Having transitioned from waiting to owning, I just gotta say "Wow, is this car ever smooth", even with the ICE running. I read a little about the Prius and how ICE shutdowns sometimes causes a small shudder, but I've experienced nothing like that. I usually need the FE gauge to tell me when the ICE has shut down. I can usually tell when the ICE starts before the gauge or MFD shows but to be honest I'm not sure if I hear it, feel it, or if it's some kind of telepathy but in any case it is just barely noticeable.

 

I think you will hear that small stutter after you break in the car. I'm at about 1800 miles now. It's not that big of an issue but you really won't know much about a car until it reaches it's break in period.

 

I feel a small shudder when on electric mode and the ICE kicks in, when I'm going slow, like 5 or 10 miles an hour. I assume this is normal, I can't imagine that you wouldn't be able to feel when the ICE kicks in. Does everybody else's car do the same thing? I've only driven my hybrid, no others.

 

My Camry Hybrid is very smooth, noticably smoother than the FEH. Both cars (and a Prius I've driven) have a small shudder/vibration when the ICE starts. It is most noticable when gently starting from a stop. Often I don't notice it at all.