[07Prius]

In many ways my 2007 Prius is the best car I've ever owned. But it's not a given I'll buy another Prius.

I feel like the Niro press release is saying all the right things. I particularly like,

"...the Niro boasts an elevated seating position much like the Kia Soul, providing drivers with a more commanding view of the road as well as easy ingress and egress."
​

My biggest complaint with the 2016 Prius is they've made it lower and "sporty." So one might say it's the opposite, having a "depressed" seating position providing a "subservient" view of the road and "difficult" ingress and egress.

I might buy a 2017 Prius V, if it's more vertical, but that's likely to be a significantly more expensive option than the Niro.

 

[Neuron]

Was never a fan of Prius and I highly doubt I'll get the newer model. Once you get used to the ride height of crossovers and SUVs, it's hard to go back to a lower seating position. The Niro also comes with densely padded seats so they'll be comfortable and they won't compress as much over time.

 

[Alex]

I always liked the Prius and although a lot of people are saying its ugly, I kind of like it. Having looked at a lot of Lexus models i'm seeing some of it in the Prius, reason for liking the Prius design. Those that want something SUV like can always wait on the C-HR, that might go hybrid and present something very competitive in the market.

 

[07Prius]

I always liked the Prius and although a lot of people are saying its ugly, I kind of like it.

It frustrates me that so many people think *anything* different is "ugly." In my family, we've owned the Prius, a Nissan Cube and a P/T Cruiser (the last two were my wife's primary cars). All three are a little different than very ordinary sedans. If someone said, "I like this one or that, but not the other," I'd think OK, interesting to hear what you do and don't like. But for most people, it's, "I hate all three, and anything that's not a sedan." Sorry, but not much to discuss.

And don't get me started on colors! Apparently most people think anything besides red, white, blue, grey, and black is "ugly."

 

[07Prius]

Having looked at a lot of Lexus models i'm seeing some of it in the Prius, reason for liking the Prius design.

We tried the Lexus CT when it first came out. Although it was nice in some ways, it wasn't simply the extra-luxurious version of a Prius that I was expecting. There were three negatives:

First and foremost, it had a semi-reclined seating position, which appears to have now been copied in the 2016 Prius. Second, there was a warning sticker on the window that since the tires were made of a very soft compound for super-cornering grip, buyers must expect 20,000 miles, or less, before having to replace them. Test driving it was interesting. The low driving position and tires did allow it to corner well, but it was more of an economy-hybrid than a performance-hybrid (most Lexii, design the hybrid power train more for power than for fuel economy). So I assume their target customer wants a car with exceptional cornering, but only moderate acceleration. Maybe such customers exist, but that's not me.

The third detraction, was the tailgate had a much smaller opening that did the Prius, I assume for stylistic appearance.

 

[07Prius]

...Once you get used to the ride height of crossovers and SUVs, it's hard to go back to a lower seating position....

Most of my driving is short urban trips, rapidly going from one narrow parking space to another. So I really don't want a car that's wide, or harder to get in and out of.

A second problem with lower seating, is that it's harder to see around all the big vehicles out on the road.

And the third problem with semi-reclined seating, is for me the worst: It means the steering wheel is further away. This makes for sore neck and shoulders from reaching out to the wheel. In theory, the problem could be easily solved with a telescoping steering wheel, but often it is not. The range of telescoping may be laughably small, as it is with the 2016 Prius. And understandably, designers have made the decision that it's better for short people to be able to drive, at all, than for tall people to be comfortable. So to keep the air bag more forward from short drivers, even if there is a telescoping wheel, it usually telescopes from too-far-away to WAY-too-far-away.

 

[07Prius]

And don't get me started on colors! Apparently most people think anything besides red, white, blue, grey, and black is "ugly."

I was just checking the Korean site for colors. Here's a link.
There's blue, black, white,and two shades of grey. Surprisingly there's no red, but there is a brown. It's 리치에스프레소, which according to Google translator is "Rich Espresso." I hope they sell that in all markets. I'm eager to see it. The darker grey, 메탈 스트림, "Metal Stream," might be my second choice, but hard to tell from the computer screen.

In the sportage, (link) there's the 파티나 골드, "Gold Patina," which might be the same as "Burnished Copper" on the US web site, though I'm thinking it's probably not. Those are maybe both nice colors too, but I definitely want a light interior, and I think the Rich Espresso would look better with the grey, which is probably the only choice for a light interior.

 

[Alex]

It frustrates me that so many people think *anything* different is "ugly." In my family, we've owned the Prius, a Nissan Cube and a P/T Cruiser (the last two were my wife's primary cars). All three are a little different than very ordinary sedans. If someone said, "I like this one or that, but not the other," I'd think OK, interesting to hear what you do and don't like. But for most people, it's, "I hate all three, and anything that's not a sedan." Sorry, but not much to discuss.

And don't get me started on colors! Apparently most people think anything besides red, white, blue, grey, and black is "ugly."

I know what you mean, it's one reason why I don't take responses that happen right away with any value, it doesn't hold much weight. But give these same people 3-6 months of seeing it and I bet a lot of them will come to honestly like it, although some will feel obligated to stick to their original story.

 

[DeNiro]

Most of my driving is short urban trips, rapidly going from one narrow parking space to another. So I really don't want a car that's wide, or harder to get in and out of.

A second problem with lower seating, is that it's harder to see around all the big vehicles out on the road.

And the third problem with semi-reclined seating, is for me the worst: It means the steering wheel is further away. This makes for sore neck and shoulders from reaching out to the wheel. In theory, the problem could be easily solved with a telescoping steering wheel, but often it is not. The range of telescoping may be laughably small, as it is with the 2016 Prius. And understandably, designers have made the decision that it's better for short people to be able to drive, at all, than for tall people to be comfortable. So to keep the air bag more forward from short drivers, even if there is a telescoping wheel, it usually telescopes from too-far-away to WAY-too-far-away.

Not sure about the Niro steering wheel but the higher seating helps when trying to make a left turn and just generally giving you a better point of view. Also easier to get in and out of because you're not squatting down trying to get into a low car, with something like an SUV or CUV, the door and seat is at the perfect height to easily get in and out of.

 

[tadtam]

Prius/Niro

I purchased a Red Niro EX 2 weeks ago. Traded in my 2012 Prius. Getting in/out is definitely easier. Ride is much quieter. My gas mileage that the internal calculator shows ranges from 42.3 to 69.5. I will not be sure of figures until I fill-up myself. I only have 143 miles on it. My Prius was getting 46 to 52 mpg.
I love the Android Auto. The Prius navigation system really sucked.
So far the Niro is a Prius killer IMHO.

 

[NiroLXinLA]

Meh

I traded in my 2010 Prius IV for a red Niro LX.
It's fine. I chose the Niro for the MPG and higher ground clearance which is a real issue where I live in Los Angeles, with all the hills and potholes, etc. Also looked at the Chevrolet Volt, Honda Fit & HR-V, Ford Fusion and the Kia Soul. Really what I wanted was a fun city car like the Kia Soul but with better fuel economy. So I decided to take a chance on the Niro.
I don't love the Niro as much as I wanted to, or as much as I did on the test drive.
The car bucks when coming from a stop or accelerating from a reverse position -- I HATE that, makes me feel less safe, like I couldn't maneuver quickly out of a bad situation if needed because of that pause. I'd love to hear from anyone more experienced with hybrid engines if there's any tips for making the stops/starts less jumpy. I have 30 years driving experience and have driven every kind of vehicle, so I'm pretty sure I'm not the cause of the problem (but never say never!).
Pros: Gas mileage is good. Apple CarPlay is great, but really hate not being able to use GoogleMaps on the display and audio. The interior is nice and roomy and the dashboard has everything well-situated. Nice to be riding higher up.
Cons: That **** stop/start bucking. And braking feels awkward. Not as smooth or confident a ride as the Prius.
Working hard to try and love it more than I do...glad I got a lease and didn't buy.

 

[realto]

You can accelerate forward from a stop in the 'power' mode. Push the trans lever to the left. No need to use the manual +, - gearing. I did that and the hesitation is gone. Then you can go back to the eco mode. It also gives you more torque through the shifting range.

 

[07Prius]

I have 30 years driving experience and have driven every kind of vehicle, so I'm pretty sure I'm not the cause of the problem (but never say never!).

One thing that bugs me is how slow newer transmissions are to engage. This is only a big issue when you're trying to rock a car out of a depression in the snow. It's impossible to "D, Pedal-Down, Pedal-Up, R, Pedal-Down, Pedal-Up, D, ..." when it takes a second to shift.

Supposedly the Niro transmission is an "manual" transmission, that is virtually "automatic," through the use of double clutches and the electric motor for starting. I'd really like to hear more good things about this, before switching from the Toyota Prius transaxel, which works quite well.

Please reply back, if you find the shifter-to-the left thing realto mentioned to be helpful.

 

[07Prius]

You can accelerate forward from a stop in the 'power' mode. Push the trans lever to the left. No need to use the manual +, - gearing. I did that and the hesitation is gone. Then you can go back to the eco mode. It also gives you more torque through the shifting range.

Can you explain more? Are you doing this every time you accelerate from a stop. Yikes. Is it really only helpful when you want to accelerate quickly? How much difference in fuel economy would it make, if you left it to the left continuously? I think I read shifting to the left reduced power steering assist for more "road feel," which might (or NOT) be good for hard cornering. Does it, and do you think that's good?

 

[NiroLXinLA]

You can accelerate forward from a stop in the 'power' mode. Push the trans lever to the left. No need to use the manual +, - gearing. I did that and the hesitation is gone. Then you can go back to the eco mode. It also gives you more torque through the shifting range.

Thanks for the advice. I have tried Sport mode and it is a smoother drive (especially the start/stops). But that mode sacrifices fuel economy and makes it feel even more like driving a manual transmission. To others asking, regardless of whether you use Sport (power) mode, the car feels like driving a manual transmission. You can hear and feel the gear shifts. Not something I really noticed that much in a Prius.

 

[07Prius]

...regardless of whether you use Sport (power) mode, the car feels like driving a manual transmission. You can hear and feel the gear shifts. Not something I really noticed that much in a Prius.

That does not sound good. Apparently many people don't like CVT's (Prius transaxel functions as a CVT) purely because they're used to shifting behavior. I understand they even de-tune the efficiency of CVT's to make them feel more like geared transmissions. Not good. This is explained here,