Review Car

2011 Toyota Prius

Unlike most of its pure electric and hybrid-electric predecessors and contemporaries, The 2011 Toyota Prius is a real car that can be used in the real world, everyday. Standard equipment includes an automatic transmission, remote keyless entry, ABS, alloy wheels, air conditioning with automatic climate control, an AM/FM cassette, and power everything. The interior of The 2011 Toyota Prius looks high-tech. A small touch-panel display in the center of the dash monitors the energy flow between the gasoline engine and electric motor. At first, it can be somewhat distracting as we initially found ourselves tempted to glance down constantly to see whether the gas engine was kicking in. Fortunately, the display can be shut off entirely. It looks spacey, but it removes the gauges from the driver’s immediate field of vision, to where they require a longer look from the road ahead. The oddest interior feature is the dashboard-mounted gear selector for the automatic transmission. The shifter operates much like the lever a cabbie yanks to start the meter. You push a button at the end of the stalk and then move the lever down to engage a gear. It takes a little getting used to because it’s unlike other gear selectors. And when the lever is in drive, it blocks access to the volume knob for the stereo.

The tall stance of The 2011 Toyota Prius makes getting into the cabin relatively easy, particularly in comparison with the low-slung Insight. The Prius also provides plenty of headroom both front and rear. Tasteful fabric covers the seats, and the front and rear cushions are comfortable. The rear compartment, while not overly spacious, is large enough to accommodate a child safety seat (LATCH tethers and anchors for child seats are standard). However, Toyota’s claim that this is a roomy, five-passenger family sedan is a bit of a stretch; only two medium-sized people have adequate room in the rear. The trunk accommodates nearly 12 cubic feet of stuff. In everyday language, that translates into a folding baby stroller with room left over. The 2011 2011 Toyota Prius was not the first gasoline-electric hybrid car to be introduced in Canada (the Honda Insight took that honour), but it’s the first hybrid car that’s also a practical, five-passenger family sedan. With a few exceptions, most electric cars and hybrid vehicles are small, two-seater vehicles with limited luggage space. The 2011 Toyota Prius operates on both the engine and electric motor/battery – one or both of these power sources can drive the Prius depending on load and road conditions – the electronic controller makes that decision with no input from the driver. As a general rule, when accelerating from a stop light, the Prius is powered by the battery/electric motor only. When more acceleration is needed the engine will turn on automatically and run by itself or in conjunction with the electric motor and the battery. When the engine is running it uses a generator to charge the battery, and when braking, a regenerative braking system also charges the battery, so there is never a need to recharge the battery separately. At ‘idle’, the engine shuts itself off to save gas and reduce exhaust emissions. The transition between the engine and electric motor while driving is, for the most part, seamless. The radio and other accessories can be accessed through the same touch-panel. A pod above the touch screen houses a digital speedometer, fuel gauge, turn signal indicator, and various warning lights. Placing the instrument pod in the center of dash may or may not be a good idea.