concept is what matters for these cars. The concept is certainly expensive to own presently but it cannot be said if it is worth a buy. The tech will surely evolve in future to make it more affordable. Afterall, where are we going to run when we are run out of Petrol/Diesel and trees which are so precious? Being a motoring head is one thing but at the same time the value of these vehicles must be understood and atleast the effort be lauded. Even we as driving enthusiasts will have to care about the planet in whatever way we can and not just care about our driving pleasure. I also love revving my car. But when I run at 100+, 140-160, my FE goes down for a toss and still I love it. But if I could afford the green technology, wouldn't I go for it and add in small manner to help save the planet? I would.

[govigov]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

I don't care about the trees or the birds when it comes to the pleasure of driving which only a proper diesel/petrol car can give.

well each one to his own. imo that was a bit too much. GOI should not tax soo much on these cars should actually push for these technologies, otherwise we would be regretting tomorrow when fossil fuels will be over. Alternative fuels is really the way forward. be it solar or hydrogen. these technologies are blooming and have not reached their teens yet.

[JustCause]

Originally Posted by parsh

I am not sure if the title should be "Is it worth a buy?".... But if I could afford the green technology, wouldn't I go for it and add in small manner to help save the planet? I would.

A cheap hybrid vehicle is the way forward for the Indian car scene. Just see how the electric scooter market is growing. Already, research is on, on making Ultra Capacitors (more than 2000 Farad) more affordable for mass market use. The Prius delivers class leading FE figures from the 2.0 hybrid engine.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

In my books, hybrids and other e-cell cars are just worth scrap metal. ...I don't care about the trees or the birds when it comes to the pleasure of driving which only a proper diesel/petrol car can give.

A totally baseless remark . Have you driven the Prius mate?
It is Mighty fast (in acceleration) from the get go. It is very silent too. After driving it & driving a normal petrol car, my ears had to adjust to the extra noise the engine made. Prius is not VFM, we all know that. But, in no way it is boring to drive.

[oxyzen]

Originally Posted by rangakishen

Dont know about buying. But the acceleration is really good because the car will give the rated torque (IIRC 207Nm) from 0 RPM!! Yeah that's right!! Right from stand still!!

Thats not all. Step away from the accelerator pedal and the car decelerates extremely fast. Awesome engine braking. In fact it is rather regenerative braking. Driving Prius is a very different experience.

[Mpower]

Its a high priced CBU and its targeted at high net worth individuals who have a passion for Hybrid technology/environment.

Its not something to be compared to an A4 or 3series.

[mohandasnikhil]

Well it depends on what price you want to lay on a STATEMENT you want to make.

If you want the world to know that you are>
1. Eco Friendly
2. Off Beat
3. Well Heeled but not one to display it in an overbearing fashion.

Then the Prius is worth a buy!

[mayankjha1806]

I would think if the manufacturer and government care about the environment they would price such cars which help save the environment to a level where normal junta like me can afford. If it does not make financial sense then there is no way anyone will buy it. At these price levels my view is it does not make sense buying it, maybe in future when they find cheaper way to manufacture and at the same time make it usable i would buy it.

[PPS]

Just a few days ago i saw a Prius taxi, there were 5-6 of them brand new lined up at the Hyatt Regency,Andheri. If the Government reduces import duty on hybrid cars it could be a decent buy. I believe the car costs somewhere around 34-36 lakhs on-road Mumbai