I'm an auto enthusiast and I disagree. I've gotten the impression that you focus only one performance aspect, acceleration yet I think you forget the fact that there are much older, lower performing cars that enthusiasts drive and love. The car is quite advanced and anybody who appreciates engineering should appreciate what went into making the Prius work into the price point and fuel economy performance it has.
I drove an M35 (same engine/transmission as G35) several times and I just don't see what's so special about that car as a Camry. The ES350 I own has excellent acceleration, good road manners and quiet ride but otherwise it and the M35 aren't really all that different. Put a 2.0L engine (that's the performance equivalent in the Prius) in the ES350/Camry and you've got super luxury sedan version of the Prius. Strip out all of the amenities, noise deadening and make it a hatchback and you're at the Prius.
I'll admit I don't know much about the G35 other than the numerous shared things it has with other Nissan/Infiniti vehicles as I've never driven one but I do know about the fact that its owners seem to be the automotive equivalent of squids for motorcycles what with its exceptionally high deathrate (I highly doubt the car is unsafe/defective to the point of justifying that deathrate). But if the G35 is as similar as I think it is to the M35, then it's grossly overrated vehicle.
My biggest pet peeve with the Prius is the gauge cluster and steering feel. Seriously, there is no feedback/feel in the steering wheel, totally sucks. However I will say that even the ES350 has crappy road feedback, the M35 is acceptable but also disappointingly numb.
Prius isn't a bad car and I think you're grossly exaggerating the Prius' faults mostly because it doesn't accelerate as quickly as you were used to with those other vehicles.