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2009 Toyota Prius Photo

2009 Toyota Prius - Review

 
7 18,559 views March 12, 2009

The 2009 Toyota Prius is rated high by TheCarConnection.com, with an average of 7.8. It earns a 9 in both performance and features, with styling, comfort and quality, and safety all coming in at 7.

(NOTE: The 2010 Toyota Prius will be a completely new car; its ratings may well be higher. It goes on sale around Memorial Day after preview showings in Detroit, New York, and other cities.)

TCC also reviewed the (non-diesel) 2008 Volkswagen Jetta, which got an average score of 8. The Jetta earned points for its seating space, its safety features, and better interior quality. It won a 7 for styling, 9 for safety, and 8s for everything else. The diesel should probably get another performance point for its higher mileage.   

His summary: From a family perspective, if you have no more than two kids, I'd pick the Jetta over the Prius any day for its features and safety. The Prius is great for city driving, but it falls down too much for me on the weekend warrior tendencies that develop as the kids get older.

Here at AllAboutPrius.com, we take a different view. Or maybe we do a different kind of weekend warmongering than Marty.

We laud Volkswagen for its clean diesels, and we think the Jetta TDI is a decent competitor, especially if you do lots of high-speed highway mileage--which is where diesels really shine. (Prius highway mileage is lower than in the city, because at high speeds, it can't switch off the engine to run on battery power.)

But we have to highlight a few Jetta drawbacks as well. We wonder: How many moms (and dads, for that matter) don't really feel like fueling up over in the big-rig area at the far end of the gas station, next to Sam the Semi-Driver and his buddies?

Plus, Volkswagen has far lower reliability ratings from places like Consumer Reports than Toyota does. And sales of Volkswagen diesels (of all models) are lower than the number of Priuses out there, meaning fewer mechanics will be familiar with a car that may need more frequent repairs.

Finally, we note that Volkswagen is now testing hybrid versions of several models. We're glad to see Europe is joining the electric-drive crowd. But we note, respectfully, that Toyota seems happy with its hybrids. It has absolutely no plans for a clean-diesel Prius. Ahem.

The 2010 Prius will offer better performance, more luxury features, and more interior space. Thus far, pricing hasn't been announced.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

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Comments (7)

  1. By David Hoffman Posted: 7/16/2009 1:55pm PDT

    This Hybrids are a big lie. I had a VW TDI and got 54 highway with B60. I now drive an 94 Eclipse. 1.8 5sp with 170 miles. I have have spent 400 dollars to modify it and get 42 city 48 highway. This engine now has over 200 hp doing 0-60 in about 6 sec. Only car that is really green at this time is the Telsa S.
    Thanks for letting me tell the truth
    David
     
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  2. By  derek Posted: 8/19/2009 10:45am PDT

    I've driven both the Jetta TDI and 2010 Prius, the Jetta is by far the better choice for drivers who don't want to drive a hybrid weenie. For those who think they helping the environment and want to drive in the slow lane, the pretty Prius is a logical choice. For those who enjoy driving, want a car that has great fuel efficiency, and not concerned with making an obvious "green" look-at-me statement on the road, the Jetta wins all the time.
     
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  3. By  derek Posted: 8/19/2009 12:13pm PDT

    The drawbacks noted above are bogus, IMO.
    1. Diesel is available everywhere, not just at truck stops. Drop your zip code into gasbuddy.com to check availability. 2. Sales of VW diesels are lower because earlier models couldn't pass the strict emission regs of some states. Jetta’s are now 50-state compliant. 3. Yes, the 2010 Prius offers better performance, etc. than before, but it’s still a hybrid. A Jetta offers more interior space and performance over a Prius any day of the week.
     
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  4. By Bryan Posted: 8/25/2009 7:07am PDT

    I have driven my Prius 9 years and 213000 miles and am just now having to replace the high voltage battery (total cost $1270). Up to now I have replaced the foot pedal position sensor and the right rear wheel bearing. Thats it! Everything else is original including the 12 volt battery and the brake pads! I haven't even had to service the A/C! Once you experience "stealth mode" driving while in a traffic jam or in a drive through you won't want to go back! I just wish Volkwagon would make a hybrid version of the Jetta. It would probably be capable of 70-80 mpg with no sacrifice in performance.
     
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  5. By Bryan Posted: 8/25/2009 7:10am PDT

    I wasn't including regular maintenence in my previous post. I do replace the tires about every 40000 miles. I rotate the tires and change the oil every 5000 miles, and I replace the spark plugs every 100000 miles.
     
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  6. By  VW Parts Posted: 12/28/2009 4:27pm PST

    Yeah the Jetta is definitely more of the drivers car. No contest IMO.
     
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  7. By thetoolman Posted: 7/1/2010 8:13pm PDT

    I test drove the Jetta Diesel Sportswagen numerous times. I ended up passing it by since I found that the longer I sat in it the more the seat's stiff bolsters dug into my thighs. Too bad since it was a real nice car. I have since purchased a 2010 Prius V with the tech package. Yes it is slower than the Jetta and perhaps not as roomy but there is still plenty of room and the hatchback is great. The car handles super even on sharp turns probably due to the 17" wheels on the Prius V. The super high tech dash is a pleasure to look at and the seats are quite comfortable. Plus the tech package is something to marvel at. Built in radar tracking cruise control and accident avoidance, you can use talk commands to operate the GPS, radio, and the phone etc.and the car parks itself too. Go find those options on your Jetta! I haven't even mentioned the wireless key and start button and superb audio system or the incredibly roomy rear seat for such a small car. The bottom line is that I love my Prius. Unless you own one you guys have no clue about the car. Go buy your diesel fuel for thirty to sixty cents more per gallon and deal with Volkswagen's poor reliability. I will just continue to cruise comfortably along at about 57 MPG even in heavy traffic and buy regular gas.
     
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