I've got two cars, my 2005 Prius and my 1995 Explorer.  I like the fully
adjustable leather seats in the Explorer better than the seats in my Prius.
Since I live in MN there are times I need the Explorer's 4WD, extra ground
clearance, and trailer towing capacity.  So far this winter I've burned
about a tank of gas in the Explorer.  The Prius is a LOT more fun to drive
and seems more stable at highway speeds.  It goes more than three times as
far on a gallon of gas.  The heater/defroster in the Explorer is a bit
better but then it has that gas guzzling V6 to draw heat from and one would
expect it to warm faster.  The Explorer also has AstroStart, a very nice
feature when its -20F.  Would I buy the Prius again?  Yes, definitely, and
not just because it conserves a rapidly depleting resource and doesn't pump
pollutants into the air at nearly the rate other cars do.  My "real world"
overall fuel economy is about 50 mpg summer, 45 mpg winter but I do have a
self-imposed 55 mph speed limit driving either vehicle.  From my experience,
I'd say if you have a daily 5 mile, one-way commute you will be lucky to
average 40.  If you have a a daily 30 mile one-way commute, and if you
behave yourself, you will probably do better than I do.

We bought a 2004 Prius in December of 2003. We have about 39,000 miles on it
including a coast to coast trip.  My wife and I both find the car
comfortable although the ride is a bit stiff. Most of our driving has been
in Southern California but have driven the car at temperatures ranging from
the mid 20's to the low 100's. Hot or cold it was fine although the mileage
dropped off a little in the cold. My average fuel consumption is about 46
mpg. I generally stay with the flow of traffic and do most of my driving on
the freeways. I drove the Prius for the first two years that we had it. I
think that my wife was a bit intimidated by the technology and only drove it
twice (around the block) in that period. She finally drove it for a
significant distance when we made the cross country road trip last November.
She got over her reluctance to drive it during the trip. When we got home
she decided that she liked it so much that we bought a second Prius for her
this January.

Kari

It's the most satisfying car I've ever driven, much less owned.

A million more words from Prius owners can be found at
http://www.priusonline.com/index.php
and
http://priuschat.com/forums.html

I have about 20,000 miles on a 2004 Prius. I live in Fargo ND and have
driven it 2 winters (and year-round). I love the car. The mileage is
about 45 mpg in the summer but is only 28 or so in the winter. But
winter driving is only for a mile or 2 at a time. If I drive on the
highway in the winter the milage is about 40 mpg. There are 2 points
that I don't see mentioned: 1) Driving on an expressway around cities
where you're tucked-in behind other vehicles significantly increases
the mileage - maybe 2-4 mpg. (and here in Fargo I don't have that
advantage mileage-wise) 2) In the city, acceleration from a stoplight
is great - I can pull away from most cars if I choose. I know 0-60 mph
is about 10 seconds (nothing great), but, somehow the absence of a lag
from the get-go - or maybe the 0-40 time is unusually good? Anyway it
goes like a rabbit when I wish. I think another thing that is
under-discussed is how much fun it is to drive. The visibility forward
is good - the absence of any shift-points (because of the continuously
variable transmission) provides an unusually smooth acceleration. I'd
buy another in a second if something happend to the one I have. My wife
feels the same as I. Go for it!

I've had mine since Jan. 06.
So far I love It and it is  fun to drive.. Mine even has the camerafor
when you back up. It automaticly activates when you pt it in reverse,
The picture come on the instrument screen.. I'm averaging 47 - 53 mpg.
with a lot of contry drivnging. No problems so far and we love it.
RWS

Thank you, everyone, for repsonding. Very helpful comments. Thank you
Richard S. for the links.

They're fun to drive.  Wicked small turning radius.  Brake in less than half
the distance. I have very little wear on my brakes after 68,000 miles.
My seat belt doesn't retract very well and sometimes it gets caught when I
close the door. I wish I could see the temperature along with the
speedometer instead of having to turn on the graphics. Small wishes, no big
deal.
mark_

*
Hi!  I bought an '05 Prius in January, '05 (after a six-month
waiting list) and I am completely happy with it.  I now have about
22,000 miles with an average gas mileage of about 50.2 mpg.  It
tends to get a little more than this in the summer and a little less
in the winter.  (I keep a very accurate spread sheet with every
gallon of gas I purchase.)

I have driven this car over the Donner Summit (7,200 feet), Tioga
Pass in the Sierra (10,000 feet), as well as other mountain driving
(Sequoia National Park, Grand Canyon, etc.) with no problems
whatsoever.

I have not driven it in snow conditions -- most of my travel has
been on local highways (maybe about 2/3) and in city travel (about
1/3).

This is the best car I have ever owned.  It is completely reliable,
safe, and very much fun to drive.  The steering/handling is
fantastic.  It has more room than you might realize.  Fold down the
back seats and with the hatchback design, you could put a couple of
golf bags back there.  I believe that two could sleep in the back.

In addition, I really like the small features that are standard:  
The 'Smart Start/Alarm' system that lets you keep you keys in your
pocket and unlocks the doors automatically when you approach the
car.  It lets you start the car with the keys in your pocket.

The '06 has a back-up camera to show you the view out the rear when
you are in Reverse.

All in all, this has been the best car I have ever owned -- which
includes two Subarus -- one a 2001 Outback Wagon, one a 1998
Forester, and the Isuzu Trooper, and many Volvos, VWs, Mazda 626,
RX-7, and Protege, and various assorted Detroit iron.

Good luck!

earle
*