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 141 through 150 of 213.00

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  Still great 1.5 years later! - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By hondoman45 - December 22 - 3:13 am

  I wrote a while back about my experience with my Prius. It is still a very reliable car that has not let me down. I replaced the 12 v battery myself as the original one was getting tired and wouldnt hold a charge any longer. Still get around 42 mpg in the cold and 46+ in warmer weather. This is great considering the car is driven an average speed of 72+ mph on the highway where it spends most of its time. The nav system isnt worth getting as it is woefully outdated and Im not willing to pay a couple hundred for an update at the dealer. Car rides well and is fairly quiet, but still dislike the leather seats as church pews are more comfortable. Very happy with my purchase!

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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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  Heat issues in Michigan - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Dan D. - November 20 - 9:50 pm

  I bought my Prius just before the economy crashed. Dont drive it in the winter as it takes forever to warm up and wont keep ice or snow buildup off the windshield. Im concerned about comments on quitting for no reason and dead battery. I stored mine last winter and started it every couple of weeks with no problems. But didnt get it out until March. Mileage goes south when weather is cold. So I just drove my Pickup beginning in late Nov. until March. Also noted that tire wear is excessive. They must have used a cheap tire as OEM. Wouldnt buy another as insurance is high and needing a different vehicle for the seasons defeats economy of transportation. Its built well though.

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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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  Bought a used touring model - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Mike - October 26 - 6:10 pm

  Averaging 45mpg. Performance is great for an engine this size and efficient. Paid $16,500 with nav, jbl, touring edition an 36500 miles. The incline of the front of the car causes a lot of bug paint damage to the hood and above windshield. A lot of sunlight inside the car due to the angles of the glass and there is no tint strip at the top of the windshield. Very pleased with gas mileage since my 06 m35 only averaged 19mpg. The car handles better than my $45k infiniti and handles rough roads much better. Seats are more comfortable too. At least the plastic interior looks good for plastic. I love the car and look forward to driving it and with each mile i drive im saving for my sons college

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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 :)