A recent post on Safety mentioned Consumer Digest "..Prius was that they did not like the way it handled."<br><br>It makes me nervous at 80 mph, the way it "floats" and the rapid response to the slightest steering twitch. Combine that with feeling decoupled from the vehicle's state of being. Just a feather-weight more accelerator and zzzoom engine noise without the physical feedback of instant power.<br><br>Never mind "going slow to enjoy the scenery and the economy" - on freeways one must sometimes drive competetively to survive.<br><br>Is this why there were 4-5 questions on the Toyota on-line survey about satisfaction with handling? How could a new owner in break-in period know how it all feel above the speed limit?

My 5 cents:<br>1. I find the steering is very sensitive, or "tight", and that this is a good thing. I also find that the car does not "track" well at high speeds - it can drift right or left rather quickly. Keep your hands on the wheel at all times.<br>2. The zzzoom of the engine on acceleration is odd - but it's designed to take it, and you cannot over-rev this engine, so trust the car.<br>3. I don't buy that you have to sometimes drive competitively to survive. Get in the right lane, take it easy, and your chances of survival will increase.<br>4. When in doubt about the Prius' ability to handle highway speeds, put the dealer's demo to the test. When I did that, all my concerns evaporated.<br>5. If most of your driving is 80mph on the freeway, I respectfully suggest that you consider getting a different car. <br><br>By the way, all, Consumer Reports emailed me (in response to something I sent them) that their Prius review would be in the December issue.<br><br>Sam Williams

My sixth cent:<br>I'll back-pedal a bit from suggesting that someone who drives all the time at 80mph get a different car. After I posted that, I asked myself, "Okay, smarty-pants, what car would you recommend?" There are many that handle 80mph better than the Prius, in my opinion, but of course none of them (except perhaps the Insight)get the mileage. <br> EPA, Steve Anderson (here, or maybe egroups), and others have driven this car fast and hard, and shown that it can take it, so if that's important to you, do it. I'll wave as you fly by.<br> If I did most of my driving at 80+, I'd put a higher premium on safety features. Perhaps the review that is to appear in the December "Consumer Reports" will help fill the void on that topic.<br><br>Sam Williams

I reported Prius' handling as excellent. I've taken it up to 71 and it did fine. I've done a couple 40-50 mph "evasive-maneuver" sessions to familiarize myself with the car's handling prior to greeting an HOV-lane jumper, and it did great. Likewise, the 40-60 mph "high-speed merge" acceleration test was good: pickup in that critical range is robust. And its 60-30 mph braking time is fast enough to avoid most jams.<br><br>But gee whiz, 80+? up to 95?!? I cannot imagine a situation in which rapid handling response at these speeds (or even going these speeds to begin with) would be worth less than a $500 ticket. <br><br>If you want to drive 80 to 95, I'd rather you get an Insight. I'd rather get rear-ended by a lightweight than by a 2900-pound Prius.<br><br>Either way, at least he's not pulling 2 or 3 tons of FUV at that speed.

5

I have no complaints about high speed driving in a Prius. I sustained 90mph for over 45 minutes and only slowed because I wanted the miliage to improve.<br>Don't hesitate to flooring the thing when you want more power. Your old traditional car has the engine almost directly linked to your wheels therefore the power is more direct. You must tell the Prius to exit the economy mode of a 70hp engine and enter temporary world of a few hundred pounds or torque. <br>The Prius will transform from Jeckle to Hyde and back to Jeckle again.<br>-Jim