Just like MJ & Diana sang in The Wiz, the best way to describe the Prius driving experience is to say you are gonna ease on down the road. Despite those who seem to enjoy the high speed fuel economy the Prius offers, this is a machine dedicated to economy and drivers be ready to drive appropriately. Just ease it on down the road.
Our tester was the base model 2010 Prius which actually looked almost sexy draped in Barcelona Red Metallic paint which rings in at an MSRP of $27,800 Canadian. At this level the Prius comes with comfortable seating, front and back, that are clad in a rather basic but nice bisque colored cloth.
On the outside, Prius has always had an attractive style that while understated is distinctly modern. If the transportation people during the time of Logan’s Run designed a car, it would look like a Prius. The exterior lamps look quite rich, while the front and rear emblems have sort of a blue halo inside that the kids and even a few adults considered quite cool. Personally, I like the angle of the functional real spoiler that finishes off the rear hatch. It just looks a little racy, even if it is there to improve highway fuel economy.
The interior styling is unfortunately signature Toyota nice. That is to say that the fit and finish are exceptional and the surfaces have a nice tactile feel, there is just no passion involved. Sure, the shifter is tres cool and the digital display is fun and informative, I was just hoping for something a bit more exciting. Front seats are comfy and feel like they would fine for a long trip, while the back seat is quite large. Typical of a hatchback, the Prius offers a good amount of usable storage space, with a large storage bin beneath the cargo area floor to keep items away from prying eyes. Fold the back seats down and an active couple have tons of space for camping gear or a trip to Ikea.
I must admit that I haven’t reviewed many hybrid vehicles, because I don’t feel that they are the solution the Canadian market needs. Most hybrid systems are most effective at speeds below 50 or so km/h, which is fine in deep urban settings, but not much use for those who commute from the burbs every day. I’m happy to say that the Prius has gone a long way towards changing that opinion.
The hybrid system in the Prius has 3 modes. EV, where the car runs solely on the electric motor, Eco, where electric and gas systems work in harmony and Power, where the gasoline engine is a bit more involved. I found that the EV mode shuts itself off somewhere between 38-40 km/h, which makes it useless for most driving, unless cruising around a parking lot. I tried the Power mode briefly, to see if there was indeed more power and yes, it is somewhat quicker. The whole point of this exercise was to see how economical the Prius would be for our family, so ECO mode was the way to go.
I haven’t driven a Prius since 2005 and the drivetrain has improved dramatically. In most cases, the transition from electric motors to gas engine are completely imperceptible. I don’t just mean you can’t feel the transition, but also can’t hear it! With 98 horsepower from the 1.4l gas engine and 80 horsepower from the electric motor flowing through the CVT, the Prius driver isn’t going to win any stoplight wars. Then again, that is hardly the reason for buying a green vehicle. When trying to achieve fuel economy, the acceleration is a tad on the slow side but the elation that one feels when filling up the tank far outweighs the missing rush of speed.
So how did we do on our quest for economy? I made 2 trips into the city, with the cruise control set well above the optimal fuel economy range. The rest of the week though was spent doing what a hybrid does best: tootling around town. We achieved a very respectable 4.8 l/100 km. If you are an old Miles Per Gallon type like me, that number doesn’t make a great impact, but the fill-up certainly did. We drove the Prius 413 km. On the fuel gauge, that registered as just a tic over a half tank. I held my breath, thinking it could be a huge tank. We used exactly 21 liters of gas to go over 400 km! Absolutely incredible!
I still believe that a hybrid is not for everyone and consumers should think very carefully about their driving habits before choosing any hybrid. That said, the Prius is by far the most normal feeling hybrid I’ve driven and the one that our family would buy if we were in the market for a small hatch that has the ability to carry 5 people in comfort. In today’s fast paced world, it wouldn’t hurt any of us to slow down a little anyway and just ease on down the road!
About Gary Grant
