Given my environmental ties as a public presenter on Climate Change I was only too happy to accept the assignment to test out the 2010 Toyota Prius and report back what I found.
To begin with, we need to establish that the Toyota Prius is the Big Kahuna of Hybrid automobiles. It was the first mass marketed Hybri d to hit the Ca nadian market and has now b een around for 12 years. With the 2010 model year, Toyota has la unche d the 3 rd generation of its flagshi p Hybrid m odel and in doing so has silenced a large n umber of its former critics.
As with every new tec hnology and concept of vehicle, the first few years have rather noteworthy growing pains. Toyota is no different but with age comes wisdom and the newest i ncarnation of the Prius has made some substantial leaps from where it once was.
First Impression
When I picked up my tester, there was no mistaking that this was indeed a Prius. Its iconic wedge shaped design is still largely intact however I did notice the fact that it did seem slightly more aerodynamic in shape than previously. The literature I found with the car told me that in fact they h ave made the car design more aerodynamic in 2010 wi th the intention of providing even better fuel e fficiency than before.
When I first stepped inside the vehicle, I was immediately struck with how the interior of the Prius has “Grown Up” from previous versions. One of the knocks I remember hearing about earlier versions was that you felt like you were sitting inside of an economy car, but I never did get that feeling with this version. In fact some of what I found inside seemed a little hi-tech and unique. A big change that Toyota made with the instrument panel was to move the digital readout that provides information on fuel e fficiency and battery usage from the middle to the top of the console. I found it easy to keep track off while not having to lose sight of the road ahead of me.
Drive
While the Prius is really designed to be a car that gets supreme gas mileage and reduces carbon emissions, it still needs to feel like a car if it is to really achieve mass appeal. One of the big changes with the 2010 is the larger and more powerful engine that replaces the underpowered versions of the past. This generation of Prius now offers 3 differ ent driving modes. There is a Power Mode that allows for maximum pick-up and acceleration and gets you all of the noted 138 Horsepower available. There is an Eco Mode which increases fuel efficiency in normal driving conditions and there is an EV, or full battery operated mode. The EV mode will only work though up to a maximum speed of 40 km/h and will last only as long as the battery does. I couldn’t help but think though that this option is ideal for anyone that is home later than they should be and needs to sneak in given how quiet it runs in this mode.
The real challenge with driving a Hybrid car is to figure out how best to use its different driving modes to maximize efficiency and performance. Knowing when the right time is to drive in Eco Mode versus Power Mode is something that would likely take some time to master and as a result anyone buying the new Prius shouldn’t expect to get the very low fuel consumption ratings right away.
Gadgets and Gizmos
If there is one area of assessing this car that I had trouble with, it was in trying to figure out just how Toyota was trying to position the Prius, outside of being a Hybrid vehicle. I say this because there was an assortment of gadgets and gizmos available with the 2010 Prius that made me feel like they were going more hi tech than one would expect.
My tester came equipped with an In-dash 6 CD changer and auxiliary inputs for I-Pod’s and MP3 players. The steering wheel had mounted controls for the stereo which when pressed generated a sort of heads up display on the dash showing what was being pressed. It also had BlueTooth wireless te
chnology hardwired into the car for hands free mobile usage.
Perhaps the most unique feature in my tester was a rear car mounted camera that when placed in reverse, causes a small video monitor t o a ppear right inside the frame of the rear view mirror. My kids thought this was the coolest part and begged me to turn on the camera while parked so they could wave at me in the camera!
The 2010 Prius also offers a wide variety of nifty hi tech options. Ther e are solar mounted roof panels available to assist in the cooling of the vehicle while parked in the hot sun, a dynamic cruise control system where the front emblem is really a disguised radar unit, and an intelligent park assist that provides semi-automatic parallel parking for those who fear parking anywhere that doesn’t have a driveway.
Interior Comfort
Previous versions of the Prius were criticized for their rather uncomfortable front seats. With the 3rd generation Prius, there is a noticeable improvement and I found the seat to be quite comfortable to sit in, even when I had to commute across the Greater Toronto Area a couple times with heavy traffic along the way. Toyota also moved the crest of the wedge shaped design about 4 inches back with the new design and that created a huge amount of head room in the back seat. While leg room is not great I still found that the back seat was quite spacious to sit in. For any parent with children of driving (and dating) age, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was just a bit too much room in the back seat (if you know what I mean…nudge, nudge) so you may want to keep that in mind.
Storage
As the Prius is a hatchback vehicle, I found the storage area to be about what I expected. The nice surprise was the lower under floor storage area which is good for heavier items. There is a slide back cover to conceal any items kept in the hatchback for added security. There are numerous cup holders and unique storage areas including a somewhat strange open space directly below the centre driving console.
In The End
The 2010 Toyota Prius has come a long way from its original design of a dozen years ago. This car is now well suited to be entrenched as a main stream vehicle as opposed to a purely niche vehicle for the hard core environmentalist as it once was. With increased comfort, performance and hi tech options, the Prius has more than enough going for it to stand up against other Hybrid’s and conventional vehicles in its class. With a base price starting at $27,500 ($31,345 as tested), it will perhaps still require someone with a passion for Hybrids to really give this a look, but I believe it’s worth a fair consideration for anyone looking for a small to midsize vehicle.
What may ultimately become the proverbial Tipping Point though will be the realization as to how little it will cost to drive. Before I returned the car I fuelled up at the gas station when gas was 97.4 cents a litre and despite driving over 300 km’s during my test and with the meter reading about half way, my total gas expense was only $14. It’s another example of why Toyota is still considered the leader in hybrid engine technology and it added to a generally enjoyable test drive experience!
Enviro Dad’s Test D rive Ratings:
Style: 4 out of 5
Features: 4 out of 5
Storage: 3 out of 5
Drive: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
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