Why I Will NOT Be Buying Another Prius
I am sad to say I can no longer see myself buying another Prius or any vehicle similar, especially in the road clearance and interior space, at least as long as I live in Spokane, and have 3 growing boys. I have already put 45,000 miles on my 3rd Generation 2010 Prius, and having the better mileage of a Prius is a redeeming quality, but in the next year or two, the car may be too small for the family to fit into.
The clearance is just too low for Spokane. This is especially bad in the winter, more than 3-4" of snow on the road, then it is too easy to get high centered, and the cheaply attached plastic panels on the underside of the car get torn apart. Though the VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) is good, no amount of traction control can help if your front wheel drive car is high centered. AWD would help with this issue a little.
Even in normal weather, when all 3 boys and myself are in the car, it sometimes bottoms out on some of the larger speed bumps, and has trouble with some parking lot exits/entrances.
Weaker frame construction and cheaper components compared to the 2nd generation cars. A few months after buying the car, I hit one pot hole on Monroe at about 30 mph. It was fairly rough enough I figured I would need to check the alignment. I've certainly hit worse with the other two cars previously. I took it to the dealership and found out the entire car's frame is bent. Fortunately this is only affecting the caster, which is not a tire wear angle, but upsetting that it bent so easily, and is beyond being able to adjust back to specs without having the entire frame straightened by a specialist company.
The center console means less room than the Second Gen Prius, so less comfortable (though more front knee room, very little room between console and steering wheel) which make it too much like most other cars (too little space).
Auxiliary battery is too weak in capacity, and having problems with car starting in cold weather over night. Will see if dealer can resolve, else I will try to get a larger battery to swap out.
My boys are all getting too large for the car. I am 6'7" (all legs, 39.5" inseam), eldest 15 year old son 6'2", middle 13 year old son 5'9", and youngest 11 year old son 5'7" are all getting increasingly cramped, and there isn't room for their friends if all in the car. I am afraid I am going to have to go the route of SUV, if I can find any decent enough quality and that have enough leg room (most since 2002 have too little leg room, that's how I ironically ended up with a Prius).
I will never get another low profile vehicle, at least as long as living in Spokane. It is just too impractical for the roads year round, and especially in the winter.
Unless they offer a full size vehicle with at least a 6-7" clearance, leg room for people my size, and seating for at least 7, it makes no sense to buy another Prius model while living in Spokane.
Clearly, these variables would not be the same for everyone else, other than the poorer quality/strength of the car and components, others may be okay with a Prius, except in the depth of winters here.
When the weather and road conditions are adequate, i have averaged over 50 MPG, but when the roads and weather are inclement, mileage can be in the low 30's!
Your mileage may vary. :-P