Toyota Prius News
-
There was a time when anyone who drove a hybrid car--especially a Toyota Prius--was viewed with distain by the majority of other road users. They were seen as aloof, over-privileged, and perhaps, thanks to a certain episode of South Park, smug about their car buying decision. But with more hybrids than ever before on the market, have hybrid cars broken through their own stereotypes? And do people who drive them no-longer conform to the old image of hybrid drivers? Yes, and here’s why. The Prius has grown up Although Toyota’s first generation Prius sedan and second generation Prius...
-
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid: Is It An Electric Car, Or Not?The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid is the second best-selling plug-in electric car in the U.S. today. It outsells the Nissan Leaf and is bested only by the Chevrolet Volt. But if you view it as an electric car, it’s an odd duck indeed. The car’s plug-in hybrid powertrain adds a...
John Voelcker -
2013 Toyota Prius, Prius V, Prius Plug-in Hybrid Pricing AnnouncedThe 2013 Toyota Prius Liftback and 2013 Prius V wagon will cost buyers between $100 and $200 more than comparable 2012 models, Toyota announced yesterday. The pricing increase, which comes into effect immediately, means that those buying the 2013 Prius Liftback will find themselves paying $200 more...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Toyota Prius Hybrid Family: Which Models Are Most Successful?For 12 years, the Toyota Prius hybrid stood alone in the growing lineup of Toyota vehicles. Then, for 2012, the Prius model became a whole family of cars--four of them, in fact. So which of the new Prius family members is doing the best so far, and which kid is lagging and might benefit from some...
John Voelcker -
U.S. Car Buyers Like Hybrids, Europeans Go For Diesels; Why?If you’re a car buyer in the U.S. looking for a high gas-mileage car, the chances are you’re going to choose a hybrid car for your next vehicle. In Europe, however, hybrid cars are generally shunned by car buyers in preference of high gas-mileage diesel cars. But why do U.S. car buyers...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Gets EPA-Approved 47MPG All-RoundAfter taking part in a rather unusual fuel-economy test for its non-hybrid 2013 Fusion EcoBoost, Ford has announced its 2013 Fusion Hybrid has just been awarded its official gas mileage ratings by the EPA. Just like the 2013 C-Max Hybrid, the 2013 Fusion Hybrid has been rated at 47 mpg highway, 47...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Over the past decade, hybrid electric cars have gone from being niche market vehicles for movie stars and green thinkers to everyday vehicles that can save you big money on your gas bill. In fact, with more hybrid cars to choose from than ever before, there’s never a better time to make the switch from a regular gasoline car to a hybrid. But how is a hybrid different from a regular gas car? How do they work, and do you need special skills to drive them? Hybrid Cars: Should You Buy One? The Pros And Cons Different names, similar concepts While there are several different types of hybrid...
-
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In: Strong Sales, Owners HappyThe 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In hybrid has got off to a good start in its first six months on sale, with over 6,000 units sold so far. That, says Toyota, is more than the first six months of Chevrolet Volt sales, at 2,745 units, and Nissan Leaf sales, which managed 3,875 cars in its first month...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: Can It Compete With Toyota Prius?Several carmakers now offer hybrid models of existing cars, but the number of dedicated full hybrids on the mass market has been exactly one for a decade: the Toyota Prius, now a line of four models. The launch of the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, which we recently drove, doubles that number. And the...
John Voelcker -
Can You Buy A Used Toyota Prius Hybrid For Under $5,000?There was a time when buying a hybrid car meant that you had to shell out big bucks for the privilege of better gas mileage. But with the first Toyota Prius hybrids now over 10 years old, can you buy a used Toyota Prius hybrid for $5,000 or less? We hit popular Internet auction site eBay to find...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: First DriveThe verdict is in: At last, the fabled Toyota Prius hybrid has a viable competitor. If you're in the market for a five-door hybrid hatchback with very high fuel economy--an EPA rating of 47 mpg combined--you should drive a C-Max Hybrid before you trot down to your local Toyota dealer and sign the...
John Voelcker -
NASCAR Star Builds Racing Prius In Toyota Charity ChallengeThink of the high-gas mileage Toyota Prius, and you’re unlikely to make the jump to the high-octane, big-buck world of NASCAR racing. But thanks to the $50,000 charity Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge event being sponsored by Toyota ahead of the 2012 SEMA show, the two worlds will collide...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
As any graduate will tell you, the first few years out of college can be exciting, but financially tough. So for any recently-matriculated graduate, owning a car that gets good gas mileage is an important way to save those precious pennies and get out of debt as fast as possible. Now Toyota wants to help graduates out, with a $1,000 rebate on any 2012 Toyota Prius C, one of the most efficient gasoline hybrids on the market today. Part of its Toyota College Grad Program, students less than six months from the end of their degree, and those who graduated up to two years ago, can sign up to buy...
-
Where's The Cheapest Place To Buy A Toyota Prius In The U.S?Have you ever wondered whether you're paying over the odds for a car, compared to your neighbors in other states? We all know that prices differ abroad, but there can sometimes be hundreds of dollars between a car in one state, and the price people pay in another. We decided to investigate the...
Antony Ingram -
Why Prius Buyers Choose C Over Liftback: Price, Ride, NormalityToyota’s new 2012 Prius C subcompact launched earlier this year, but it is already winning itself fans among old and new hybrid car drivers alike. Around $5,000 cheaper than the 2012 Prius Liftback, it offers the same 50 mpg combined as its larger sibling, but why are some car buyers choosing...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Toyota Uses Science To Sell Prius V Wagon, But Will It Work?As scientists have been warning for some time, the U.S. is at risk of losing its leadership in areas like Physics and Chemistry, thanks in part to a lack of public interest in the sciences. So when we found out that Toyota had paired its 2012 Prius V wagon with How Things Work for a web TV series...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Five Reasons Buying a Hybrid Prius Won't Save the PlanetThe 2012 Toyota Prius gets the best EPA-rated gas mileage--50 miles per gallon combined--of any non-plug-in car sold in the U.S. But the Prius hybrid sometimes gets a bad rap. At least some of it is due to the notorious (and very funny) South Park episode in which a deadly attack of Smug afflicts...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Prius Hybrid Popular Among Very, Very Wealthy AmericansYou might think that the wealthiest individuals in society--commonly known as the 'top one percent'--would flaunt that wealth with Ferraris and Porsches. On the contrary, it seems that they prefer to remain fairly low-key on the roads--and that the humble Toyota Prius is one of the most popular...
Antony Ingram -
After more than 300,000 miles of testing, Google’s automated self-driving Toyota Priuses have proven that self-driving cars have a future. Now Google is adding another hybrid car to its self-driving fleet: the 2012 Lexus RX450h luxury crossover SUV. “To provide the best experience we can, we’ll need to master snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals and handle other tricky situations that many drivers encounter,” Chris Urmson, Engineering Lead of the Self-driving program wrote on Google’s official blog. The RX450h, with optional electric...
-
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid Gets 47 MPG All-Round EPA RatingIt’s been a while coming, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finally approved gas-mileage ratings for the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. As Ford predicted, the $25,995 hybrid has achieved an official rating of 47 MPG City, but its highway rating of 47 mpg improved on Ford’s own...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Hybrid Owners: Still Happy After 200K-300K MilesYou'll probably remember stories about Hummers being greener than hybrids over a dust-to-rust car lifecycle from a few years back. Much of the heavyweight Hummer's supposed advantage was down to spurious claims that a hybrid would become unusable after 100,000 miles, where the tank-like off-roader...
Antony Ingram -
Green Police? Cops In Florida Go Undercover In Hybrid, Greener CarsFor years, the unmarked police car has helped law enforcement agencies around the world capture speeding drivers, pounce on unsuspecting criminals and provide covert investigative opportunities. Powered by a large, powerful engine capable of high-speed pursist, the traditional unmarked cop car is...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In: Quick Drive ReportIn the spectrum of alternative fuel vehicles, there's something on sale to suit almost every taste. Whether you're buying an all-electric vehicle or simply want a mild hybrid to save a little on gas, there's a lot of choice in between. The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In sits virtually in the center of...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Gets 4-Star NHTSA Safety RatingA few months after going on sale, the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid has been given an official crash-test rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Unlike the 5-star rated, five-door Prius liftback it is based on however, the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid only...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield