TOYOTA PRIUS Review

Summary:

What we like: Relatively quiet ride, Impressive quality

What we don't like: Seats can be uncomfortable for some

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TOYOTA PRIUS review in detail:

This second-generation Prius, introduced as a 2004 model, is larger than the original, and is now a midsize car. It's roomy, with adult-size back seats and lots of cargo space. And it's also more pleasant to look at, with sleek, futuristic styling. It's easy to spot in a crowded supermarket lot.

At low speeds and under moderate acceleration, the Prius has zero emission from the tailpipe, being purely battery-powered. The real justification to buy a Prius is its extremely low emissions. It produces almost zero pollution and is one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles available. The Prius is an excellent choice for those who want to reduce air pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels. The Prius is not cheap, but it's an amazing piece of engineering that achieves those goals.

When extra power is required, a very high-tech 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine starts up and assists the electric motor. When the brakes are used, or the Prius is coasting down a hill, the batteries are charged by the energy that would normally have been converted into heat by the brakes. The batteries are also recharged by the petrol engine, so the Prius doesn't need to be plugged into the mains for recharging.

Performance is nothing special and the fuel consumption in real life driving isn't as low as that suggested by official fuel-consumption tests. And we have heard of turbo-diesels with similar performance using just as little fuel as the hybrid Toyota.

Prius has reasonably good handling characteristics and holds the road well enough, however it's spoiled by a rather wooden feel to the steering.

There is an argument that the Prius is not overall as environmentally friendly as some alternative cars. The life span of the Prius is claimed to be 150,000Kms to 300,000Kms, whereas the Golf very commonly lasts 500,000Kms and more. Given the tremendous resources consumed in the manufacture of any new vehicle, the vastly greater durability of a diesel far outweighs the slightly lesser fuel economy and environmental impact.


Furthermore, you can donate the (up to) $20,000 saving to an environmental organisation. Or buy loads of diesel fuel!

One of the things that made the Prius a big success in the USA was that some states (including California) allowed all hybrid cars to use car pool lanes regardless of the number of passengers in the car. This practice was stopped in California at the beginning of 2007 since the state government had then managed to reach the target of hybrid cars they wanted to achieve.

When will the TOYOTA PRIUS be updated next?

The TOYOTA PRIUS update is expected to be around 3 2009

There is speculation that Toyota is devising a kind of Prius ‘brand’ that will encapsulate a number of different shapes and sizes.

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