I test drove a 2004 Prius recently. Two things concern me. One is that the view out the rear hatch is sort of wierd. Do people find that visibility is in fact not a problem? Also, you cannot see the front of the hood. Does one get used to that?

A couple of other questions if you don't mind. So far reliable? Okay in snow?

Many thanks.

 

Sounds no different than driving an Insight or the CRX. Actually my problem is when I occasionally drive rentals and think "this is bigger - adjust your driving!"

I think (please verify) the 2004 Prius is the first to use drive-by-wire, allowing the front to be very short. This may be common place in the future.

This very short "cab-forward" design give me an idea for safety - put the hybrid batteries there. Put the hybrid batteries either in the bumper or just infront of the firewall. Hopefully the insulation required to keep them cool would not incurr and excessive weight/size penalty.

Two advantages:

1. Increases crumple zone
2. Reduced shock hazard as no electric cables in the passenger compartment. There have been articles expressing concern over this in a hybrid crash.

 

I think the batteries are placed where they are in hybrids to take advantage of the passenger compartment climate controls. NiMH batteries are happiest at the same temps people are happy with, the engine compartment big swings of hot and cold would make temp control difficult, giving poor performance and shorter battery life.

The Prius has a fan that sucks air from the passenger compartment, over the batteries, and exhausts outside. The fan is variable speed depending on the battery temps.

 

diver,
The view through the back is, indeed, a bit odd, but if you adjust your mirrors properly you shouldn't have a problem. I never have in a year and a half. As far as the front of the car -- true, you can't see it. But, compared to the other cars I've driven, it's very short at the front and you aren't likely to accidentally hit anything. You think you're closer than you are.

 

The Prius is a wonderful vehicle. The view out of the rear hatch is different, but not bad at all. You do get used to it. The dissapearing front end causes you to be careful when you are parking. Usually you overestimate the amount of space you need in front and end up being just fine in tight parking situations.

I don't think you will find any major maintenance complaints among the users here. I don't have any.

 

Diver,
The view out the hatchback is a little restricted, but the mirror coverage is good. It is something you adjust to rapidly. I agree with others about the nose. You will generally estimate short as to where the nose is. An easy trick I use is to flip on the headlights when parking in a tight spot. The reflection lets you know exactly where you are.
This car is simply incredible. I've had mine for 10 months and I couldn't be happier. I have experienced no cognitive disonance at all and I continue to be impressed with the quality and performance of the product. I am averaging over 50MPG as you can see below. Currently I'm experiencing the 10k break-in increases. My last tank was 55.9 MPG and included a 140 mile 75-80MPH trip (which is bad for mileage).

 

I drove a boat of a car for 5 years before my Prius came, it was the only car I'd ever driven really. I got used to relying more on mirrors and the short nose of the car within a week. It really is easy to get accustomed to.

Just make sure you adjust your mirrors correctly and you'll be fine.

 

Here's my take on the Prius. I'm a very happy owner oof about a month now...

http://www.convergencetime.com/russe...ius/prius.html

As for the view, it's more than adequate but it is different. It takes little getting used and perhaps even develops some better driving habits (more turning around and looking and more frequent side mirror checks) but overall, I don't find a large concern.

 

Nice page you've got there, Russell. Also, would you be interested in turning your review into an article here at GreenHybrid?