Business Week on 2010 Toyota Prius: We Like It. We Really Like It!

By John Voelcker

John Voelcker

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2010 Toyota Prius

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The reviews of the 2010 Toyota Prius have been coming in for a while now. And most of them are quite complimentary.

The latest to join the parade of pundits praising the Prius is Peterson. That'd be Business Week's Thane Peterson, who calls the 2010 Prius "better than ever, and all at an affordable price."

He gives the car 4.5 stars out of 5, and knocks it only for a plain cabin--and the fact that Federal hybrid tax credits have run out for Toyotas, which is hardly the carmaker's fault.

Peterson, in fact, positively bubbles over with good things to say about the 2010 Toyota Prius. He calls the car "a masterful job of redesigning," saying it's "noticeably peppier" than the previous (2004-2009) model and "surprisingly spacious".

The only problem: Uhhh, driving

The only off note, in fact, comes when Peterson actually drives the car. He says it's not a driving enthusiast's car "by any stretch of the imagination," and characterizes the driving experience as having "the stiff, awkward feel of a gigantic toy." The entire experience, he concludes, is "a little unsettling until you get used to it."

In the end, though, Peterson reverts to his enthusiasm. Discussing total cost of vehicle ownership, he concludes: That always seems to be the bottom line with the Prius: Factor in all your costs and it always seems to come out ahead.

The review names the usual set of hybrid alternatives: the 2010 Honda Insight, the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and its archrival the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid, even the rare 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid only sold in a few states.

Jetta TDI? Huh ? ? ?

Then Peterson goes off in a different direction, heading for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI--a clean diesel sedan that we know has its own fans, but which we doubt gets much cross-shopping with the 2010 Toyota Prius. But, who knows? Maybe we're wrong.

If you're reading this, please let us know (in the comments below): Did YOU consider a Jetta TDI as well as a Toyota Prius?

2010 Toyota Prius

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[SOURCE: Business Week]