I thought that Prius 2023 (PHEV) would be the follower of my IS but after test drive I felt very disappointed.
Good points:
- Looks amazing, one of the best looking new cars out there. Certainly turn heads.
- Handling and driveability good, although not as good as IS (chassis and RWD makes IS still better)
- Performance was good, much more crisp than IS (below 7s to 100km/h) but the eCvt and engine felt a lot harsher in Prius compared to sophistication of IS. Just feels much cheaper overall, not good at this price point.
- Range and consumption in EV mode were great and performance was more than adequate only EV mode
Bad:
- Quality inside bad, rattling plastics everywhere, the test car had even scratches already!
- Road noise completely too loud, IS is whisper quite in comparison (the (too)big tires on Prius may be one culprit here)
- Very cramped inside and the boot size is a (bad) joke
- Seats weren't as good as IS, eventhough it had a lot more configurations
- Annoying beebs and warnings CONSTANTLY, would drive anyone nuts in a matter of minutes
- Didn't like the dashboard location, doesn't work for me
- Call me nuts, but I missed the flappy pads from the IS with sportier driving. I like using them for "downshifting"
- Price vs. Quality is just not matching at all, it's as expensive as basic Lexus
So overall I'd rank IS a lot better car, even at almost 10y old. Just feels so much more expensive, better built and sturdy compared to the Prius.
That to buy after IS? ES is too big and it'd need much more power for a car that size. I probably test drive the new hybrid Honda Civic next. It looks good inside and out. Volvos are desirable also but they cost a lot more and maintenance is much more expensive. Germans, I don't like them for various reasons.