Prius threads are always funny. I get a kick out of how many people's self-image is wrapped up in their cars, I feel sorry for them.
I currently have 20K miles on a 2010 Prius. I bought it because there is no other car that does what I need. If there was, I would have bought it.
Honest 40-50+ mpg in real world driving. Must get at least 30 or so in what it's used for most of the time, which is trips of less than 2 miles.
0-60 under 10 seconds.
Mid-size or larger interior, carrying 4 people comfortably and 5 in a pinch.
Hatchback with folding seats, big enough to carry a 911 hood, front and rear RSR bumpers, ducktail and a cardboard box of lenses and other parts. Or a full size Christmas tree inside.
The usual modern stuff like airbags, ABS, bluetooth, GPS, iPod/USB ports, etc.
It actually accelerates pretty well, and the solar roof is awesome. It can be parked in direct sunlight in 90 degree heat and it's comfy inside using no power at all.
What it sucks at is handling. Much like a Camry or Insight or Yaris or whatever, they dial in tons of understeer and then the low rolling resistance tires and soft suspension make it even worse. I truly wish they made a "R" version (lol) that had better handling.
Anyway, that's my real world observation from someone that actually owns one and has put a bunch of miles on it. I'm probably one of the most conservative guys on the board, think MMGW is an evil joke, and if someone tries to put an Obama sticker on my car they'll spend the next few days laying on the couch with a bag of ice on their nose. I own 4 cars and they are all good at something. A Prius does what it does really well. If you need to a car to compensate for some shortcoming you have, go buy a Mustang.
