2010 Toyota Prius - Review

By Eric Loveday

Eric Loveday

Author BIO

Eric Loveday is a car enthusiast with a love for everything automotive. He purchased a 1970 Chevelle at age 16, quickly outgrew its dated engineering... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Mercedes to Meet Future CAFE Requirements With Hybrid Vehicles
Failure to meet CAFÉ standards can result in stiff fines for automakers.  In particular, Mercedes... Read More

• N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
• 797ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 0COMMENTS POSTED

Aside from better fuel economy, what sets the new Prius apart from its predecessors?  The 2010 Prius offers more low end torque for better acceleration, has better stability going down the road, and a significantly improved ride that better isolates the passenger from surrounding road condtions.  Toyota also extensively reworked the cabin to make it feel more spacious and better equipped.

2010 Toyota Prius

Enlarge Photo

With all of the above improvements, there are still a few areas that could be tweaked in future models.  The driving position of the 2010 Prius is less than stellar, and the vehicle still handles like a typical hybrid lacking the sporting nature of several normal cars.

Hybrid vehicles used to have a singular purpose, to return excellent fuel economy.  However, that  came at a price of clumsy handling, odd design elements, lack of interior space, and so on.  However, the 2010 Prius breaks the mold and provides buyers with a car that does all things well.  Most drivers would be hard pressed to determine that they were driving a hybrid if not for the busy gauge cluster and instrument panel within the Prius that tells you everything about your gas mileage at that moment.  To many buyers, the techno gauges are a selling point, but to drivers coming over from a traditional vehicle, the gauges could be an eyesore.

 Many additional improvements have been made to the 2010 Prius inclduing some that you will not see.  The hybrid front end structure is 100% more rigid than the outgoing model, the rear structure is 50% more rigid, and the chassis as an entire unit offer 50% better resitance to torsional flex.  Minor improvements to many, but all of these improvements add up to a better handling, better riding vehicle with additional isolation from road irregularities and likely improved crash ratings.

The 2010 Prius replaces its old 1.5 liter engine with a new, larger 1.8 liter engine.  The benefit of a larger engine is reduced engine load and reduced rpms at operating speeds.  Both factors contribute to better overal fuel economy.  The new Prius is nearly identical to the old Prius in terms of performance numbers including 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times.  Additional performance is not added by the larger engine as it has been tuned to deliver maximum fuel efficiency.

The 2010 Prius once again sets the standard for hybrid vehicles.  The Prius has several significant improvements that make it a better overall vehicle than its predecessors and the chance of achieving 70 mpg in a four passenger sedan will intrigue many.

The 2010 Prius will be in showroom in late May of this year at an expected  base price of $23,500.

Visit the Prius photo gallery for additional images.  http://www.allcarselectric.com/photos/toyota_prius_2010#100179099

Source: Edmunds.com, The Car Connection