I am the second owner of a 2002 prius -- the first owners were my in-laws who owned it from new, so I've been associated with the car from day one. They replaced it with the newer Prius, so clearly they loved it. This car gets fabulous mileage, and has been incredibly reliable. However, there is no joy in driving the car. It handles tolerably, but almost any small car built today will handle better, accelerate better, and return more driving pleasure. The main problem, I think, is the weight. Having complained, however, I will mention that the car is extremely nimble in parking lots and tight situations. It has one of the tightest turning circles I'm aware of. In warm weather, I get between 47 and 52 MPG, depending on my driving conditions. In winter months, that drops off to 40-43. One thing to note -- the battery condition, including the 12v accessory battery, will impact the mileage, to some degree. Driving the Prius is an adventure when new, because the first time the engine stops when you pull up to a stoplight is very disconcerting. Also, the acceleration suffers from a standing start, until the gas motor kicks in. However, on the highway, acceleration is reasonably brisk. On the highway, the car drones because of the CVT -- the revs don't really change as the car accelerates. Also, the brakes are grabby, but once you get used to them, smooth stops are possible. I drove a 2007 Mazda3 as a rental car, and I have to say I preferred it as a drivers car over my Prius, but I will admit the fuel economy wasn't even close. The car is reasonably spacious for a small car. The trunk holds a fair amount, but you'll never confuse it with a mid size car or a good hatchback. However, I don't know whether the hatchback model (the newer Prius) is really much better, as the cooling stacks for the battery may intrude into the space. One thing which would help would be rear seats that fold down allowing a "Trunk-through". Last criticism: I recently had to replace the 12v accessory battery because it had reached its expected life, and was not holding a charge in cold weather (note -- this battery does NOT start the car, but is necessary for starting, because it powers the electronics). The dealer cost to replace the battery was a whopping $325 including labor. Why? because Toyota saw fit to redesign the part, so a retrofit kit is necessary, and not included. I have found no place that carries a direct replacement battery. The best I've found is an internet site which offers a $25 kit to replace the battery with a Miata battery (which has been the same since 1990!) Considering that a battery is usually a $50-100 part, and zero labor cost (at most auto parts stores), the situation is absurd. Toyota was NOT looking out for the customer when they did this. I bought the internet kit, and will buy a replacement battery when I get the chance (I've been working with stand-alone jump start device which costs less than $50 at walmart or the like -- in the end, I will have spent about $150 between the kit, the battery and the jump start device, and I'll have a jump start device and a larger capacity battery to show for it.)

Car gets a consistent 50+mpg even after 20+years. Toyota legendary reliability, as mechanically nothing has yet needed replacement other than front end struts, which are basically shocks. Roughly 150,000 miles from new. There is really no car to compare the Gen 1 Prius to, as Toyota built the perfect car for our world then. And it still is today. The only car that might challenge it will likely be a hydrogen drive built by Toyota.

I've been exceptionally happy with this car since I bought it in 2003. It has only cost me regular maintenance cost to keep it running. I'm still getting 46mpg after 161k mi. I would buy one again. It still feels safe and comfortable.

This has been a great car for me. Great mileage and low maintenance. costs. Tires are the key to great mileage. Buy a higher load rated tire and overinflate them to notch up the mpg's. In 9 years of ownership I have replaced 1 computer and 1 radiator. Update 6/15/2013 - I had my hybrid battery pack replaced using a rebuilt one from ReInVolt. Mileage has surged upwards consistantly getting 45 MPG or better. Still love my now geriatric car!

This is a car for people who just want to get from place to place, with no excitement or drama. Or for people who think Hypermiling is the key to life. Performance? it could put you to sleep. Handling? it reminds me of a limp piece of rope. Cost of ownership? Can't be beat. (old review) New factor: Cost of repairs. I just spent $3000 getting the fuel pump, fuel injectors and water pump replaced when they failed/leaked. That, in and of itself doesn't bother me -- 135,000 miles warrants some big money. Two weeks later, the car goes back to the dealership for a power steering issue. Estimate? $4000. That's right $4K. Why? Because the entire steering system has to be replaced, not just whatever part actually failed (imagine having a failed power steering pump, but having to replace the entire system, pump, hoses, rack & pinion, control arms, etc... A little internet research shows that this PS failure is a very common item on 2001-2003 prii - so used parts not recommended by anyone. Just for reference, BTW replacing the 12 volt accessory battery (Not the Hybrid battery) is $350. The Hybrid battery would set you back $2500 or so, and the other hybrid parts add another several grand. So repair costs for any given mechanical system tend to exceed the value of the car as a used car. Appearance? If you like looking at bugs, I guess it is okay. fun factor? Only for fans of pretty display graphics.