Liking cars is cringe- but I’m cringe for the Toyota Prius. My grandpa had one of the first gen ones and it’s like driving a compaq. I drive a newish one and it’s my favorite; barebones, but solid, perfect for a country still developing its electrical vehicles and supporting infrastructure (US). It’s got so much room (I literally fit an electric organ in here the other day) - and camping in it is bonkers. I wish I was knowledgeable enough to beef up the suspension and I’d move the world with this thing lol. Never been stuck 💪
Why is this in badposting? Second-gen Priuses are excellent commuter cars, provided you price out replacing the hybrid battery within a few years. Third-gen (2010 to 2014 model years, especially 2010-2011) had all kinds of engine reliability issues with the switch to low-tension piston rings and some frequently catastrophic issues with the EGR cooler, but the fourth generation (2016 to 2022) models are extremely reliable overall, and have absolutely absurd fuel economy, even with batteries getting on into the double digit age range.
Shame about all the environmental devastation to get all the lithium needed to make the damn things (nickel on older models), but those two generations are great, provided you can find examples that aren’t being devoured by rust (mostly a problem on the pre-2014ish years). Of course, the Camry and Avalon (and Lexus ES300h if you’re cosplaying as bougie) hybrids use a lot of the same tech and have almost the same fuel economy with more interior room and overall cargo space. Either way, going 100,000+ miles between brake pad changes is nothing to scoff at, especially when that’s roughly a quarter of the life of the car (if you keep up on regular scheduled maintenance).
Edit: I had the generations off by one. Fixed.