It gets great marks for mechanical quality from JD Power but only average for overall design quality. You can check out the report here: http://www.jdpower.com I have to think it's reliability would be slightly lower than other Toyotas since there are more systems and the hybrid systems are only around 10 years old compared with many decades of learning Toyota has with standard cars. That said, if it can get you in the car-pool lane it could totally be worth it!

It looks pretty solid, I've heard no major complaints.

One of the things that I was having a problem with prior to buying a new prius was that the resale on the prii were really high. I wasn't seeing the normal drop off in depreciation that one might normally see in other cars. Hence, buying new and having a new car was only marginally more expensive than a used with low miles.

The prius isn't as fuel efficient as a lot of other cars, especially something dependable like an old toyota. i wouldn't worry about buying a prius at all unless you're really into it and already needing a new car. get a stick shift!