How is Prius handling compared with CX5's?

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edhchoe

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2017 CX5 GS, 2018 X3 xDrive30i, 2019 Tesla Model 3
I am thinking I might as well get into a Prius if mpg is the top priority.
I probably will when the lease ends next year. But I am curious if any cx5 owners have a Prius in the household as well and have experience with both vehicles. I love the handling of cx5. But will it be a huge let down driving a Prius?
 
edhchoe said:
I am thinking I might as well get into a Prius if mpg is the top priority.
I probably will when the lease ends next year. But I am curious if any cx5 owners have a Prius in the household as well and have experience with both vehicles. I love the handling of cx5. But will it be a huge let down driving a Prius?
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CX5 and Prius are chalk and cheese, ie. poles apart. CX5 is often compared to sporty car in terms of handling. I don't own a Prius so can't make a direct comparison. However, I can compare the CX5 to the Acura TSX. TSX is often sold as a sport model. While CX5 is not quite at the same level of handling when compared to a TSX, it is very competent for a high riding vehicle.

Most reviews that I read on Prius have rated its handling as mediocre at best. However, if you are purely after MPG then Pruis might be fit for purpose. Unfortunately, the 2.2 SA-D diesel is not available in the US. The diesel is rated at 5.7 Litre per 100 KM and this sort of consumption is right into hybrid territory.
 
The CX-5's handling capabilities runs circles around the Prius and that's comparing a lifted SUV to a car. You need to have high MPGs as a high priority if owning a Prius. No driver feedback to be considered an good handling car.
 
Yes it will be a huge let down. The Prius has nearly no emphasis on driver feel. It is all about MPG.
 
The difference of course being the equivalent of an efficient toaster oven for a road car, compared to a vehicle crafted with passionate engineering, and the ultimate goal being driving experience.

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I've driven both, although the Prius was only a short run of maybe 15-18 miles. There is no comparison.

The Prius is a mind-numbingly utilitarian vehicle designed for one thing and one thing only: fuel economy. Handling, steering, and driver feedback would all be most kindly described as "wooden".

The CX-5 has the heart and soul of a sports car, with a bigger body, and a hat-tip to fuel economy. I have ridden 600cc sports bikes, 1,400cc sports/tourer bikes, and driven BMWs and Infinitis, but the CX-5 is right up there with any of them in terms of smiles per mile. It shouldn't handle like it does, but it does, and when you're Zoom-Zooming through the twisty bits in a CUV that thinks it's a Miata you can't help but giggle inside.
 
So I guess you gotta decide,... what's more important? Your MPG, ...or your soul?
 
My brother-in-law has a Prius ('14). I haven't driven it, but I rode in it once. That was enough for me. I can't imagine a reason for me owning one, it was that bad. IMHO, no feeling, no spirit, no fun, no life, no pizazz to that car! Just numbness. At least now, he has an excuse for driving like an old man.
 
Having never driven one, I can't really say about road feel. But Top Gear did a segment on one and proved it isn't that great in gas if you drive it hard. All they did was tell the Prius driver to go fast and they chased it with a BMW 3 series to see who got the better gas mileage. Guess what the BMW won.

I've also read other stories that if you do push the Prius, like gunning it for entering Freeway and such the gas mpg goes way down. Plus all them batteries they are making are very harmful to the environment. Look up what it takes to make these car batteries they are using.

There are a lot of small cars out there that will get high 30's mpg. and are way nicer and cheaper.
 
The mirage will get you +50 mpg with no hybrid powertrain to worry about (+ it looks good). There are also lots of aftermarket for it if you want to tweak the suspension. Price tops at around 17k. This couple got two.
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jjp735i said:
Plus all them batteries they are making are very harmful to the environment. Look up what it takes to make these car batteries they are using.
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The battery/environment argument is a red herring. Anyone with an ounce of foresight can see the electric revolution is upon us and battery technology is at it's heart. Look at the battery Gigafactory Tesla is building. Batteries are almost 100% recyclable. They just refine the old ones into new. This is revolutionary as our economy transitions from one built upon the burning of oil to collecting the sun and repurposing it.

I'm not a fan of hybrids because all-electric is where it's at. Solar cells keep getting cheaper and cheaper. Oil companies are valued (in part) based upon their proven reserves. But we are just starting to understand that they will never extract even half of their reserves because it will cost more than harnessing the sun/wind. Investing in big oil at this stage would be like investing in horseshoes in 1910.
 
edhchoe said:
I am thinking I might as well get into a Prius if mpg is the top priority.
I probably will when the lease ends next year. But I am curious if any cx5 owners have a Prius in the household as well and have experience with both vehicles. I love the handling of cx5. But will it be a huge let down driving a Prius?
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Look here for some feedback. Not only does the Prius cost more, once the battery is cycled it's not worth replacing and you just have dead weight. Extra systems to maintain as well.
 
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I rented one for a week and used it to drive locally and across Illinois for a total of approx. 700 miles. I was pleasantly surprised with the way it rode and handled considering the bashing it gets from the experts on this site:)) Most owners have over 125,000 miles without major issues.
Take a long test drive before you decide and yes, the fuel consumption overall was exceptional low. Ed
 
Chris_Top_Her said:
Look here for some feedback. Not only does the Prius cost more, once the battery is cycled it's not worth replacing and you just have dead weight. Extra systems to maintain as well.
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The hybrid batteries in Priuses and also the Leaf are covered by warranties fortunately. That said owners living in the hot regions reported having to have them replaced as early as 3 years though. Even after the battery was replaced to new it would go down to 90% max capacity in a few months. I almost bought a used Leaf because of its instant torque. In the end I did not want to deal with the batteries long term though. Otherwise these are fairly reliable cars due to minimal moving mechanical parts.


erhayes said:
I rented one for a week and used it to drive locally and across Illinois for a total of approx. 700 miles. I was pleasantly surprised with the way it rode and handled considering the bashing it gets from the experts on this site:)) Most owners have over 125,000 miles without major issues.
Take a long test drive before you decide and yes, the fuel consumption overall was exceptional low. Ed
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I rented a 2012 Prius a couple of years ago for a 600 mile round trip. The tiny tires and low power did not inspire confidence in hilly areas. I did get good mpgs though. I remember reading that particular model ran 0-60 in just under 11 seconds with a road handling of .67 Lateral Gs or something like that. Its better off being a city traffic vehicle and not something for the open twisty roads imho.
 
We owned a Prius (2nd gen) until about a year ago. My wife drove it most of the time.
Yes, it is not a fun to drive car. The electric steering was pretty bad on feel. Its CVT, despite being different mechanically from typical pulley type CVTs, exhibited all the bad things associated with CVTs: rubber band + droning. It was slightly underpowered for people like me for day-to-day use (note current gen has a bit more power). Its interior was cheap, way worse than the CX-5. There was also much road noise while driving on less than perfect highways.
However, gas millage was excellent: 48 MPG without trying, 50 with more effort, 54 MPG with even more effort on a road trip. The backseat was better than a comparable Mazda 3 in roominess and comfort and the cargo area, despite being a little smaller in volume than a Mazda 3 was actually very useful in its dimensions. It could hold 2 large suitcase with the seat up, our big screen TV with the seat down.
For normal driving, including highway merges etc. it is completely adequate. Often we chose to drive it on long road trips, to save money on gas. While not fun to drive, it had a low center of gravity such that turns were not as bad, though definitely handling was not its strong point.

At the time, we got it because we got multiple financial incentives + 0% APR from Toyota, we were too late for the HOV sticker though. While I never enjoyed driving it (it was my wife's DD), I did appreciate the technology in that car. Many of the ideas in that car were copied throughout the industry, even to non-hybrids. It also had much utility in a small package. My wife was a bit sad to give it away, though she got used with her new ride pretty quickly.
 
I've only been a passenger in many Prius models but the handling experience made me think that when one looks up "understeer" in the dictionary the Prius shows up.

Everyone always touts they are bulletproof for reliability but I have a co-worker who had his in the shop for over a month as they traced down an electrical issue that caused the vehicle to stall out and die.
 
IHeartGroceries said:
It looks like a glorified jellybean. I can't imagine having a pair of those.

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Agreed. ( That's kinda like car suicide for an enthusiast, lol. )

I've driven 2 different Prius's (current gen) several hundred miles, pretty dull but adequate experiences with great MPG.
 
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I used to pick up a Prius fairly regularly through my local city car share. It wasn't a bad car to drive really (except for public perception). Acceleration felt pretty strong, and the mileage was good, so for city driving it was golden. Lots of "gizmos and doodads" (as my dad called it) to keep you busy inside. Its surprisingly big on the inside, allowing for more storage in the trunk than one would think. The big negative for me is the driving feeling. Suspension is NOT setup for spirited driving, so expect a bit more body roll, nose dive and squat if you drive it hard (compared to 16 CX5). The steering did not feel precise (although it wasn't as vague as my old jeep) but it was perfectly adequate. I guess it just wasn't "fun" to drive, it'll get you there, and you will save gas over the CX5 but unless you derive pleasure from saving money, you won't get there with a smile on your face. The CX5 also feels much more opulent than the Prius. Someone hit the nail on the head earlier in the thread, the Prius is very utilitarian. Get there, get back, less gas...that is all.
 
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