31 Votes

2010 Toyota Prius review

rybo submitted on 3/25/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 10:24:42 AM

56 user comments | Category: Reviews | Source: | SOURCE: www.motorauthority.com

Testing the new Prius in the desert hills around Tucson, I came to a realization I'm still only half-comfortable with: I actually like this car.

It doesn't go fast, it's not ultra-luxurious and it won't take a corner at anything above a sedate speed, but that's not the point.

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— rybo (View Profile)

User Comments

Really? Other compact cars also don't average 70 miles per gallon with super low emissions.

"On several different driving routes, including both sustained 50mph+ and stop-and-go sections, the Prius averaged over 70mpg with any number of journalists behind the wheel....On one particular route, chosen for its varied terrain and used as an 'efficiency challenge', the car averaged 70.9mpg over a roughly 30mi course. Another saw an average of 81.6mpg over 20mi."
— bigmotov (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 11:13:05 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 6

and what is so bad about 50 -60 mpg? that it puts to shame whatever heap YOU have?
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 11:22:30 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 8

Do you really Love Toyota's dedication in helping the environment? What if I told you that Toyota is probably the car manufacturer most dedicated to perception? They are the best at it!! But in the future, I'm just curious, how safe will the land fills be that hold used up Hybrid batteries?? Toyota is clearly not the only developer of these... but they sure are in the lead!
— Airliner (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 12:06:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

Yes follow their lead in selling Land Cruisers, Tudra's and Sequoias. Look, every company is required to have a lower emissions mandate. Toyota found a great marketing tool and is using it to the best advantage. I don't think they really care about the environment.

It they did, they would drop the large V8's or use hybrid motors (like GM ) in their big trucks to make a strong statement. No excuses please. Any sacrifice is worth it right? Also, they would be paving the way in recyclable materials, ( like BMW and Ford, Audi) but they are not. These aforementioned companies have recycled materials in their vehicles already. So do give us this bulls&#t about Toyota being concerned about the environment. Plus, Toyota onlly sells the Camry/Highlander here because the profits are more.
— inspirion7 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 12:43:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3

Airliner and Inspiron you are missing the point. If it doesn't say "Hybrid" clearly on the outside how are you going to get props from everyone on the road. I am not trying to say it is all about being smug and self-satisfied, but it is mostly. The number of Prius drivers who selected “Makes a statement about me” in early 2007 was 57 percent and it is going up. The other brands need to figure this out if they want to market their greenness. You need BIG LABELS!!!!!
— camrydriver (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:43:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

this obviously is not the new Prius Touring model, which has a tuned suspension and addresses all prior complaints about the prius being no fun to drive.

in any case, a 70 - 80 mpg real world accomplishment covers a lot of sins!
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 11:19:51 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

instead of saying " i heard", " I believe", "I thought" or " I read", why don't you just rent one for a day so you can say " I DROVE" and "I KNOW"?
all i am saying is a lot of your people need to put some value in your posts by have some facts.
— ghosthunter (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 2:01:30 PM | | Votes: 2

I easily get +35mpg in my car and drive very spirited. I think one of the main reasons the prius gets good fuel economy is because of the on-board "how to drive like a grandma display/videogame"...as the journalist of the article states

"A theme we noticed while trying to extract the maximum efficiency possible is that once the battery pack had been nearly depleted, efficiency drops rapidly until it's recharged. Keeping all the various instruments, flags and meters happy while maximizing efficiency is almost video-game-like in its addictiveness. If you buy one, you'll almost certainly be hooked within a day"

If the prius was driven spiritedly then I bet the mpg figures would be quite different. Most economy cars out there do not have a method to regulate drivers habits like the prius. This is also the reason why I constantly find myself passing prius' (prii) when I am going at an acceleration rate which I think is slow and laboring.
— kpaxx (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 12:23:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2

ummm yeah genius if you drive any car fast pretty sure it will get way worse mileage
— DinamoR (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 1:57:41 PM | | Votes: -2

Then what is the point of buying a prius if it does not excellent mpgs under normal driving behaviour? Some hypermilers don't drive hybrid cars and get well over 50mpgs!
— kpaxx (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 8:25:52 PM | | Votes: 2

And you can just forget about buying these hybrids in the northern states. I've read that the hybrid system is no where near as efficient in the southern states in the North. But the most worrisome component is the low resistance tires. It is unsafe to drive these hybrids during the winters in the snow.
— investor27 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 1:47:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

Solution: Winter Tires.
— Jordanski (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 7:18:10 AM | | Votes: 2

80% of the battery components can be recycled in a toyota/lexus hybrid.
— LexusKindaGuy12 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 2:11:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

EPA Energy impact score, adjusting for different fuel volumetric energy densities, processes of fuel delivery and comparing cars in perfectly the same conditions:

2009 Toyota Prius (previous less efficient generation, not this one)
7.4 barrels of oil/year

2009 VW Jetta TDI 6-speed manual:
11.6 barrels of oil/year

2009 VW Jetta TDI 6-speed DSG:
11.9 barrels of oil/year

So if you want the country to be 60% more dependent on foreign oil imports, buy a diesel instead of a hybrid.

References:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/compx2008f.jsp?year=2009&make=Toyota&model=Prius&hiddenField=Findacar
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25263
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25262
— AutomotiveEngineer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 3:00:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

From one specific barrel of crude oil you can obtain some specific amount of petrol and diesel fuel, both should be used rather than processed, so there's place for diesels (with btw. have to have lots of expensive catalysts to fulfil emission standarts) and petrols. But fact is that we should measure a ENERGY effeciency rather than simply miles per gallon(different fuels have different density) to compare diesels and petrols.
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 3:42:00 PM | | Votes: 6

Exactly right. From a barrel of crude you more or less get twice as much gasoline than diesel. As long as market requires fuels in these proportions efficiency remains the highest since no conversions are needed.

Thus diesel engines should be limited to applications in which they work best like trucks, diesel trains, any earth moving or construction equipment, agriculture, backup generation. In these diesel disadvantages are not that much of a problem.

Cars should stick to clean gas/electric hybrid systems with gradually extended all electric range. You get better energy efficiency (expressed by CO2 emissions), less pollution (particularly in cities), simpler technology, plug-in options.

Once again, from EPA, cars compared in exactly the same driving conditions:

Annual Tons of CO2 Emitted:
2009 Toyota Prius: 4.0
2009 VW Jetta TDI 6sp manual: 6.2
2009 VW Jetta TDI DSG: 6.4

So the Jetta is 57.5% less energy efficient than previous generation Prius. The new one is even more ahead.

Refereces:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/compx2008f.jsp?year=2009&make=Toyota&model=Prius&hiddenField=Findacar
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25263
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25262
— AutomotiveEngineer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 4:26:36 PM | | Votes: 1

Yeah but what about all the coal that is burnt to smelt the nickel to make the battery.....have you ever seen Sudbury, Ont. it looks like hell on earth! Factor that into the environmental impact of making the prius!
— kpaxx (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 8:49:05 PM | | Votes: 1

kpaxx, please stop commenting on topics that are beyond your comprehension.

------------------------

"[...] Emissions of the pollutants and CO2 resulting from vehicle manufacture and end-of-life are small compared to these resulting from vehicle use stage."

Reference: MacLean, H.L. et all, "A life-cycle model of an automobile", 1998

Which is perfectly logical. 30 pounds of nickel had to be mined and processed for the purpose of building a hybrid to conserve more than 3100 US gallons of crude oil and emit more than 50 TONNES of CO2 less while in service (when compared to Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel).

Now that's what I call an environmental benefit.
— AutomotiveEngineer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:26:45 PM | | Votes: 1

I say, they lower the price(s) on 91 Octane.
— Jordanski (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 7:20:33 AM | | Votes: 1

Lets see 1UAW. A 35k fully loaded Prius is still 5k less than a Volt base model if it were sold at msrp which it wont. Prius has a history of hybrid technology for more than a decade where as GM does not. You would have to be mentally retarded or a UAW worker to buy a Volt. The Prius is a hell of a bargain in comparison. Even somehow if the Volt was a hit, Gm would still be in the red compared to Toyota which already makes profit on hybrids.
— veyron1001 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 7:00:33 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

veyron, before you get your foot too far in your mouth you need to remember the EV1 from 1996. I luv the Pious as much as the next guy but there's no reason to be ignorant.
— camrydriver (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:50:21 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

oops: Prius
— camrydriver (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:51:01 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

I'd spend 35k on this, but wouldn't drop a penny on the Lexus HS250 (it's fugly). It's called a federal tax credit. Honestly, even If you buy a $28,000.00 car and keep it for a number of years; the price of gas these days will most likely set you back over $7,000.00 depending on how long you keep the car. Think of how much money you save, getting 70 MPG, versus 19 - not how much you save if you buy a $28,000.00 car versus a $35,000.00 car. Plus, I wouldn't be complaining if I were you, the options list on VWs are even longer.
— Jordanski (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 7:27:34 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

Good luck Chevy Volt.
— Anthony (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 3:54:50 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4

Pretty soon the mainstream car mags will test it and everyone will be brought back down to reality.
— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 4:58:30 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

They already did.

52.2 miles per gallon observed around their standard fuel economy loop they rush cars around in every test.

That's 2.2 MPG better than EPA rating.

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=144886/pageId=164144

On the other hand Edmund's editors are averaging 36 MPG of more energy dense fuel in their 2009 VW Jetta TDI DSG which is exactly what EPA calculated for this car. It perfectly proves my point how inefficient diesels are.

Going diesel instead of hybrids means making the USA dependent on foreign oil imports and Big Oil companies.
— AutomotiveEngineer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 8:54:11 PM | | Votes: -1

Nice but if you drive the Jetta like a Prius yo will get 50mpg in the Jetta.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/automobiles/autoreviews/23-vw-jetta.html?em

Plus Jetta is more luxurious, handles better, is safer and is more comfortable!
— kpaxx (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 9:18:44 PM | | Votes: 0

According to Edmunds' numbers, the 2009 Jetta TDI is 1.2 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the new Prius. They also make it pretty clear that this latest Prius is still a boring drive. VW could add stop/start to the TDI or even put in a less powerful diesel engine to close the mpg gap.
— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:42:11 PM | | Votes: -1

TurboSpyder, the Prius is boring to drive, just like a Jetta is the boring car, even if slightly faster:

"Well done VW, it's the most boring car in history":

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article731958.ece
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/26/2009 9:11:43 AM | | Votes: -1

Clarckson is more of a clown than an auto journalist. The Jetta is not the most exciting car out there but there are different levels of boring and the Prius is the king (Queen?) of boring cars.

From a recent Popular Mechanics comparison of the Jetta TDI and 2009 Prius:

"As was the case in the previous day's city test, it soon became clear that the Jetta was the hot rod of this duo. When we absolutely needed to punch the throttle to merge with traffic, the Jetta left the Prius behind. Shift the DSG into Sport mode, and it will downshift rather brilliantly as you enter a sweeping bend. The Jetta's drivetrain almost encourages you to burn fuelthat is, it's actually fun to drive. And the same cannot be said for the Prius."

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4284188.html?page=2
— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 3/26/2009 4:40:08 PM | | Votes: 2

"Clarckson is more of a clown than an auto journalist."

Only you think so.
Have you ever watched his DVDs or read his books? He always has some "deeper message", not only like most other journalists: steering feel, handling, mpg, little differences in quality of plastics, and so on, always the same pattern. Of course he's not doing everything right, for example he's often exagerrate some things. And becouse he's transferring his thoughts in humoristic way doesn't mean that he's a clown.
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/26/2009 5:44:24 PM | | Votes: 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPMZtAnKDuE

(look from 1:00 and decide who of those two guys you would rather want to watch, both are transferring a same message but in a different way)
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/26/2009 5:54:49 PM | | Votes: 2

"The new Accord's engine is more powerful than a South American dictator."

Yeah, he's entertaining but you can't take much of what he says seriously.
— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 11:59:08 AM | | Votes: 2

"Yeah, he's entertaining but you can't take much of what he says seriously."

You should read his books or watch DVDs, than maybe you change your opinion.
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 4:26:35 PM | | Votes: 1

Styling looks like a cheap plastic toy: yawn!!!
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 5:05:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

Underneath those toy like skin, Pruis don't break down like my german tank.
— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 3/26/2009 12:06:34 AM | | Votes: 0

If 'boring' is the strongest counter-argument against the Prius, that's pretty weak.

Prius 3 will destroy what's left of Germany's diesels. Even BMW has to admit defeat and follow Toyota.
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 7:30:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

| If 'boring' is the strongest counter-argument against the Prius,
| that's pretty weak.

Anytime when reading comments about the Prius III being "boring", just realize their authors have absolutely nothing left to say. The new Prius just crushes competition (particularly diesels) in terms of fuel economy, emissions, environmental load, simplicity and maintenance costs. It also has its glitches fixed. The car now looks much sleeker, is much better to drive and there are more options to choose from.

| Prius 3 will destroy what's left of Germany's diesels. Even BMW has to
| admit defeat and follow Toyota.

BMW already admitted Toyota was right opting for hybrids and they started making their own. Only they needed to pair up with with Mercedes, General Motors and Chrysler to build what Toyota created alone - a hybrid drivetrain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Hybrid_Cooperation

"Global Hybrid Cooperation (formerly called Advanced Hybrid System 2 or AHS2) is a set of hybrid vehicle technologies jointly developed by General Motors, Daimler, and Chrysler LLC, with BMW joining in 2005."
— AutomotiveEngineer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:09:23 PM | | Votes: 0

Im really impressed with what they did here.

They made it even UGLIER than the previous model! Toyota scores!
— Obliv (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 8:37:31 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

BEAUTY is as beauty DOES.

NO other car on the planet is as beautiful, when it comes to efficiency!

but if you like UGLY gas hogs, that's your prerogotive.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 2:55:51 AM | | Votes: 1

Ho hum..
— clsboy (View Profile)

Posted on 3/25/2009 10:12:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

Customer: Is it fast?
Salesperson: Nope.
Customer: It's not really that good looking.
Salesperson: Nope.
Customer: Can it really get 60mpg?
Saleperson: Yep.
Customer: When can I pick it up?
— 800over (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 10:15:14 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1

More like 45 mpg in the real world according to Edmunds' observed mileage.
— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 12:02:42 PM | | Votes: 1

As far as I know Edmunds observed mileage is 52.2 US mpg.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=144886/pageId=164144
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 4:30:00 PM | | Votes: 1

On fuel economy loop.
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 4:32:49 PM | | Votes: 1

"Also, our Prius test car averages 52.2 mpg on a 115-mile fuel economy test loop that's 60 percent highway driving. Pile on a few dozen more Prius-friendly city miles and mid-50s would be easily attainable."

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=144886/pageId=164142
— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 4:37:38 PM | | Votes: 1

What happens to unused gas in a Volt after many months?
— StickShiftCamry (View Profile)

Posted on 3/27/2009 11:44:55 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

it goes STALE and gets gummy.

appropriate for a Gummy Motors car.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 3:09:11 AM | | Votes: 1

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2010 Toyota Prius review

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