Q&A: 2010 Toyota Prius

Big credit to Toyota if you think they invented the hybrid; that certainly is evidence of the sheer dominance of the Prius marketing machine. Believe it or not, battery powered-hybrids were around during the turn of the last century. To Toyota's credit, the Prius did enter the market in 1997 as the world's first mass-produced hybrid. A Prius is a mythical beast that slayed earth-polluting, smoke-breathing dragons in 17th century. Or…Prius is Latin for "to go before", as in to go to market before everyone else with this idea of a mass-produced hybrid; I can't remember which.

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Yes, you are correct good sir. Keep in mind this is a combined rating, meaning it probably gets even better mileage in the city. According to Toyota, that makes the Prius the highest mileage car sold in America.

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Oh, you didn't hear? The Prius is now a motorcycle. I kid, I kid. By increasing the torque produced by the engine, the new engine actually runs at a lower RPM on the highway, thus using less fuel. Toyota also spent more time wind tunnel testing this car than any other Toyota before it, making it the cleanest aerodynamic profile of any mass-produced vehicle on the road.

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You got the story a little twisted; it is true the new Toyota Prius will offer an optional glass moonroof packaged with solar panels, but these solar panels are used to power a ventilation system that prevents the vehicle temperature from rising while in park. That way when you get in your car you don't have to crank the air conditioning to maximum, effectively killing any efficiencies gained using a hybrid powertrain. And before you bow down to the Prius, keep in mind the Mazda 929 was doing this back in 1992.

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While I wouldn't go racing for pink slips just yet, you heard correctly. Toyota managed to shave a full second off the Prius 0-60 time, which now sits at a claimed…wait for it…9.8 seconds. Ussein Bolt could probably beat this car in the 100 meter dash, but that's not really the point of the Toyota Prius is it?

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Apparently the air conditioning on the car can be operated via remote control, allowing the driver to adjust the interior temperature for comfort before getting in the car. That way, if you're like me and eat ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins five days a week, you don't have to worry about your car being "ice cream unfriendly" when you get inside

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When you sit inside the new Toyota Prius, your rear side will be cushioned by the sweet touch of ecological plastics. That means the foam (and other plastic components throughout the vehicle) are plant-derived and carbon neutral, emitting less carbon-dioxide throughout the product lifecycle than plastics made solely from petroleum. The car also has no "new car scent"; rather, fresh grass clippings are taped to the air vents at the dealership.

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The current Prius starts at $22,000, but Toyota has not announced any pricing on the new one. We estimate that the price will go up slightly, but keep in mind that Lexus is also launching its own hybrid based on the Prius, the HS 250, so we imagine Toyota will want to keep plenty of price spacing between the two. The 2010 Prius goes on sale this Spring.

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The only other hybrids Toyota offers are the Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. We would like to see a hybrid version of the smaller Toyota RAV4, but it is possible the economics of such a vehicle didn't work out.

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Since you asked so nicely, of course. Toyota wisely preserved the shape of the outgoing Prius, because let's face it, the Prius "shape" is as iconic as the Statue of Liberty. Too far? Well you get what I'm saying; there is more brand recognition built into the shape of the Prius, than say, a Hyundai Accent. Overall, the length of the vehicle increased only by 0.6 inches, and the major changes went into making the vehicle sleeker and more performance-focused.

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The first that comes to mind is the Honda Insight, which enters the market as "the most affordable hybrid in the world." We had a chance to drive it and were able to mileage well above 50 mpg. Ford's new Fusion Hybrid also has a lot of promise, recently crowned America's most fuel efficient midsize car with an EPA-certified 41 mpg city and a driving range of 700 miles on a single tank of gas. Obviously the crowd is a lot different than when the first Toyota Prius arrived in 1997.

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