Overview & Reviews

There are no significant changes for the 2009 Toyota Prius.

• Outstanding fuel economy, generous amount of interior space, easy to maneuver in tight spaces, high-tech and luxury goodies available.

• Less powerful and agile than other midsize sedans, uncomfortable for 6-foot-plus drivers, a few disappointing interior plastics.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 64.00

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  Magnificent, but Dreadfully Boring - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By Bob Sandon - June 25 - 5:40 pm

  I have put approximately 143,000 miles on this car. I bought it new. Oil changes with premium synthetic every 25,000 miles; otherwise, no service (except changing out tires). Ive only had to replace the electric-system battery (pay someone to do this; its a nightmare on your own). Pros: Reliability, obviously. There is also more storage space than many people realize, especially with the seats down. Two shepherds fit comfortably in the trunk; Ive made several moves with this car. The mileage has been good, especially with Ecotopia tires. I live in Minnesota; I averaged around ~53 mpg during the summer with them. I have Toyos right now; year round mileage with them has been ~43 mpg, mostly highway driving. The car is comfortable and quiet at lower speeds. I like the sound system and have found the GPS adequate. The keyless entry is surprisingly nice; I wish it had remote start. Cons: While the car while tolerate higher speeds (65 mph +), its obviously unenthusiastic. The mileage dips fairly dramatically in the winter, or with inefficient tires. For that matter, snow tires are well-nigh essential in Minnesota with this car. All-season will not hack it, especially in rural areas. Mostly, though, this car is boring. Really boring. Eye-wateringly so. A fantastic daily commuter, but - if you can only have one car in your stable - Id have to recommend something else.

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  Has some very good traits and bad ones - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By Tall Dude - February 4 - 7:00 pm

  Might want to look elsewhere if over 6ft tall as I am. Ergonomics have become annoying - rear view mirror mostly in road-level line of sight and legs cramped by non-height adjustable seat. Marginal power up steep hills, and need to give lots of gas to accelerate onto freeway onramps. Otherwise, cruises flats well, very smooth ride, fairly quiet interior. You may wish the gas motor was off all the time since the electric drive is captivating. Car is well built, high quality inside and out, save the lack of seat / steering wheel adjustments. JBL audio system pretty good, not amazing though. At 6ft 3in, I would not buy this car again.

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  Prius rocks for emf protection - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By Yssa - August 29 - 7:00 am

  We were not crazy about the design (little more room in the trunk please! - and low rear view visibility) BUT if you are concerned about exposing your kiddies in the back seat to high - quite arguably harmful levels -of electromagnetic radiation and you want a hybrid, then Prius is the car for you. We measure very safe levels in all parts of the car - with only slight raise (several seconds) while breaking. We found very unsafe levels in other hybrid cars we tried and thats why we got a Prius. Toyota obviously has taken precautions to minimize a health risk - even one not generally talked about. Wow. How often can you say that about a big company! Way to go Toyota!

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  Fuel Tank Problem - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By ROBERT WILFORD - August 11 - 4:10 pm

  It is almost impossible to fuel the auto due to the collapse of the fuel bladder. I understand this is a problem only in cold weather. Maybe someone will find a solution to this. Would pressurizing this tank with about 5 psi of air pressure prior to refueling expand the bladder to normal size?

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  Love my Prius - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By dougb61 - August 5 - 11:00 pm

  Although the 2009 looks pretty much like every Prius since the 2004 redesign I think its still a good looking car. For a small car the interior is spacious, lots of leg room even in the back seat. The seats recline to an almost flat position if needed. The rear seats lay flat opening up the storage space of the hatchback for plenty of storage. Up front there are two glove compartments, a small compartment under the radio, a sunglasses compartment overhead, and two large compartments between the seats. On the road I find the Prius has plenty of get-up-and-go when needed and the touchscreen display gives me the feedback I need to maximize my fuel economy.

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  Amazed - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By hybridamir1990 - March 3 - 4:09 am

  I have owned many different cars, Jeep, Ford, Nissan, Pontiac and so on. I HATED all of them. from reliability to comfort to fuel economy. I have alwasy be skeptical about buying a hybrid but one day I was so fed up with the vehicle I owned, I went straight to Toyota and traded it in for a 2008 Toyota Prius. Two years later, it is still the best automotive decision I have ever made. Although it does have some road noise, the ride is amazing and smooth. I see alot of complaints about the comfort of the seats but I find them more then suitable, there smooth, soft and comfortable enough to seat five people. I live in North Eastern Pennsylvania and I am a Prius driver for life.

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  Zero problems - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By dickthebutcher - April 20 - 10:06 am

  I bought my 2009 Prius new and have now driven it for almost five years. It has just over 70,000 miles on it, and so far the only maintenance expenses Ive had are oil changes and one new set of tires. It still has the original brakes and they still arent showing signs of wear. Im not sure why so many others find the car uncomfortable -- Im six feet tall and have no problems. Ive driven to Florida from Pennsylvania in it and was never uncomfortable. Minor gripes: The gas tank does not fill up willingly after its about 80% full. You have to coax in the last few gallons little by little. I dont love its looks, either, but accept that trade-off to average 47 MPG year-round.

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  Surprised me! - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By Thom Bailey - December 24 - 1:10 pm

  My wife wanted the Prius very badly and I was really turned off by the looks, but we took a test drive anyway about a year and a half ago. I was very surprised by the quality of the ride and handling. I still am surprised every time I drive the car. We live in the snowbelt of Ohio and with winter tires the vehicle is very dependable in snow and ice. Id seriously think of getting a second Prius when the time comes.

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  not good in wet and snow - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By leon - December 18 - 9:50 pm

  Prius is only good during dry weather and gives 45+ mpg average. During the last 2 winter season I always get worried I may not make it home because on uphill it would not make it. I always have to make a detour to reach home. In rainy or wet road -- slippage, the sensor get crazy. How come other small cars can make it on uphill with snow? Do I have to replace the tires that are more responsive to wet and snow? But these are the recommended tires for this car. I only have 21,000 miles to date. This is fun to drive but only on a dry road but not good on wet and snowy road of New Jersey.

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  Problems in Winter - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By priusinChicago - February 6 - 5:10 pm

  Toyota Prius was pretty good, basically a 4 out of 5 in all respects except mileage, and then it was a 5 out of 5 until the very cold weather set in. Mileage went down from 46-50 mpg all the way to mid 30s mpg when it was in the 20s outside. And in the very cold (teens or near zero degrees Farhen) when you use the heater it went down to 27 to 30 mpg. This was a disappointment on all counts with winter and cold weather mileage.