Originally Posted By: pandus13
eight88,
how you and your wife find the chairs?
how was on the long drive?
cabin noise?
merging and normal drive on the highway?
Thank you
The Prius V chair comfort, as I think for any car or truck, is highly variable from one person to the next.
Speaking for just my wife and myself, we find the front passenger seat very comfortable even on drives of several hours. The driver's seat is, to me, comfortable on trips that are up to three or four hours long. Beyond that, my rump becomes uncomfortable. But this is the case for practically every vehicle that I have owned, so it is probably just me.
For us, the cross country drive was very pleasant, very comfortable, and quite quiet from road and wind noise in the Prius V. Note, however, that this may be in comparison to the 2001 Forester, my previous car, which we thought had terrible wind and road noise.
As for merging and normal highway driving, that is where gaining experience driving a Prius V takes some time. It definitely lacks the pick up and acceleration of any more than adequately powered car, as one could expect in a vehicle designed for exceptionally high mileage. Steep inclines are a slow go without doubt, so keeping to the far right in such conditions makes good sense. I don't try passing on inclines for the most part. Merging on to highways at entrance ramps I have not found to be a problem but can imagine instances, which I have not yet encountered, where sluggish acceleration could be a factor and require judicious driving.
My advice would be for you to test drive one. See what you think of the seats, and be sure to take it out on a highway. Try to put it through the situations you asked about to experience it first hand. Because it does not have the same driving characteristics as a typical gas engine only car, one really should try one out for him or her self.
A Prius or a Prius V is not for everyone, and some of the negative posts of them that you can find on BITOG bear this out. I would, in all respect, say that a test drive, or two, or three, is in order.
Best of luck in your decision.