 The Toyota Prius
The ultimate gadget you
can actually drive!
The
Toyota Prius (pronounced pree-us) was designed
from bottom
up to be the most advanced mass-produced
hybrid car in
the world. The hybrid system is powered by
an electric motor and a small
gasoline engine working in tandem and controlled by microchips. You don't
plug it in, wind it up, or only drive it downhill - instead, the ingenious
system is self-charging and requires very little fuel to go a long way.
The ability to
draw on electric power gets all the headlines but the gasoline side of the engine
is also unique in that it burns fuel very sparingly and cleanly. Let's be
real - archaic EPA calculation methods allow Toyota to claim very lofty MPG
numbers for the Prius. In reality, it's
mileage is not much higher than a diesel-powered Golf, but it's the
combination of size and fuel efficiency that makes the Prius stand out over
the much smaller, slower, noisier and dirtier VW.
The first thing you'll notice about my 2005 "ebony & ivory" Prius is its
swoopy, wind-friendly look. Then the technology starts before you get in.
The SmartKey entry system senses your presence as you
approach the vehicle and opens the driver's door lock when you simply touch the
door handle. You never take the key out of your pocket. From that point, you get in,
put your foot on the brake, and press
the ubiquitous "Power" button to start the car. What do your hear?
A couple of dings and buzzes but no engine noise. You've turned your car on and a tap of the accelerator
launches it, silently, under electric power. You can travel up to 15mph
before the gas engine kicks in.
 Once inside, you may notice that the instrument panel is well... odd. A slender wedge of LCD info is
provided far-forward in the driver's line of sight; a large
multi-function video screen is situated in the center console; and an array of
control buttons are assembled on the steering wheel in a fashion that would send chills up a veteran
PlayStation players spine. Virtually every system in the car is
controlled from the steering wheel - and what the wheel can't do, the Prius
calls on even higher technology... your voice. The voice-activated command
and navigation
system in this vehicle is of the "how'd they do that?" variety -
understanding and responding to your spoken commands of "repeat",
"louder", "warmer", cooler" and "I'm hungry" with eerie
comprehension.
 The other interior
features, while not Benz-like in their luxury, are refined and tasteful.
In standard Toyota fashion the fit, finish, and quality of materials are
excellent. Leather may be a desirable seating surface for many of you, but the
tree-hugging, PETA types would never stand
for that in an "eco-friendly" motorcar. Instead, the Prius opts for a
thin faux-suede fabric
that is surprisingly comfortable and stays cool in the sun. Speaking of the sun
- don't look up - there's no sunroof. That added weight would drag down the
60city/51hwy mpg numbers that Toyota so desperately wants to advertise.
The dominant feature of the Prius' dash is the large 7" LCD screen. This touch-sensitive
display is surrounded by seven large buttons where you adjust the
climate control, audio, navigation, etc. When your not doing that, it
acts as a somewhat gimmicky but addictive video representation of how your
power plants are creating and storing energy.
Audio buffs will appreciate the optional 9-speaker JBL in-dash 6-CD
changer/cassette audio system. Controls on the steering wheel
and voice activation are employed for commonly
used features and the sound-quality is better than average.
Look around a bit and you'll find
an honest-to-goodness mid-size sized interior complete with plenty of room
for five, folding seatbacks and a humongous rear hatch. Cargo room can reach
112 cubic feet and storage areas include (count 'em) two glove compartments, large map pockets
on the front doors and seatbacks, a big center console bin, and various
other nooks and crannies to tuck your stuff. Virtually nothing is untouched by
technology though. The rear-view mirror is self-dimming and houses the HomeLink transmitter buttons for your garage door, coffee pot, etc.
By
the way - if you've got a Bluetooth cell phone in your pocket - the Prius
knows about it, talks to it, and instantly displays all of the main phone operating
functions up on your video screen in a very Bond-like fashion.
 Driving a Prius is a little weird
at first.
The joystick-operated CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission)
means you only get to choose forward and reverse and it takes a
while to get used to the concept of having the gas engine starting and
stopping routinely. I say "concept" because the transition between the two
power sources is barely noticeable in normal driving.
Performance-wise, this
car would not fare well on the NASCAR circuit. However the immediate
high-torque peak of an electric motor makes this car feel like a giant
killer. It's not, of course, but the sensation goes a long way in satisfying your
need-for-speed cravings. So if you challenge me in your shiny new Boxster
from here to the next stoplight, I'll pass. But if you wanna race from
say... Philadelphia to Detroit? The combination of my 700 mile cruising range and
your need to stop and fill-up the tank a dozen times just might give me the edge at the finish
line!
Computers handle the on-road systems too. ABS, active suspension,
throttle-by-wire, traction and stability controls are digitally
manipulated by microprocessors - the true auto enthusiast would probably
cringe at this. With all of the CPU's running at
full-tilt, you might expect some disconnect from the driving
experience but the car is surprisingly responsive. The ride is quiet and
firm and large bumps are well-damped. Wind noise is a
little high for a vehicle with such a low-drag coefficient due to the high-tech thin
structural glass used to keep the weight down.
The brakes are effective, which is especially good considering that they are
not just brakes but also serve as a power source... braking kicks in
a generator which replenishes the battery for later use. Clever.
Granted the Prius is not for everyone. On the whole, it's an excellent choice for those who
want to reduce our dependence on oil or contribute to a cleaner environment
- but it's also good for aging techno-geeks with long commutes who are simply too lazy to want
to stop to fill-up the tank every couple days! -- dp
OK, I've got over 33,000 miles on this thing. Here's
my update...
First off, I love it! It suits my 100 miles per day driving style and
it's a pleasure to drive. The combination of higher tire pressure
and a well-damped suspension give the Prius a better ride than most
typical small cars like the Civic or Corolla. It feels heavier,
more like an Accord or Passat, in daily driving.
Even though I may never get used to going keyless - it's a very cool
feature. Toss 'em on the seat and get on your way. It took a while,
but even parking attendants are finally used to operating a Prius.
Now that the vehicle is broken in my average MPG has dropped from
about 53 to about 50 on mostly highway driving. I suspect the drop
is more due to me being less aware and/or concerned about driving
the Prius "differently" than a conventional automobile. Since I
didn't expect to average more than the mid
40's for my driving style - 50MPG is still a great number!
Maintenance costs to date: Service intervals of 5K / 10K / 15K / 20K
/ 25K / 30K have run $475 with the 30k services being the highest
(including alignment) at about $275. No
major service issues. Spectacular!
Yes it could be
a bit faster, but for my tastes I have no problem with the
acceleration of this vehicle other than the slightly too-loud din
of all of the mechanicals running hard at full-throttle. Don't buy
into the B.S. that claims you can't enter freeway traffic and pass
others at will. The Prius accelerates very well in short bursts. It
also handles surprisingly well and is easy to squirt
in and out of traffic. Cruising at 80-85 on the open highway is a
non-issue. This automobile is very stable and comfortable at those
speeds. The fastest I've gone so far
is 101. I'm sure it will rev higher - I just have no need or
desire.
The bluetooth cell phone option is by far my favorite whiz-bang
electronic feature. It's a bit of a pain mapping your phone numbers
to the system but you only need to do that once. The connection is
rock-solid, the sound quality is excellent, and the convenience and
safety of a system like this should be required in every car. For
the record I'm using an Audiovox SMT5600 Smartphone on Cingular
service.
Okay, I will try to be more subjective as there are a couple nagging
things that I think need improvement in the future, so listen up Toyota...
The JBL stereo
really misses the mark. The sound quality is adequate for a factory unit
but does not live up to it's prestige label. The highly unusual
choice of including a center-channel speaker over a sub-woofer
results in a system that sounds boomy when you lean on the bass
and mid-range heavy when you back off. A better equalizer function
over the typical 3-band (treble-mid-bass) filter may have helped a
little, but I suspect better speaker selection would have made more impact.
I found a reasonably-sized, powered subwoofer from the folks at
Sirius (DEI really). Once I install that I should be a happy camper.
Speaking of Sirius, the '05 didn't have a satellite option. I
understand they offer XM in the '06 car but no Sirius until '07.
Once again DEI comes to the rescue! Their S50 Sirius unit was an
easy install and really compliments the hi-tech interior layout.
The skinny,
fuel-saving tires are also low on my list. There's no confidence-inspiring
grip comin' outta these babies. The combination of light weight and these
delicate feet allow wind gusts to make you wander a bit adding a
few too many corrections needed at the helm. There's no
need to install a mileage-killing, pimped-out rim/tire package
like some folks have done, but
wider 16's would seem to be more appropriate. I would gladly trade
off 2-3 MPG for bigger, fatter, sure-footed rubber any day.
[Update: The tires got much better after a few thousand miles. I
been running them at higher pressure (40lbs) for over 20,000 miles
and they are holding up very well. The traction control also
provides some measure of compensation if you happen to push them
beyond their grip limits.]
The electronics
are amazing, but some functions have some quizzical quirks. The
nav system does not allow any entry while the car is moving. I
understand the distraction/safety issues, but what about my
passenger's ability to plug in some new coordinates? Can't we have
another warning screen or some other purposeful method to clear
Toyota of legal liability and let us function like logical human beings?
There is a software hack to temporarily defeat this - better still
there is a hardware solution from Coastal Tech. [BTW - Coastal is a terrible
company to deal with, however, they have very cool stuff and they're the
only game in town.]
The steering
wheel contains buttons for just about everything EXCEPT the fan
speed. The climate control works like a champ, but again - the more logical
move when you're very hot or very cold is to tweak fan speed and
the Prius makes you go through the touch-screen menu to do so.
The seats are comfortable and look nice, but leather would be
better. I hear the '06 will get some skins.
Finally (and
I'm being picky
here), the center console doesn't connect to the dash leaving a
bit of storage space wasted. This is just not like Toyota.
So much for Feng Shui... the space planners must have been napping that day.
- dp
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:
TIMES CHANGE, NEEDS CHANGE. ALAS, AFTER 36,000 MILES, I HAD TO SEND
MY BELOVED PRIUS OFF TO A NEW HOME. SOMEONE IS GOING TO ENJOY ONE OF
THE BEST VEHICLES I'VE EVER OWNED (AND I'VE OWNED QUITE A FEW).
CONGRATS TO THAT LUCKY S.O.B. MY NEW RIDE IS A MINI-VAN, AND YOU'RE
NOT GONNA SEE ANY OF MY WEB SPACE DEVOTED TO A MINI-VAN. - dp
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