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The original was posted on /r/cars by /u/Bderken on 2025-08-07 07:58:13+00:00.
As I mentioned in this comment on r/cars, I ended up in this car entirely by accident. It was a Craigslist trade that started with a broken Xbox 360, a stack of expired Hot Wheels collector magazines, and a dream. Special thanks to /u/3rdGenPriusFan and /u/SlowCarFast for reassuring me that yes, 68 horsepower and beige velour seats can still spark joy.
I was going to do a deep dive review but /u/donkeytransaxle’s write up here honestly captures the essence of 1st-gen hybrid life better than I ever could. I’ll still share a few of my own impressions from the perspective of someone who daily drives it with great seriousness and mild confusion.
Powertrain: You don’t drive the Prius. You negotiate with it. The 1.5L Atkinson cycle engine makes around 70hp on a good day, and the electric motor adds a theoretical “bonus” 44hp, which feels more like moral support than actual propulsion. It’s not fast, but it’s consistently not fast, which builds trust. That said, I’ve never driven a car that made merging onto the highway feel like an act of faith. You floor it. Nothing happens. Then something happens. Then you’re at 52mph and the world feels like a miracle.
EV mode: It doesn’t have one. Unless coasting down a hill counts. Or pulling out of a parking spot if you hold your breath and promise to recycle.
Sound: You hear everything. The groan of the CVT. The mild panic of the gas engine trying to help. The hybrid battery fan winding up like a leaf blower in distress. And the constant creaks from the 20+ year-old plastics. Honestly, it’s kind of meditative. Like driving a wind chime made of Tupperware and loose screws. I’ve grown to like it.
Daily comfort: Surprisingly solid. The ride is soft in that early 2000s “we tuned this for people who never exceed 45mph” kind of way. The seats are a mixture of grandma’s couch and mid 2000s airport waiting lounge, but in the best way possible. It soaks up potholes like a sponge with a GED. Visibility is excellent. My only real complaint is that the A/C works on a system I can only describe as “hopes and prayers.” Sometimes it blows cold. Sometimes it doesn’t. Much like life.
Interior: The dashboard looks like it was designed by someone who had never seen a car before. There’s a center-mounted digital speedometer, a weird green LCD screen that gives you a real-time guilt trip about your MPG, and buttons with mysterious hieroglyphics that control… something? Not sure. But it feels futuristic in that retro-future “we thought this would be normal in 2020” way. Lots of beige. So much beige. Feels like sitting inside a lightly toasted marshmallow.
Steering and handling: It understeers like it’s being paid to. The electric steering has the feedback of a worn-out Etch-a-Sketch. But here’s the thing — it’s honest. It tells you exactly what the car is doing (which is mostly “not much”). You learn to drive with grace and patience. Taking a corner at 25mph becomes a thrilling exercise in tire squeal and self-restraint. I’ve never been more proud of a three-lane merge executed at full throttle with 1,200 RPM to spare.
Final thoughts: Look, it’s not fast. It’s not pretty. It’s not luxurious. But it’s charmingly weird, built like a weird hybrid cockroach, and gets 42 MPG no matter what. I’ve found myself smiling at it more than I expected. Not because it thrills me, but because it’s trying. And it’s trying so hard. In a world full of overcomplicated tech and 500hp crossovers, the 2003 Prius is a humble reminder that sometimes, good enough is great.
I look forward to adding 100,000 miles to this car and watching it age like a fine 2003 DVD player. Pic from a recent grocery run
Thanks to u/cookinboy for his fantastic reviews and amazing car collection. And for inspiring me to write my own reviews.
Thank you for your feedback. Next review I will write myself. Sorry about that.