2010 Toyota Prius - Review

By Jennifer Knightstep

Jennifer Knightstep

Author BIO

I was born in Detroit but raised in California, which explains my love of cars in general, but my fascination with and excitement about electric... More

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Pre-Production 2010 Toyota Prius in Orlando

I couldn't resist; I stomped on the gas pedal...and...nothing. For a few seconds, hesitation. I frowned. I tried again, more gently. And still, a slight hesitation. The rest of the ride was quiet, smooth. Curt pointed out the solar roof panel, a feature that will likely be popular in hot climates, like Las Vegas. The solar panel powers a small fan that will circulate the hot air in the vehicle. There is also a feature that will enable the driver to press a button on the key fob from 30 yards away to start the air conditioning. Cool, literally.

Curt also demonstrated the various drive modes the Prius has: EV, Eco, and Power. EV mode offers pure battery driving for up to a half-mile, and Eco mode maximizes fuel economy. Power mode will increase gas pedal sensitivity for more pep, which ought to address some of the hesitation I experienced.

Overall, a very enjoyable ride. This Prius has a lot to offer, especially to those who currently drive a second-generation Prius. Curt mentioned that current Prius owners are fiercely loyal and plan to buy or lease the next-gen as soon as they can. What about the batteries? Any issues with those? Curt didn't bat an eye. Out of all of the Priuses on the road, only 350 have reported battery issues outside of the warranty peroid, which is actually a lower number than Toyota had anticipated. Insert raised eyebrows here.

We drove past the Ren Cen and back under the Cobo Arena. The Insight was still sitting there, slightly forlorn. I drove outside of the orange cones, parked, stepped out, and thanked Curt for the test drive. Then he handed me a media kit, hard copy, another irony on this Earth Day: getting a paper press kit from the Prius guy.

Photo: Toyota