2004 Toyota Prius

So this is what it comes down to. This is it -- this smallish car with the swooping hood and futuristic look is the thing that will save the world. Okay. Half-jokes and hyperbole aside, the 2004 Toyota Prius is a landmark vehicle, the next generation of clean-running practical cars designed for urban, and suburban, drivers. And while saving the world is a tall order for a car, the Prius is one of those cars that could make a difference. Time will tell, however, whether the amount of space and performance that comes with this latest hybrid experience is enough to get people to buy the thing, and thusly how big of a difference that little swooping car will make. According to Toyota, making a difference is familiar ground for the Prius, as it was the world's first mass-produced electric-gas hybrid vehicle in 1997 and has since become the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the world. Again according to Toyota, U.S. market sales have steadily increased from 5,600 in its first year on the market to just over 20,000 in 2002. Toyota expects better sales numbers from the 2004 version, thanks to more style and substance n the '04 model. And while the vehicle is greatly improved, it may be a tough sell. We, as collective Americans, can't get over the idea that you really need 360 horses to drive to work and home, that bigger and faster is always better. It's not -- when you're crawling along 50 miles of freeway every day. Fact is, it's piggish overkill. Sure, if you've got a free road, open up the throttle and let it fly -- that's where driving is driving and driving is fun.

Page 2: Commuting

The Prius is about commuting, not driving. Who in America really drives during the work week anymore? Perhaps in New Mexico, or out there in the far reaches of Arizona, you'll find an open road. But for the rest of us, the millions of us who need efficient, convenient and economic travel to get us through our day, the Prius is a different answer to the same old question. Will real people really buy a hybrid? They will buy this one. Or so Toyota hopes, because of the differences. From expanded room and performance to new design and technology, the 2004 Toyota Prius is a hybrid car for the rest of us. Not a hybrid vehicle disguised as a compact, not a cramped two-seater or a trend-mobile with little space and less performance, like the previous Prius. Nope, this newest Prius is a statement wrapped in practicality; common sense and idealism tied together with four wheels and an engine that proves driving doesn't have to be dirty, and that driving right actually can be fun. Perhaps not as much fun as chirping the tires in second gear, or going 0-60 in the blink of an eye. But the Prius is fun in other ways, such as missing an appointment with the gas station, or an easy drive on freeways, in traffic and around city streets.

Page 3: Button

Fun. It's fun to push a button to start a car. It's fun to get in and out without pressing a fob or pulling a key. There's plenty of room inside, and the seats are made of quality materials. The front display is so different that it's a little disconcerting at first, as it's all digital and seems so far away. But once you're used to it you learn to appreciate the simplicity and futuristic feel. That simplicity is noticeable throughout the instrument control area. Toyota engineers included just what was needed, and managed to get most of it on the steering wheel - where it should be. These steering wheel controls are easy to use, intuitive to touch - though in the evening, it's hard to see the controls. The available voice activation works as well as most -- push the button and make a specific command - you'll get what you want, though the center console monitor seems to go dark when voice command is on. Of particular use is the voice-command temperature control and radio control. .

Page 4: Liftback

The fun doesn't end there - you can actually get people in the back, and bags in the hatch. This is a real mid-sized ship, with room to stretch and grow. Built on a new platform, the Prius has a wheelbase that's almost six inches longer than the previous car, a new five-door liftback design and midsize class interior dimensions of 96.2 cubic feet of passenger room. This compares nicely to the 89 cubic feet of room in the previous Prius, and gets close to the Camry's 101.7 cubic feet. The result is plenty of headroom in back, and legroom all around is sufficient. Thanks to the large glass lift gate in back and lowered, streamlined instrumentation up front, visibility is more than adequate. Possible exceptions may be the rear sides, where the design of the vehicle seems to obstruct the driver sightline. All in all, the Prius feels good in your hands -- good like a solid car, with fun techno gadgetry, including advanced fuel cell graphics in the control center. Sure, it's not crazy fun like pulling a g on your local onramp - but come on - you never really had the nerve to do that anyway. And while Smart Entry/Start is not exactly the most important element to the Prius, it is perhaps the coolest - as if your car knows you and is ready to go when you are. Hey. How was work today? Should we skip gassing up and go straight home? I still have a full tank of fuel.

Page 5: Synergy

It has a full tank of fuel because the Prius is the Son of Scientists who have oil and car grime under the fingernails -- professionals who have built a significant piece of automotive technology called the Hybrid Synergy Drive. Debuted first in this vehicle but scheduled to be rolled out to at least the Lexus RX330, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system is a "full hybrid system," capable of operating in gas or electric modes, as well as a mode that combines the power of the gas engine and electric motor. This new drive system uses a 50-percent more powerful 50-kilowatt drive motor operating at up to 500 volts. A newly adopted high-voltage power converter enables this increased voltage and power. The generator in the new Prius has a higher peak operating speed that increases electric-mode operation in city and freeway slow-and-go operation. A regenerative braking system further boosts system efficiency -- when the Prius is coasting or the brakes are applied, the electric motor functions as a generator, capturing kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat through the brakes and using it to recharge the batteries.

Page 6: Performance

All this is combined with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, and as one powerplant the Prius produces 76 horsepower and 82 lb.-ft. of torque -- compared to 70 hp and 82 lb.-ft. for the previous model. Improving the previous Prius' performance was a major issue for Toyota engineers, and they improved acceleration, 0-60 times and fuel efficiency. Overall, the performance of the Prius is not unlike a typical 4-cylinder vehicle, though you can feel the weight difference a little. It's not fast off the line, but gets out quickly enough -- it's 0-60 is improved to 10 seconds, a full 2 ticks less than the 2003 Prius. Fuel mileage did improve by about 7 miles-per-gallon, though your personal driving habits will influence this number. Where the Prius shines most, however, is in driveability. The thing is easy to drive, smooth and effortless on acceleration and turning -- thanks in part to Toyota's throttle-by-wire technology, which replaces the traditional gearshift lever and allows shifting using a small joystick mounted on the dash. Once at cruising speeds, the Prius slices through road; on trips with multiple errands, it is an incredibly easy vehicle to start, stop, park and maneuver. Which, when you think about it, is what most of us need a car to do. And that takes the Prius out of the fringe and puts it square in the playing field of the rest of us.

Page 7: Notes

2004 Toyota Prius MSRP: $19,995 EPA City/Hwy: 60/50 mpg Engines: 1.5L 4 Cylinder 78 hp Gas/Electric Transmission: Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) Adaptive Automatic Transmission Drive: FWD Wheelbase: 98.2 in Curb weight: 2855lb Safety equipment: ABS Brakes / Driver-Passenger airbags Warranty: 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle warranty applies to all components other than normal wear and maintenance items. Additional 60-month warranties cover the powertrain for 60,000 miles and corrosion with no mileage limitation. The hybrid-related components, including the HV battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter, are covered for eight years/100,000 miles. Prius also comes with seven-day/24-hour roadside assistance for 36 months. Photos by Brian Chee, Erik Hanson and Toyota Motor Co.