Before we even begin talking about the new Prius, I need to make one point clear-the comparisons to the Honda Insight end here. Yes, I know they are both hybrids, cut a similar profile-but having driven both, these are two very different cars. If Honda calls the Insight “a hybrid for everyone”, the mantra for the Prius should be “a hybrid for those who really want one.” Let me explain.
The Prius employs a far more sophisticated-and expensive hybrid system, and you need only point to the superior gas mileage of the Toyota to see the difference. But what really sets the Prius apart is the driving experience. Hit the Start button-the dash lights up, the car is on, and you hear…nothing. Pull away from a dead stop, and at times the car would wait until I was doing 15mph until the gas motor kicked in. And even then, from the driver’s seat you feel no change as the car slips, seamlessly from gas to hybrid or a combination of both to motivate the car.
That said, this is a car that does take a little getting used to. Accelerating from a start, under braking, or standing outside the car, the silence, a hum or whirring, and again, the gas engine starting up and cutting out is unlike any conventional car out there. You don’t row the gearshift down to D-you have a joystick to select drive or reverse. You press a button for park. When I received the car on Thursday, I felt like I was George Jetson piloting the most far out car of all time. By Saturday, the Prius felt natural to me. Different? Yes, but easy to adapt to.
The big news of course is the Prius is an all-new car this year. This time around, there is a model and a price that appeals to several buyers, with models available from I to V depending on what you want to spend. For the new Prius, Toyota went with a larger 1.8L four, but better fuel economy is attained as the larger engine produces more torque, so revs are kept lower. Total output is rated at 134hp, and Toyota claims a 0-60mph time of 9.8 seconds. But the thrilling figures are the EPA fuel economy ratings: 51mpg city/48mpg highway.
What impressed me about the new Prius was its styling. Instantly recognizable as a Prius, but with sportier, sharper lines. This is a Prius that for the first time won’t get sand kicked in its face when it shows up at the beach, if you will pardon the expression. This was only enhanced by the Barcelona Red metallic paint that drew many compliments, and the sporty 17″ alloys that come standard on the Prius V.
Inside, the Prius is easy to live with. Seats are comfortable, and the interior has more than enough room for my 6′ 1″ frame. Naturally, quality of materials was high. This being the top-level Prius, I was treated to a leather interior, heated seats, and a sharp-sounding JBL audio system. The navigation system was a breeze to use, with slick, easy to view graphics. You won’t confuse the Prius with a luxury car, but at no point did I feel in want of anything more than what the car offered.
As for driving, well, let’s put it this way: you didn’t buy a Prius because you wanted a sports sedan. As such, I had my expectations set pretty low. The Prius does have enough power if you need a quick lane change or get out of harm’s way. The ride is well controlled and comfortable over bumps-not floaty at all. I thought the steering was responsive to my inputs, but didn’t communicate a lot from the road surface. Overall, the Prius was tighter than I expected, but it did tend to roll a bit going into corners.
But in a review of the new Prius, the ultimate question is not how fast it felt, it is how I “scored” on fuel economy. You have three drive modes to choose from: EV (electric only, but only good for a mile or so), Econ (optimized for fuel economy), and Power (sharper throttle response). In my stint in the car, I kept it set to Econ mode, but I didn’t employ gas-saving techniques. I just drove the car as I would any other. In a mix of around town driving, stop and go traffic and some rural back roads, I averaged 43.5mpg. Not bad considering I wasn’t changing my driving habits to suit the car.
In creating the third generation Prius, Toyota has managed to build a more powerful, yet more fuel efficient car than the one it replaces while offering more style at the same time-a remarkable accomplishment.
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There are actually four power modes. EV, Econ, Normal, and Power. You get Normal when you turn off Power or Econ mode. It what I mostly drive in my 2010.
Also, the car is definitely no slouch, slam down the accelerator at dead stop and it will actually skip/chirp the front tires, indication that it is giving you all the power the tires can handle.
Where can we buy a 2010 Prius V. Our dealer says there are none in the Northern Virginia Area.
Perhaps you may have to….gasp….order one!
This is an all-new Prius, so expect Toyota to focus a lot of production on the Prius II (expected to be the most popular)for now. The top-line Prius V will likely have greater availability in the coming months. Or, as Gary suggested, order one.
If you like the luxury features the Prius V offers, you may want to consider the new Lexus HS250h, a car I will be reviewing later this year.
I just ordered my Prius V today. I drove one last weekend, did a bunch of research, and called several dozen dealers in VA, MD, PA, and NC. I ordered exactly what I wanted, that’s a big plus to me. I did look at the Lexus, but you’re talking $40K+ and don’t get the same mileage.
I test drove a rental they had and was expecting whimpy response. When we pulled onto I66 I punched it and was blown away (I was in power mode). But that car didn’t have all the bells and whistles. I’m an engineer and wanted all the bells and whistles.
My suggestion, go thru the configurator on the Toyota web site and price out what you want, then decide if its worth the wait. I decided it was, But got them to pull some strings and get me an earlier delivery date. We’ll have to see if that really happens.
Well for starters it´s “Eco” mode not Econ, it has four driving modes you forgot the normal mode.
You exspectations on the turning cannot be compared to the ones that get model IV and down. Because the V has a totally diferrent suspention and well it corners better than the rest.
I like the cornering on the Prius basically cause I previously owned a Mitsubishi L200 2008 not the sport one. Well any how the cornering on that thing sucked!! I would have to turn the handle so much for the simplest corner there was.
iFred – before you criticize someone about a small item like Eco vs Econ, you may want to consider your own limited grasp of written English.
iFred-My bad about the Eco/Econ bit. But all Prius’ have the same suspension regardless of which model you choose. The only difference that could affect the driving of a Prius V versus lesser models is that the V has 17″ alloys, while the other Prius’ make do with 15″ wheels.
Hi–any knowledge of how it handles in ice/snow conditions? I realize winter hasn’t come yet, but have heard the earlier models are not so good in the stuff.
Kate, like most vehicles, the Prius will be fine when properly equipped with snow tires.
Both my wife and I are totally impressed with are Prius V. We did some research and thought it was the best hybrid for mpg with all the features we wanted. We love the way it drives and corners.