The Prius 2010 looks pretty darn nice to me! It will probably be $5000 more than the HCH2 in Canada, though. Hal

 

There has been talk of the Prius II still being offered even after the introduction of the Prius III. So, maybe it's still a relevant topic... maybe Honda will respond by bringing back the Insight I. (Just kidding.)

 

I wanted a Prius at first. The HCH II was not even on my shopping list. After test driving the Prius (regular and touring models) several times I remained uncertain about that choice. Yes I love the high application of technology to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and minimum tail pipe emissions. I was never crazy about the styling, but I really appreciated the spacious interior. I found the ergonomics of the controls to be lacking and the gauges were almost impossible to read under bright light conditiond. The drivers seat did not slide far enough back from the pedals to give me the leg room I need (if only that seat would move ~ 1 more inch?). The Prius just did not feel as solid as most other cars, which seems to jive with the fact that the crash test results are relatively unimpressive (solidity and crash worthiness seem to go hand in hand).

OK then one day after the last Prius test drive I stopped by the local Honda dealer to check out the Civic Hybrid. After one minute behind the wheel I knew that the Civic won my heart hands down! Where do I begin?

Pluses:
[LIST][*]leg room more than Prius and plenty for my 6' frame[*]styling (subjective)[*]ergonomics superior to Prius[*]solidity of body structure & crash test results[*]easy to read gauges (even in bright light)[*]comfort of front seats that fit me [*]lower sticker price

Minuses:
[LIST][*]lower fuel efficiency[*]less feature content (I like my cars loaded with all goodies)[*]small trunk versus versatile hatchback[*]some cache (Prius is the quintessential Hybrid)


Well that is my story and I am sticking to it! I love my HCH, and have no regrets for choosing it over the Prius.

 

I did the same thing Stu. I really wanted a Prius and spent half day test driving and kicking tires. I was ready to purchase and noticed the Honda dealer next door, Hmm I better go try the HCH2 2006 model. Within 15 min. I had made up my mind. Went home with a taffeta White one. Never looked back. Most of my travel is highway so mileage is as good as the Prius! Hal

 

Buy a HCH. I bought an '09 at the end of March without test driving a Prius and I always thought I made a huge mistake for not test driving one. In the beginning of May, I test drove a Prius and I decided I hated it. Buy Honda. Bye.

 

The choice was clear for us concerning the recent purchase of a HCHII. Toyota does not have a dealer as good as our Honda dealer in the state. I always feel the need to wear a chastity belt and body condom when on a Yota lot in this state.

Our hybrid does 95% hwy. This is were the HCHII shines. While still very new. No squeaks or rattles. And had none in our 05 Accord EX or 06 Civic EX. We do not need the room the PII has to offer nor the utterly stupid dash. Not a drivers dash by any means. We have a Ranger in the back yard for hauling.

Seeing the HCHII is the wifes car and she is the main driver. With just a tad over 3k miles. The car is holding a 52 mpg average. I do drive the car some. As we carpool into Tulsa some for work. Seems to be about three days a week. This week the wife is on her own. I took a few days off. As of last night she was at a solid 53 mpg for the current tank.

The Civic fit the bill. The PIII is a very interesting car. As is the Insight and Fusion. We will never buy a first year production car ever again. The 06 Civic EX drove that point home.

Now if we did 95% city driving. We would have been forced to suck it up and go to Arkansas, Kansas or Missouri and purchase a PII. It would have been a shame tho to buy a PII over the HCHII inlue of the deal we did get on the Civic.



As the car sets now.



A mini hybrid meet. Wife with her HCHII and sister-inlaw with her PII.

 

It has been 3 years since we bought our '06 Prius and we still love it just as we did the first day we got it. We got the car because of it's interior room compared to the MPG's. The civic is a great car, and it does do better on the Highway, but we wanted the hatchback, and rear seat room to carry 6' tall adults. We would buy this car again, even with all the new options out there.

Our biggest complaint is highway stability, and driving in incliment weather. Problem sovled! We upgraded the tires to 195 M+S rated performance all-seaons and it made all the difference. 2 MPG drop, but the car feels way more substantial on the highway, and is much better in rain/snow. I highly recommend getting rid of the integrity's when you have the chance!

Even though we love the pruis, I firmly believe in the right tool for the job. I convinced a relative to get a 2009 HCHII instead of the prius a few weeks ago. Athough he is 6' 2", he did not need the rear seat room or hatchback versatility. He wanted dependable reliable transportation that will not cost him at the pump. The price was right, and the styiling suited him. After he test drove our Prius, the new insight and a camry he settled on the HCHII & I hear he's getting 45mpg!

 

We get awfully close! Thank gosh my wife is in good shape. Maybe this is all the more reason to get thee to the gym Thanks for the heads up!

 

As the happy owner of both a HCH (I) and Prius (II), my experience suggests that you will be quite happy with either car. My gas mileage observations:

- On our short trips (10-15 minutes) to work, mileage is roughly the same
- At freeway speeds ( ~65 MPH or less) mileage is roughly the same
- At interstate speeds ( ~70-75 MPH) the Prius mileage is much better

Other observations:

- The HCH is ever-so smooth; you don't even know the engine is running
- The Prius is rougher-feeling when the engine kicks in
- There were a few rattles on my HCH, which I've learned to live with

And finally:

- My HCH I proves that a car doesn't have to be shaped like a suppository in order to get great gas mileage. ;-)

... of course, that may be why my interstate-speed mileage is poorer compared to that of my wife's Prius. :-P

Hope that helps you decision!