It once was felt that piloting a "car of the future" would be thrilling. But driving the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid sedan--the Toyota Prius--was neither a futuristic nor exciting experience.
The $19,995 Prius is about the size of a Toyota Corolla and feels nearly the same as a typical small car. But it's roomy, lively and delivers an impressive, EPA-estimated 52 mpg in the city and 45 on highways. It's the only car that gets higher economy in the city than on the highway because the electric motor powers it much of the time in the city.
Many high-mileage cars are stripped, but not the Prius. Standard items include air conditioning, power windows, AM/FM/cassette and anti-lock brakes.
But the short, high Prius turns no heads because it looks like just another small economy car. Still, it provides good room for four 6-footers and has a big trunk. Toyota hopes to sell 1,000 a month in this country.
The quiet, high-quality Prius has a supple ride. Its quick power steering has a somewhat artificial feel and its hard, skinny tires help fuel economy, but allow just average handling. However, the car is small and rather light at 2,765 pounds, so it's nimble and fun to drive in town.
The instruments are in the center of the dashboard, but are easy to read. Controls work smoothly and a high seating position, huge windshield and sloping hood allow great visibility.
Electronic controls let the Prius run on electricity or gasoline alone, or on a combination of both, with extremely low emissions. The ratio of power provided by each system is constantly controlled, depending on speed and load, to keep the Prius in an efficient operating mode.
The car gets moving with electric power, and seamlessly switches to the gasoline engine at higher speeds. A dashboard display constantly and clearly shows when gasoline or electric power is being used.
No, you never have to plug the small, roomy Prius into an electrical outlet. The car's thin battery pack is internally recharged by the gas engine and regenerative braking. There is an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the battery and hybrid power system.
The Prius is a new kid on the block here, but not in Japan. That's where more than 35,000 Prius models have been sold since December 1997.
But the Prius has been modified for America's higher speeds, longer driving distances, more dramatic climate changes and tougher emission requirements.
The American left-hand-drive version of the Prius I recently tested is faster than the Japanese right-hand-drive model I drove in June 1999. The 1.5-liter gasoline engine's horspower has jumped from 58 to 70, and the electric motor's horsepower has been increased from 40 to 44.
Acceleration is lively in town, and 65-75 mph passing times are decent.
The only other gasoline-electric hybrid auto is the new, small Honda Insight two-seater. The $18,880-$20,080 Insight has a manual transmission and is more fun but much less practical than the Prius. The Insight delivers an estimated 61 mpg in the city and 70 on highways.
The Prius doesn't have a regular transmission and thus produces no conventional upshifts or downshifts. The continuously variable automatic transmission acts as if you're driving in one gear all the time after plunking the big, awkward transmission shift lever into "drive."
Battery-powered electric cars have been a sales bust and can't handle cold-weather driving. The Prius sedans run like regular autos in all weather and should be especially appreciated by their owners when they continually zip past gasoline stations with no need for refills.