There was a time when the Prius was the only hybrid name you knew, even though it wasn’t the only hybrid vehicle on the market. This car has been the leading standard for hybrid powertrains for the past several generations and gives us more to love with the new 2017 model that offers more style and continues to be the fuel economy car that you want to drive. The market now has more competition in it than ever and names such as the Ford C-Max Energi and Chevrolet Volt have gained a serious foothold in the market to bring us vehicles we can admire, the Prius still remains the champion of hybrid powertrains.
In your garden variety Prius (there is now a Prius Prime that offers 25 miles of all electric driving), you have one powertrain to give you the power and the fuel mileage you want to enjoy on the road. This powertrain is also used in the Prime model, and it is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that is paired with a Permanent magnet AC electric motor. The engine alone produces 95 horsepower and 105 lb.-ft. of torque while the motor offers 71 horsepower and 120 lb.-ft. of torque for a combined output of 121 horsepower. This allows you to enjoy 54 city/50 hwy mpg for the base model, 58 city/53 hwy mpg in the Eco version and 55 city/53 hwy mpg with the two systems running for the Prime. This model also offers the advantage of a charge of the battery in less than six hours to give you that 25 mile range once again.
As you can see the Prius is a car that has the powertrain you want to be able to reach fuel mileage numbers that aren’t seen on most vehicles. This car offers you the reliability of the Toyota name and the price that will make you want to have it in your garage. For 2017 the Prius adds the Safety Sense P as standard fare with the pre-collision braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beam headlights. The Prime version is also new this year.
When you drive this car you notice the lightweight feeing of the Prius that feels active and rigid at the same time. The rigidity of the chassis gives you a better suspension that affords improved agility in the corners. This car allows the possibility of body roll to be kept to a minimum and the steering is active and instantly responsive to any inputs you give it. This is a car that you will have a lot of fun driving, even though the acceleration from a standstill is a bit slow, once you get going, you can really get going.
As you check out the Prius you’ll notice the standard features for the Prius Two, the base model, include two 4.2-inch customizable color information displays, a 6.2-inch color touchscreen, a six-speaker Entune audio system, a 2.0 USB port, Bluetooth streaming, Siri eyes free, a hands free phone link, voice recognition software, three driver modes (EV, Eco and Power), cruise control, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a cargo area tonneau cover, a rearview camera, stability control, traction control, eight airbags and the Toyota Safety Sense P to give you a base model that doesn’t feel like the bottom of the lineup.
Moving up to the options you can add to the Prius you will be able to enjoy the Advanced Technology package that gives you a power tilt and slide moonroof and a color head up display. Another package is the Premium Convenience Package which adds a seven-inch touch screen navigation system, Entune, a ten-speaker JBL audio system, advanced voice recognition and much more. The Premium Convenience package is limited to the Prius Four and Four Touring trims only.
Typically a hybrid car had one serious catch, a higher price. The Prius starts out at $25,550 and ends up at around $31,000 making it one of the most affordable hybrid models on the road. Is this the car for you to drive? If you have a long commute this is a great choice for the advantage of the fuel mileage, but with all the advanced features and equipment, along with the polarizing style, you could choose the Prius and not even be concerned about the fuel mileage advantage it offers.