Overview & Reviews

For the 2005 Toyota Prius, a rear wiper is now standard, the sun visor material has been changed from vinyl to fabric, and the Smart Entry and Start system has been renamed the Smart Key System.

• Outstanding mileage, ultralow emissions, generous amount of interior room, hatchback utility, reasonable price, excellent build quality.

• Less power than other midsize sedans, some confusing controls, real-world driving results in lower mileage than the window sticker suggests.

User Reviews:

Showing 51 through 60 of 607.00

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  Toyota wins again - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By p. morris - May 9 - 11:13 pm

  My guess is the first generation Prius has hurt the new model. Most folks are amazed at the interior room of front and back seats, Front seats are very ng vi easy to take on long rides.Grey cloth seems to show slight wear after only 10 months and easy use. Perhaps the 2006 will have better cloth or even leatherette would be better. Car is smooth at all speeds and especially quiet for the driver.Engine shut down in traffic is great feature that few cars can have.$75k BMW owners do not have this great feature. A/C works great at all times, even at a stop. Technology is terrific at this price.MPG complainers are possibly inaccurate in their tests as my typical reult is 53 mpg in mix

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  Tires bad already - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Bea - March 28 - 10:40 pm

  We had a 2001 Prius sedan. The tires didnt last very long so when we went to buy our 2005, we specifically asked about tires. We were assured the problem had been taken care of. However, the tires on the 2005 havent lasted any longer. We are at 20,000 miles and have been told we need replacements at next service. Evidently, the sales people and service people have never communicated about the problem. What you save on gas, you spend on tires so gas saving is not a good reason to buy this car. Also, the sedan was easier to drive. The hatchback has blind spots. The hatchback open so high, you have to be careful of overhead garage doors. Be careful not to shut door when hatch is open.

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  2005 Toyota Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Dee - November 11 - 11:36 pm

  Its just a fun car. There is a learning curve involved with getting the promised mileage. Once you learn to ease your foot off the gas and trust the electric motor, the gas savings can be impressive.

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  Jeannie - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Jeannie - October 18 - 6:30 pm

  Lots of room in front seats. With hatchback model able to fit more in - went camping with it and fit in stuff for three. Gas mileage not nearly what was projected. With 5000 miles on the car, I average 38mpg around town and 45 on highway (oppisite of what they quoted - and geting less as engine ages). The best Ive gotten is 50mpg - all freeway miles in rush hour traffic. Handles poorly on wet road - slips a lot.

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  Annoying quirks almost worth it - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By urbangranola - September 10 - 7:50 pm

  We bought the Prius to make a statement and vote with our wallets. The car is fine, overall. We average 48-50 mpg with 60% highway 40% city driving. Reviews that criticize mileage dont understand the EPAs tests, nor that Toyota cant advertise real world mpg - just the EPAs results. Our Prius hasnt given us any trouble, and performs surprisingly well when we need horsepower (accelerating onto freeway, getting out of trucks way). The dashboard is cheap and wears quickly, but the gauge display is cool. Keyless entry is a wonderful option with a small child, but the rear window design makes sunshades almost impossible. We understand why its automatic only, but really want a manual.

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  Some good, some bad. - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By rlovall - September 5 - 10:20 pm

  I own two of these cars. One has performed well with no problem and gets 50 mpg or better. The other has had the software glitch causing the car to shut off the gasoline engine, plus it only gets around 43-45 mpg at best. Oh yes, one more thing, if you plan on sitting in this car for more than 45 minutes you will need a seat cushion to sit on as these are the worst seats I have ever had in a car. The car is also hard to keep on the road in any kind of side wind.

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  Question on Electronics - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Becky - May 5 - 11:40 pm

  Yesterday, I hit the wrong button, pushed Power instead of Park. This morning, it took three tries to get started, and any time I park on a slant, it really doesnt want to start. Its my fault, but the dealer cant find anything wrong with the electronics. Other than that, its been wonderful to drive and I do a lot of that!

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  Very reliable hybrid - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By jadziasman - February 9 - 12:20 am

  Second owner. Extremely reliable. Driven for 82K miles, Has 217K miles now. Package 6 nearly all available options installed. Except for three necessary repairs (HID headlight leveling sensor, HV inverter electric water pump, and gasoline engine water pump) no mechanical problems. Uses a quart of oil every 3000 miles or less depending on average speed driven. Traction battery still works. Every light, switch, sensor, etc still function. Original brakes and suspension. Fuel tank capacity varies considerably with ambient temp. Only holds about 8 gallons when temp is less than 20 deg F and holds about 11 gallons when temp is over 80 deg F. Road noise an issue on concrete hwys.

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  Nice Car!! - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By BethV - February 4 - 10:26 am

  I really enjoy this car! There are a few things that could be better. The rear view dimmer mirror is nice when cars are far away, but when they get close as the often do, the mirror does not dim. There is one feature that doesn’t make sense. If you are going down the road and listening to the radio, in the console there is a button that says there is a message, and when you go to push it to see it, there is a message that comes up that says that you can’t view the message while driving! I really enjoy the great gas mileage. I have seen my average say 57 before, which was great for going up and down 2 mountains one way to work. The car is a bit expensive, but great otherwise.

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  Its a No Brainer - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Joe Faz - January 25 - 8:20 am

  Well I cant be too detailed as I have only driven my Prius for about a week now. It is fun and economical and not a bad ride for the cost. The only problem that I am having is that the windshield has an annoying rattle when I go over almost any bump. I am hoping to bring the car in and have it fixed. The car is very responsive and I cant believe the gas mileage that I am getting (average about 50mpg). If they fix this rattle in the windshield then I will highly recommend this car to everyone - as it is, everyone asks me about it. They all seem amazed and amused by its unique look, and it renders much more room then one might think and to top it off its very affordable.