With well over a million Priuses on the road since their introduction in 1997, the iconic teardrop shape has grown to symbolize hybrid vehicles for much of the motoring public. There are many other hybrids on the market, but none with as long a history nor as instantly recognizable as the Prius. What surprises many new hybrid drivers is that the Prius, although it is a showcase of hybrid technology, feels like it drives almost the same as any conventional car, with the exception that it gets incredible fuel economy.
It is hard to imagine, but Toyota invests one million dollars every hour in research and development worldwide. Many of the research projects never see the light of production, but even the discarded ones help shape the quality and technology seen in Toyota vehicles like the Prius. For example, while other cars may have remote starting, the Prius has remote air conditioning. Push a button on the key fob and the electric air conditioning compressor cuts in to cool the interior before you enter the vehicle. Once the interior has cooled, the system automatically turns off.
Another innovative and useful feature is the solar panel sunroof. The front part of the roof opens like a conventional glass sunroof, but the rear half contains a 36-cell solar panel that can provide 50 watts of power to ventilate the interior automatically on hot days. With a push of a button on the left side of the dash, the system adjusts the vents and after a few minutes of sitting in the warm sun, an electric fan starts up to reduce the interior temperatures. It won’t cool the car like air conditioning does, but it does lower those baking hot interior temperatures so the air conditioning doesn’t have to work so hard when you do start the car, and this saves fuel.
For those who wonder about hybrids in the winter, the Prius, like every other new Toyota model, undergoes winter testing right here in Canada during its development. My experience with them in the winter is that there is less operation in strictly electric mode, but they still sip fuel sparingly.
One feature of the Prius is an exhaust system heat exchanger that uses waste exhaust heat to warm the coolant. While the main purpose is to bring the engine up to operating temperature quicker for lower emissions and better fuel economy, it also provides excellent interior heat within just a couple minutes of engine start-up.
Some may confuse the Prius with those electric cars now on the market. Electric cars operate on electric power only. The Prius has a button on the centre console that will enable electric-only mode, but this is suitable for low speed, short distance driving only. It is great for moving around parking lots or in bumper to bumper rush-hour traffic, but most of the time the Prius uses a combination of power from its 1.8-litre 4-cylinder gas engine and the electric motors built into the transaxle. The gas and electric provide a combined power output of 134 horsepower, but it feels like more because the electric motors have such strong torque output at low speeds. There is a ‘power’ button on the console, which changes the computer programming to give maximum power quicker, and the car does accelerate well but at the cost of fuel economy. It’s your choice.
The Prius’ cabin offers room, comfort and convenience. For convenience, the Smart Key keyless entry and push button starting top my list. The system uses several antennae to determine whether the key fob is near the car to allow the doors to open, or inside the car so that it can be started. You never have to take the fob out of your pocket or purse!
Touch Tracer steering wheel controls are another remarkable convenience feature. Touch any part of the two round multifunction switches on the steering wheel and their picture magically appears on the dash display, with the button you are currently touching highlighted. You don’t have to guess or take your eyes off the road to be able to change settings.
With a wealth of development experience, the third generation Prius is better than ever. Better performance, more safety features, good interior room and comfort and well thought out convenience features make the Prius an enjoyable car to drive – right past the gas pumps!
