Rating ***** 5/5

Introduction

The Toyota Prius was a car that changed the way people thought about Eco-friendly cars. The Prius was the first hybrid car that combined all elements of practicality, comfort and value for money that it no longer sells on its green image alone. The Prius was Americas 13th best-selling car in 2008. With the third generation going on sale this year, the popularity of the car is going to rise further.

The highlight about this car is Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive that combines a petrol engine and a DC motor. The engine is more powerful than the previous model that allows effortless cruising in highway speeds. The fuel-sapping acceleration needs are taken care by the electric motor, thus resulting in impressive fuel efficiency. The car continues to impress by being an affordable, ultra-efficient car that does not compromise on luxury.

Pros

• Outstanding fuel economy
• Comfortable ride
• Brilliant space utilization
• High-tech equipments
• Ultra-low emissions

Cons

• Not cheap by any standards
• The interior quality does not live up to the price tag
• Awkward driving posture

Trims Available

Styling

The 2010 Prius looks similar to the previous generation is shape. In a bid to increase the cars appeal, Toyota has made it look much sportier than the previous generation Prius. The car has grown in size, with the length and width increasing by an inch. However, the streamlined body does the trick by making the car look compact and smaller than what it actually is.

The interiors look modern and in tune with the cars image. Even though the car features excellent space utilization, there are some issues like rear-seat headroom that are still an issue. The quality of materials used is up to the expected level. The car comes kitted with a lot of luxury features depending up on the on trim level under consideration with even the base version providing many desirable luxury equipments.

Standard features:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlamps with auto-leveling and washers
• full power accessories
• auto on/off headlights
• keyless ignition/entry
• leather upholstery
• auto-dimming mirror
• heated front seats
• driver lumbar adjustment

Optional features:

• Advanced voice-activated touch screen navigation system with back-up camera
• Sunroof with solar-powered ventilation system that cools the car when parked
• Adaptive cruise control
• Pre-collision alert system
• Lane departure warning system
• Automated self parking

Performance

The gasoline-electric powertrain comprises of a 1.8 liter petrol engine and a pair of electric motors to generate a total power of 134 horsepower. One of the electric motor acts as a generator while braking, charging the batteries, thus increasing the cars range. Along with the planetary CVT system, the Prius takes 10.1 seconds to hit sixty mph. The car returns outstanding fuel economy with a city figure of 51 mpg and 48 mph for highways.

• Combined fuel economy of 50 mpg
• Brisk acceleration from rest due to the electric motor
• Can cruise in electric model for up to 1 mile
• The driver can chose between four driving modes

Drive

The 2010 Prius is a huge improvement over the previous model in terms of driver involvement. The stiffer chassis and improved steering feedback is more confidence inspiring that its predecessor. Yet the Prius offers an extremely comfortable ride with light steering at low speed for easy parking. The cabin is extremely quite due to a lot of sound deadening and the spookily quite electric motors that do not make the engine take any strain.

• Hyper quite cabin
• Comfortable ride
• Steering weights up progressively with speed
• Stiffer chassis

Safety

The Prius comes with a host of safety features that make it a remarkably safe car. The 2010 model is equipped disc brakes for all four wheels, and can come to rest from 60 mph traveling just 118 feet. The addition of disc brakes has also reduced the brake fade on repeated usage. Many high-tech preemptive collision warning systems are available as optional extras.

The safety features include:

• Antilock disc brakes
• Stability and traction control
• Driver knee airbag
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Optional pre-collision warning system
• Optional lane-departure warning system

Overall

The 2010 Toyota Prius is a much improved car over tits predecessor and the popularity of the special niche that it enjoys is on the rise. The only competition the car faces is from the Honda insight. However, the Prius has enough weapons in its arsenal to stay ahead in the race. A cheaper trim level called the Prius I is expected in the future, which will make the car even more attractive.

Competitors

• Honda Insight
• Ford Fusion Hybrid
• Toyota Camry Hybrid