In addition to the electric motor, the Prius comes with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and together the total horsepower rating is 110. According to JD Power and Associates, the Toyota Prius sold almost 95,000 units in the first six months of this year. That’s about 67,000 units more than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the second-best selling hybrid vehicle. Far and a way, the Prius is the most visible, most popular, most recognizable and most high-profile hybrid currently on the market. The question, however, becomes: Is it the best hybrid on the market?
I’m not completely convinced.
2007 hybrids
Favorite features:
- Easy maneuverability
- Leather seats now an option
- Climate control on the steering wheel
Needs improvement:
- Blind spot out the rear hatch
- ECON and EV mode from 2008 Highlander should make an appearance in Prius
- Smoother transition between on/off of gasoline engine
That’s right, read it again. And don’t act like I just blasphemed.
There’s no arguing that Toyota Motor Sales is the Top Dog in more ways than one. They’re quickly approaching No. 1 automaker status, and they’ve all but corned the market in hybrids with six models spread across their Toyota and Lexus brands.
But still …
After just coming away from the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid media preview, I think Toyota’s got some ’splaining to do. Why wouldn’t you put all your premiere hybrid technology in your premiere hybrid?
That’s not to say that the Prius is a bad car or even a bad hybrid. It’s actually very good.
The test car was an uplevel Touring model, and though it didn’t come with the now optional leather seats, it did have “Package No. 5” ($2,905), which included navigation, six-disc CD changer, auxiliary jack, satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, stability control, rear camera and a smart key.
Of all the items in the package, I used the Bluetooth the most. Finally, a Bluetooth connection that worked with my Sprint Katana phone. I easily synced my phone with the car and then beamed my phonebook into the system. Phone calls were as easy as selecting a name to dial. I could hear the people I was talking to loud and clear over the stereo system of the car, and people on the other end of the line could hear me well.
Fancy schmancy BMWs, Land Rovers and Jaguars have not afforded such a connection to my phone with their optional Bluetooth packages. This one just might be worth it. But, as always, I recommend that you try before you buy … and realize that your new phone in a few years might be too high tech for the car.
All that being said, this car is exactly like the last Prius I tested a couple years ago. The same keyless push-button start. The same soft and cushy cloth seats. The same podlike façade. The same information screen divesting fuel and energy consumption information. The same, the same, the same.
Again, while none of this is bad, I want more after having a taste of what Toyota can do with the new Highlander.
But as far as the Prius itself is concerned, it’s still a very good hybrid and a very good car. The ride was very comfortable, and the compact size of the Prius made it easy to maneuver and easy to park. All the gauges and controls are accessible with minimal effort, and I was pleasantly distracted during trafficked commutes by the various information screens. The hard part is keeping your eyes on the road when you’re out of traffic. I constantly found myself watching the energy play between the electric motor and gasoline engine.
I got nowhere near the promised 60 city mpg or the 51 highway mpg, but I did average a pretty respectable 41.4 mpg in the 119 miles I drove during the test week.
In addition to the electric motor, the Prius comes with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and together the total horsepower rating is 110. This may not seem like a lot of horses, but there was plenty of pep when I needed to accelerate quickly from a stop or pass a slower car on the highway.
One of the problematic things, however, was the transition between electric-only driving and the on/off of the gasoline engine. With a stutter and a rumble, the transition was noticeable, and I was hoping it would be a little bit smoother.
Now in the third year of its second generation, the Prius still looks like a bit of an egg. Of the Toyota hybrids, it’s the only one that is only available as a hybrid and the only one immediately recognizable as a hybrid. All the others have gasoline counterparts and look just like them, except for the hybrid badging.
I do have to admit that the podlike exterior is growing on me, and with such large numbers of the Prius on the road today, it’s not as alien as it seemed in 2004. Plus, I like having the hatchback, which makes it easier to load stuff in the trunk. I do not like the horizontal bar that splits the rear window. I found this to be a bit of a blind spot and constantly found myself ducking to look around the bar.
The interior is also unique in its design. Rather than a normal P N R D L automatic, floor-mounted gearshift, the Prius has a dash mounted shifter that has oddly positioned R, N, D and B on it. Not to mention the fact that you kind of flip the shifter to get it into gear, and then it automatically flips back to a location on the right of the gearshift. You also press a button to put it in park rather than shifting into park. This combined with the digital speedometer and everything-you’d-want controls on your steering wheel gives the interior of the Prius a very futuristic feel.
The test vehicle was a Touring model and had a base price of $23,730. With Package No. 5 and the optional carpet floor mats and cargo mat ($199), the final price of the test vehicle was $26,835. I don't think this is bad for a good hybrid that drives well and has whistles and bells like navigation and Bluetooth.
And, if you can get past the unusual design, I’d have to say that Prius is a good hybrid, even an excellent hybrid. But in many ways it feels like Toyota created it and left it hanging on a vine. However, with 94,500 units under its belt for the beginning of 2007, and a number quickly approaching 500,000 units sold in the U.S. during it’s six-year lifespan here, who am I to criticize?
Then again, perhaps the 2008 Highlander is just a peek at what’s right around the corner for the Prius. If you want the best-selling hybrid, go for the 2007 Prius. If you want the best hybrid, well, you might give Prius a couple more years to catch up.
