2005 Prius

My Experience

After owning a series of Volvos--whose reliability ranged from "poor" to "can we just tape over the check-engine light?"--my girlfriend decided it was time to invest in a brand-new car. And, having become quite the car enthusiast in our three years together, she was determined to make a more informed choice this time around. First, we looked at a Subaru WRX wagon--she loved the power, but wasn't quite ready to commit to a manual transmission. Then, we checked out the excellent Acura TSX. Finally, though, she decided to follow her environmental conscience, and ordered a Toyota Prius.

After an unexpectedly short two-week wait--we've heard of people waiting for months--her silver Package 6 Prius arrived at the Toyota dealership in Davis. That was a little over a month ago, and we've both driven the car on a near-daily basis since then. I originally intended to wait a little longer before writing this review, but am finding my enthusiasm difficult to suppress.


Performance

As many readers will already know, the Prius is not powered by one engine, but rather a combination of two engines. The first of these is a conventional gasoline unit generating 76 horsepower. The second is an electric motor that can contribute up to 67 horses when fully charged. These two supplement each other in a system Toyota calls Hybrid Synergy Drive. How does it work? The short answer is, "quite well." For the long answer, read on.

Starting the Prius is a bit of an event, especially with the optional Smart Keyless Entry. So equipped, there is no need to insert a key in the Prius' ignition. Instead, the car senses the key in your pocket, unlocks the doors as you approach, and allows you to start the car simply by pressing a "Power" button on the dash. Very trick.

After pressing said button, you soon get a sense of the energy flow between the Prius's two powerplants. The gas engine runs briefly to warm up, but shuts down within a couple blocks. Keep your throttle applications light, and you can whoosh around solely on electric power up until 25mph or so. After that, the gas engine kicks in to provide additional momentum--unless you only commute through low-speed suburbs, you're usually using both powerplants at once.

In terms of acceleration, the Prius' performance is about what you'd expect of a low-end economy car. The electric motor provides instant, authoritative pull in gentle takeoffs, and if you plant your foot a bit deeper, the gas engine springs to life with zero hesitation. Power is adequate in routine driving, with just a little bit in reserve when you want to move briskly. The only time the Prius feels truly sluggish is in freeway merging--it always gets up to speed by on-ramp's end, but the process is a gradual one.

In spite of my enthusiast leanings, I rarely find myself wishing for more power under the hood. I do, however, wish for a bit more of that trademark Toyota refinement. The Prius' gas engine sounds tinny, and sends increasingly buzzy vibrations through the cabin as the revs rise. Most unsettlingly, you can feel slight surges and shudders under the hood as the engine turns itself on and off.

As for the Prius' raison d'etre--fuel economy--our experience has been one of qualified delight: "Delight" because we're averaging 42 MPG, "qualified" because the window sticker said to expect 60/51 MPG. I suspect this discrepancy is due to the EPA's test course being an imperfect replica of real-life driving conditions.


Transmission

The Prius' powertrain futurism continues with its CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission. This transmission does away with conventional gears, and instead uses a planetary gear set to provide an infinite number of gear ratios. Through the seat of the pants, this means you'll never feel the transmission shifting, or have to wait for a kickdown. Under full throttle, the CVT just kicks the revs up to 5000rpm and stays there until you back off. Yes, this slipping-clutch sensation is a bit odd--but in the Prius, it feels appropriately odd.

Also odd--but very cool--is the interface through which the transmission is controlled. Gear selections are made via a slick-feeling electronic joystick on the dashboard--nudge it down for Drive, up for Reverse, and so forth. Need to engage Park? There's a separate button for that. It's like driving an iMac.

For all this technical excellence, though, Toyota made one unforgivable slip-up in the operation of the Prius' transmission. Apparently, some engineer thought it would be clever to fit the Prius with a back-up beeper--like that of a commercial truck, except inside the cabin. So, whenever Reverse is selected, the dashboard bleeps frantically to remind you which direction you're headed. When you're backing out onto a busy street, this added distraction is the last thing you need.


Steering/Handling

In terms of chassis dynamics, The Prius' moves are strictly econocar-grade. It feels unfailingly stable and offers decent roll control, but grips corners meekly on its skinny, hard-compound tires. Still, while the Prius doesn't exactly beg to exceed the speed limit, neither does the car's target audience. These buyers will likely be more interested in the Prius' easy in-town maneuverability and tight turning circle. In short, the Prius handles as well as a purpose-built gas saver needs to.

So, does that make the Prius bland to drive? Hardly. There's a thick layer of electronics between you and the road, and that makes the Prius' driving experience highly distinctive--for better or for worse. For example, consider the Prius' steering. It's an electrically-assisted setup, and there's a robotic remoteness in its responses. Effort errs on the limp side, and the small, grainy-textured wheel feels odd in the hands--although its small diameter helps disguise the slow steering ratio.

Further character--or frustration, depending on your mood--can be derived from the Prius' brakes. The Prius uses energy released during braking to recharge its electric motor, a process called regenerative braking. It's a brilliant feature, but one that places a virtual committee of computers between your foot and the binders. Pedal feel is artificially sensitive, so you use just a whisper of pressure in normal stops. And when you jam the brakes hard, there's a very brief--but very disconcerting--moment of delay before the computers grant your request.

Still, these sensations are subtle enough that casual drivers may not notice them at all. They'll probably just be glad to learn that the Prius drives "easily" and "pretty normally." The only real downside they're likely to notice is the Prius' poor crosswind stability, which mandates frequent steering correction at freeway speeds.


Ride

As with many of its other dynamic traits, the Prius' ride is comparable to that of a good economy sedan. Its suspension tuning feels stiffer than in most mainstream Toyotas, so the Prius bobbles busily over uneven surfaces. But on most roads, its blend of comfort and control is quite pleasing. A drum-tight body structure adds a satisfying feeling of solidity to the mix.

The quietness of the Prius' ride depends greatly on the driving conditions. The Prius is completely silent at stoplights, for example, and when tooling around town on electric power, all you'll hear is the gentle rush of the tires. But when you're caning the engine at redline to ascend a steep hill, things get fairly raucous.

In addition, there's more to the Prius' soundtrack than the usual blend of engine, wind, and road noise. Various unseen accessories are at work under the hood, so you hear an assortment of muted whirs, buzzes, and gurgles cycling autonomously as you cruise along. Sometimes, you even hear them after you've parked the car and are walking away.


Interior

Even in light of the Prius' quirky driving experience, it's the view from the driver's seat that lends this car most of its character. Step inside, and you'll feel like you're taking the helm of a pint-sized minivan--one which happens to have been beamed back from 2015. The windshield is huge and far away, with a digital gauge cluster tucked into the distant edge of the dashboard. Tiny quarter windows flank the view to the sides, while a steeply sloped roofline and bisected backlight afford a pinched view rearward.

The Prius' interior materials are similar in quality to those of a Corolla--they're acceptably smooth and substantial, but mostly comprised of hard, lightweight plastics. Still, the overall ambiance is lifted by clever textures and stylish detailing. The slick switchgear, satin-finish door panels, and semi-opaque radio face are especially nice touches--although the latter two pick up fingerprints with astonishing ease.

The Prius also scores pretty well for convenience and comfort. The stylized secondary controls require some acclimation, but they're mounted usefully high on the dashboard, with several redundant buttons on the steering-wheel hub. Front-seat room is expansive in all directions, and the seats themselves are firm, supportive, and free of the usual Toyota sponginess. I find the tall driving position suitable, but try before you buy--there are no adjustments for height, tilt, or lumbar, so your posture options are limited.

My girlfriend's Prius came equipped with Option Package 6, which includes a navigation system displayed in a central LCD screen. But even in GPS-less Priuses, this screen is a source of endless novelty. From it, you can view calendars, phone listings, maintenance intervals, and other information, all in your choice of color. My favorite, though, is the power-flow animation that tells you which motor(s) are working, how much battery life is left, and how many miles to the gallon you're currently getting.

This feature goes hand-in-hand with the greatest compliment I can bestow upon the Prius: it makes saving gas genuinely entertaining. My automotive tastes are way out on the enthusiast fringe, so my idea of "fun to drive" generally applies to cars like the Mazda RX-8, Honda S2000, and Nissan 350Z. In spite of this, I find myself utterly engrossed in the Prius' driving experience. Delicately meteing out throttle inputs, conserving precious momentum, and following my gas-mileage "score" on the readout, I feel like I'm driving and playing PS2 at the same time.


Practicality

For a car whose primary mission is economy, the Prius makes a remarkably practical daily driver. This is no stripped-down, minimalist Honda Insight--swing open the Prius' rear doors, and you'll be greeted by one of the roomiest rear seats available for the price. Legroom is expansive, such that my knees clear the front seatbacks with nearly a foot to spare. And while headroom drops off sharply near the rear headrests--a result of that rakish roofline--it's only an issue when you sit fully reclined.

Cargo space is another high point. The Prius' hatchback trunk accommodates bulky items with relative ease, and the split-folding rear seats allow you to further expand the load floor. Valuables can be stored in additional compartments beneath the trunk mat. In-cabin storage is even more impressive, with deep door pockets, an enormous armrest bin, two glove compartments, and no less than six cupholders.


Reliability

One of the Prius' most impressive qualities is the excellent reliability rating it's received from consumer-advocacy groups. While my girlfriend's ownership experience has hardly been extensive--about one month, as of this writing--her Prius has been trouble-free thus far. As time passes and we learn more, I'll update this review.

Before I move on, though, I want to mention one more item relating to reliability, and that's warranty coverage. While the bumper-to-bumper warranty on the Prius is the standard 3 year/36,000 miles, Toyota covers the hybrid system and all its components for a full 8 years or 120,000 miles. I stress this because, if our experience is any indication, the dealership may try to use the system's complexity to scare you into buying a superfluous extended warranty.


Update: we're now at two years of ownership and 40,000 miles, and have had no mechanical problems to speak of. We have, however, had one jammed plastic interior piece (the rear-seatback release) replaced under warranty.


Overall

While the Prius looks decidedly strange on the outside, and becomes even stranger the first time you slip behind the wheel, this car has a broader appeal than its niche marketing suggests. Environmentalists will certainly be drawn to its efficiency with fuel, but the Prius' roomy interior and versatile trunk also make it a practical, no-compromises family sedan. On top of that, the advanced powertrain and gadgetry will make the Prius highly appealing to tech enthusiasts. And finally, the Prius is a vehicle that will elicit plenty of attention from fellow motorists, but isn't a Hummer H2. In other words, if you like the gas-mileage figures, nothing else about the Prius is likely to turn you off.

Nothing, that is, except its unconventional appearance. If that's the case, you may be happier with a Honda Civic Hybrid. Honda does very little to differentiate its hybrids from the standard models they're based upon, and as a result, the Civic Hybrid is understated to a fault. The downside--if you don't already consider this lack of uniqueness a downside--is that the Civic Hybrid is considerably slower than the Prius, and offers less interior space and cargo versatility.

Personally, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the first truly sporting hybrid car. Nissan will soon unveil a hybrid Altima that uses the company's 2.5-liter Four, so I'm naturally dreaming about a hybridized Sentra SE-R (which uses the same engine). Alternatively, Honda's Accord Hybrid could be made available as a six-speed Coupe. Heck, I wouldn't even mind the Prius' engine in a five-speed Celica. After all, there is such thing as an enthusiast with a conscience.... Hello? Anyone listening?