Toyota Prius
A revolution becomes routine |
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By Richard J. Newman
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NITS: Toyota’s maternal efforts to guide you through the Prius’s technology go a little bit overboard; the alarm that beeps continually every time you put the car in reverse, for example, is annoying and unnecessary.
G-FORCES: As far as performance goes, the Prius’s hybrid-electric technology is mostly transparent to the driver. Acceleration is brisk and seamless for a modest-priced sedan, with no unusual lags or other quirks. Handling and highway ride are average.
GIZMOLOGY: Techies will be pleased with the Prius, since it takes a new approach to a number of ordinary functions. The ignition is electronic, rather than mechanical; instead of poking a machined key into a keyhole you insert a rectangular fob with an embedded transponder into a slot that "communicates" with it. Then you push a "Start" button. The shifter is a small knob that juts out of the dashboard; for drive you push it down, and for reverse you push it up. And the digital instrumentation is sunk into a trough that runs just under the windshield, where it takes your eyes off the road for slightly less time than a conventional set-up. One gripe: The main LCD display is a science-lab-style diagram of the hybrid engine’s power-generation metrics–something many drivers couldn’t care less about. I would have turned it off but I couldn’t figure out how.
KID MARKS: There’s about as much room in the back seat as a Camry or Accord offers, and the hatchback, somewhat disguised, adds a bit of overhead cargo space. Kids can climb in and out easily, and handy cup holders add to the car’s practicality.
HOT OR NOT: Hot. At many dealers there’s a waiting list for the Prius, one of few vehicles on the market that sells for close to list price. That’s despite a bubbly, faux-futuristic design that looks like a software developer’s idea of cute.
ENVIROMETER: Rates from 9 out of 10 to 10 out of 10 on the EPA’s emissions/air pollution scale. Mileage ranges from 51 mpg highway to 60 mpg city. (Urban mileage is typically higher in hybrids because the electric motor does more of the work in stop-and-start driving.)
CRASH COURSE: Not yet crash-tested by the government or by private testing groups.
PRICE POINTS: Base price is $20,510. Price as tested: $22,614. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.toyota.com/prius/
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Model year tested: 2004
There are a lot of unusual things about the brand-new Prius sedan, but one of the most striking is the number 60. That figure, in bold print on the window sticker you’ll see at the dealership, is the vehicle’s estimated gas mileage for city driving.
Better fuel economy, of course, is the prime mover behind the Prius, which is powered by a "hybrid electric" system that’s a combination of gasoline engine and battery-powered electric motor. The first-generation Prius, which debuted in 1997, basically served as a proof-of-concept experiment. It showed that consumers would tolerate the oddities of a hybrid design–the gas engine shuts down during prolonged stops, for example, leaving the car suspiciously quiet. New technologies such as "regenerative" braking systems that capture heat from the brakes and store it as energy used to power the car have turned out to be durable under the stress of day-to-day driving. Sizable and expensive battery packs have so far lasted as long as expected. And to a degree Toyota engineers could not have envisioned, the enviro-friendly Prius has become a favorite of trendsetters like Leo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz.
With the basics falling into place, Toyota is now aiming the second-generation Prius squarely at the mainstream market. That’s why, in addition to all the advanced powertrain technology, there are a lot of other features that simply make the Prius a thrifty, well-designed family car. A bubble-shaped hatchback design creates a little extra cargo space in the back, and adds to rear headroom. Pop-out cup holders and ingenious little storage compartments show that Toyota engineers put thought into all elements of the car. And for a base price of just under $21,000, the Prius comes with a number of features typically found on luxury cars: A touch-screen LCD display for controlling the climate and audio system, steering-wheel buttons for same, and air-conditioning vents in the rear seat. The execution isn’t quite as thorough as on a Lexus or Mercedes–the steering wheel controls barely illuminate at night, for example–but the Prius clearly raises the bar for inexpensive sedans.
As for road manners, there’s not a lot that differentiates the Prius from an ordinary gas-powered car–except that maybe it performs better. Acceleration, for instance, is fairly quick for a mid-priced sedan, and far better than any other vehicle near the top of the gas-mileage derby; most of those vehicles achieve high mileage with puny, underpowered engines. There’s some wind noise, and the highway ride is not quite as smooth as in Toyota’s Camry, for example. But on the whole the Prius is so proficient for its price that it should no longer be categorized as a quirky, alternative-fuel vehicle, but as an above-average mass-market sedan that just happens to have some extra brains under the hood.
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