Overview & Reviews

Toyota now offers a slightly decontented "standard" Prius model that lacks cruise control and heated mirrors but in exchange has a significantly lower base price.

• Outstanding fuel economy, low emissions, generous amount of interior space, easy to maneuver in tight spaces, space-age interior design, a lower price for 2008.

• Less powerful and agile than other midsize sedans, a few disappointing interior plastics.

User Reviews:

Showing 111 through 120 of 213.00

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  No charge for rattle - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Rob - February 1 - 4:40 pm

  Generally like most aspects of car. Handles like a go-cart with quick steering and low to the ground. Mileage is great - this is why we bought it instead of our dream Avalon. Have a ghost rattle from dash near LCD monitor/CD player area that appears and disappears with no apparent cause. Very annoying considering Toyotas reputation for quality body work and the price paid for the car. Otherwise it is fun to drive and well detailed. Still have to get familiar with many features in the manual that we are still experimenting with. Looking forward to winter driving in Wisconsin - will extra battery weight provide better traction in snow or more prone to sideways sliding on icy roads?

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  2008 Prius: 151k miles, no problems ever - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Neil Lifson - December 13 - 4:03 pm

  Good car, can carry loads of cargo, never needs repairs, needs snow tires for better traction, esp. for getting out of icy driveway with slight uphill slant, great traction with snow tires, front seats (cloth) not too comfortable for long road trips but perfectly OK for day-to-day driving, newer Prius versions have better seats, we get about 44 mpg overall consistently but originally got 46 mpg with original tires, original tires wore out very quickly (15k miles) but got good gas mileage, annoying that the doors tend to all lock by themselves when you shut off car (except for drivers door), lacks a pivoting sun visor (only goes in 2 directions), newer models have more up-front leg room, power window buttons and door lock buttons do not light up, very safe car for head-on collisions ( experienced head-on collision in 2004 Prius, which is of the same generation as 2008 Prius, and survived in quite good condition with just a few broken ribs and some vertibrea with slight cracks that had to be kept immobilized for 2-3 months just in case (2004 Prius was totalled). We finally traded it in at 159,500 miles -- the only reason being that the front seats were not too comfortable for long drives. Other than that, this car has been fantastic. Nothing ever broke. Did replace the struts/shocks at some point -- maybe 85,000 miles (cant remember). Never did any brake work that I can recall. Changed the oil every 5k miles, and rotated tires every 5k miles (mostly). Added a tow rack (for carrying a bike rack) -- which was a very easy DIY project. Changed the 2 headlights myself (there was actually a recall on this, but I changed before the recall was issued.) Not very easy to change these bulbs unless you have tiny, tiny hands. Did not try out new Prius, but did try out 2017 Prius V. The seats are much more comfortable on the new Prius V, and the height of the seats is at least 3" higher than on the 2008 Prius. (Not sure how this compares to the standard 2017 Prius.) The entire Prius V is about 6" taller than our 2008 Prius. Ultimately, we decided to go with a Rav4 Hybrid as the replacement vehicle -- mainly due to the seat comfort issues, but also due to the fact that we would not have to have a separate set of snow tires -- since it is AWD. Also, it can tow. (The Prius V was very close in comfort, though, to the Rav4, and would likely be happy to drive on long road trips with the V -- but, we only tried the faux leather seats, as the material has a major impact on comfort. We got the faux leather seats in the Rav4.

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  Wonderful car, good choice for dog owner - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By KE - December 10 - 6:40 pm

  Ive had my Prius (pkg 2) for about 2 weeks and absolutely love it. My previous car was a small SUV. Im getting more than double the gas mileage, with an average so far of 52 mpg per the cars computer, and slightly higher on my own calculation. Acceleration is more than adequate, even when entering the freeway with the a/c on. Im impressed with the cargo space. I have a couple of 50 lb dogs who occasionally like to get wet/dirty; I thought I "needed" an SUV for this reason, but the Prius has been great (with the addition of a washable cargo area liner). Its easy to get dogs in/out and there is ample space for them to ride (the floor space is equivalent to my small SUV).

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  Jeep to Prius: Great! Even in the Snow - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By mjacks - December 2 - 9:06 pm

  I must admit that my biggest concern about trading my Jeep for a Prius was the extreme Chicago winters. Yes, the clearance is much lower, but I never once missed work because I could get through the snow. The interior is roomy and very well laid out. While it wont win any drag races, it has more than enough power to drive comfortably in any traffic condition. I will definitely buy another for my next car.

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  Fabulous - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By tbird - November 9 - 3:13 am

  Last 20 years have owned Loaded Astro vans Areo-Stars, Windstars, and traded a 1 year old Free-Star for my pride and joy. I owned 2 large auto body shops and have always admired Toyota construction and quality. I cant say enough about this car. My last 4 tanks (90% local) have given me 50.5 MPG. The car is perfect. I am 6 foot and very stiff from 3 back operations and get in and out ok.

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  Laughing away from the gas pump - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Button - November 2 - 6:43 pm

  Ive had the car for 6 weeks and love it! Im getting 47 mpg in mixed driving, over twice what I was getting in old car. Great hatch, with no liftover - its easy to get things in and out. Backup camera is a must, difficult to see anything out of rear window. Would not get tan cloth interior again, shows dirt too easy. Would get leather interior, wish they would offer heated seats.

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  Great little car - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By KC - October 24 - 9:03 am

  I went from a Ford Expedition to a Prius. I dont miss my SUV at all (except when doing big grocery shopping) and love driving my Prius. I have made my first payment just in fuel savings. I thought I would miss sitting up high on the road, but I have learned to really enjoy riding lower. The lowest fuel economy Ive gotten was right at 40mpg and I do a lot of highway miles, in addition to city driving. It rides nice on the highway (even pass people with ease) and is comfortable on road trips. My only complaint is that I seem to be a rock chip magnet sitting lower to the ground.

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  256k and still going! - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Lindy Lykins - October 18 - 7:18 pm

  I bought this car with over 200k miles on it, and it is still an extremely good car. The front bearings needed replaced last year, and the hybrid battery finally quit at around 253k. But it was such a great car that I decided to install a refurbished hybrid battery ($900) and the car has been working fine since then. For a prius with this many miles, I am very satisfied with the continued reliability. It is unfortunate that the hybrid battery went out, but it had had so few other problems that I think it was worth it to fix it. I intend to drive it until the wheels fall off :)

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  A Good Decision - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Rhonda - September 14 - 5:13 pm

  While I wasnt crazy about the exterior design, my research helped me decide based upon other positive features and ease of getting in and out. I am delighted w/my Prius. It holds the road well, maneuvers in traffic well. Solid sounding door closure. Mileage is better when not doing a lot of hwy. drvg. I compute mileage by the tank and have gotten as much as 412 miles to a tank of gas and as little as 308. The specs say its an 11.9 gallon tank, but from empty, Ive never been able to put more than 8.8 gallons in it. That equates to 35 to 46.81 mpg. It sure beats the 17 mpg I was getting in my minivan. I also love people asking me about it. I could be a Prius salesperson.

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  Such a wonderful surprise - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Lura Fellows Butt - September 9 - 5:00 am

  Very helpful dealership. I went to them just because our son was looking at trading in his Toyota pickup for the new model. My husband ask me to look at a car he had seen in the lot. I got inside, and was surprised at the leg room. So we asked to take it out on a test drive. It was everything consumers reported and more. Great pickup, and maneuverability. It passes out vehicles who think it is small, and therefore not fast. Cars hugging my back end are left in the dust. Took it to bar harbor Maine, and used only 4 tenths of a tank of gas. When we are ready to trade in, we will get another. It is the best vehicle weve owned in 48 and 1/2 years of marriage.