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You could be forgiven for thinking the 2011 Toyota Prius has a big target painted on its side. After all, people like to gun for you when you're on top, and the Prius has been the king of the green car sales charts for years now. This year, in particular, there are many new choices for a fuel-efficient car. The question then becomes: Can the Prius keep its mojo going?
The good news for Toyota is that the Prius itself is better than ever. Last year, Toyota engineers reduced the car's aerodynamic drag, and the overall look is now sleeker and sportier. Under the hood, a larger gas engine and stronger electric motor combine for more power and better fuel economy -- the Prius has a combined EPA fuel economy estimate of 50 mpg, the best of any conventional hybrid vehicle. The newest Prius also has revised suspension tuning and improved electric steering to help make it more agile than before.
The 2011 Prius can also seemingly transform from a versatile utility hatchback to a small, hyper-efficient luxury sedan depending on how you equip it. On the higher trim levels, you'll find high-end appointments like heated leather seats, a solar-powered sunroof (it ventilates the interior when parked), a navigation system, adaptive cruise control (it matches your speed to the car ahead), a pre-collision system (tightens seatbelts and applies the brakes if a crash is unavoidable) and a lane-departure warning system. There's even an automated parallel-parking system to help you squeeze into tight downtown parking spaces.
There are some downsides to this latest Prius, however. Most concern the interior, such as too many cheap-feeling plastics, an awkward driving position and the lack of an iPod adapter on most models. If these attributes bother you, you'll certainly want to look around. Honda's Insight, also new last year, is the Prius' most direct competitor. It's less expensive and drives a bit more like a regular car, but it's not as fuel-efficient, it has a smaller backseat and it can seem too noisy and budget-oriented.
You might also check some of the top hybrid sedans, with the Ford Fusion Hybrid being our favorite. It doesn't have the top fuel economy of the Prius, but it looks like a normal sedan and drives with more vigor. The all-new Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima Hybrid are also worth looking at.
Then there are the two hyped green cars this year, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. The Leaf is 100-percent electrically powered, but its limited range and charging options mean it will be a niche choice. The Volt is probably more appealing -- it's basically a plug-in hybrid, giving it theoretically way better fuel economy than the Prius -- but it's also considerably more expensive. Toyota is also set to offer a plug-in version of the Prius to counter the Volt.
In sum, we think the 2011 Prius deserves to keep its status as the best all-around hybrid. With strong fuel economy, hatchback utility, a reasonable price and a feature list that can range from economy to luxury, the Prius earns its painted bulls-eye.
The interior is where the Prius earns its stripes. Specifically, its midsize volume makes the car's mileage all the more impressive, and the hatchback design makes none of the sacrifices of hybrid sedans — the most notable of which is incomplete or absent folding rear seats. The backseat offers adults plenty of room, and parents will want to check out MotherProof's Car Seat Check to see how various child-safety seats fit the Prius. (Anyone who wants almost 60 percent more cargo volume than the Prius should check out the 2012 Toyota Prius V review.)
Though it turns off some shoppers, the high-mounted, center-biased instrument panel is fine by me. If there's a problem with it, it's the low-resolution, monochrome nature of the displays. The Volt and hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima have high-res color LCDs. The Leaf and Honda hybrids don't have full LCD instrument panels, but at least they incorporate more color.
Storage space is generous, with dual glove compartments, a roomy bin under the armrest and an area to stash a purse under the frontmost section of the center console. Regrettably, this is also the location of the optional heated-seat buttons, out of reach and easily blocked by the aforementioned purse. They're also fully on or off — no gradations available.
Perhaps the worst ergonomic foible is the shifter, which bears little resemblance to the conventional type and, more important, degrades its function. The springy thing pops back to center after you select your direction, and you have to seek out an indicator on the instrument panel to know if it worked. Oh, sure, it beeps at you as long as you remain in Reverse, which would make some sense if it did so outside the car, as the Leaf's does. What's it for? To indicate the car's in Reverse? Then how does it indicate you're in Drive or any other setting that doesn't beep?
The Volt's conventional approach proves that the shifter never had to be reimagined in the first place. Enough already.
The 2011 Toyota Prius styling is unchanged. It remains a highly aerodynamic five-passenger car with a low hood, radically swept-back windshield, arching roofline, and tall tail.
Prius has compact-car exterior dimensions but enough interior room to qualify as a midsize car under federal standards. Its high ceiling creates large doorways and chair-like seating with plenty of head room. Wide front buckets accommodate those who shop the big-and-tall store, though only the optional leather seats, with their adjustable lumbar bolstering, provide good lower-back support. Rear seaters have generous knee and toe space, but the bench isn’t quite wide enough to hold three adults in comfort.
All dashboard gauges are digital and are mounted centrally atop the instrument panel rather than in front of the driver; it takes some getting used to.
The hatchback opening is large and folding the rear seatbacks creates a flat, carpeted surface. But the load floor is rather high, so cargo volume is less than in most similarly sized hatchbacks. A small bin beneath the cargo floor compensates some. Small-items interior storage isn’t generous; only the front doors have map pockets, for example, and they’re really just cup holders.
The 2011 Toyota Prius is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine combined with a pair of electric motor/generators; they send their power through a specialized continuously variable transmission (CVT). The result is total output of 134 horsepower.
In track testing, we clocked the Prius from zero to 60 mph in 10.1 seconds, which is about average for a hybrid vehicle. The most important number, however, is fuel economy. The EPA estimates the 2011 Prius will return a very impressive 51 mpg city/48 highway and 50 mpg combined.
The gas engine is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder. Two small electric motors are powered by nickel-metal hydride batteries. Combined output is 134 horsepower. Prius uses a continuously variable transmission, which acts like an automatic transmission but employs infinite ratios rather than preset gearing. Hybrid Synergy Drive uses the engine and regenerative braking to recharge itself; there’s no plug-in capability. With the batteries sufficiently charged, the system can further save gas by automatically shutting off the engine and restarting it while the car is stopped.
Dashboard buttons allow the driver to activate three power modes: EV-Drive to tap battery power alone at low speeds for about a mile; Power for sportier throttle response; and Eco for best mileage. Despite slightly languid acceleration off the line, Prius easily keeps up with fast-moving traffic. Highway-speed passing maneuvers are stress-free, though EV-Drive and Eco modes put a real damper on performance.
Prius has a nose-heavy handling balance and a numb, disassociated feel to its electric steering. Both are drawbacks to competent cornering; even straight-line tracking seems compromised by the steering’s artificiality. Engine start-stop is unobtrusive, ride quality is good, and noise well-muffled. Burnishing the point that this is no ordinary car is the unorthodox view through the radically raked windshield and over the long dashboard top. To the rear, the hatchback’s combination of angled and vertical glass panels proves obstructing.
The Prius received top scores of Good in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's front- , side- and rear-impact crash tests. Models manufactured after December 2010 also scored Good in roof-strength tests, a measure of rollover protection. It also received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's top score of five stars overall.
Standard safety equipment includes antilock four-wheel disc brakes and an electronic stability system with traction control. The Four and Five trim levels are eligible for Safety Connect with Mayday, Toyota's version of OnStar, which can contact authorities in the event of a collision or other emergency. The Five trim offers an optional collision-warning system and lane departure warning.
reference:iguida.com,www.edmunds.com,www.cars.com
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