2010 Toyota Prius
An Owner’s Review
The 2010 Toyota Prius proves that the hybrid has come of age.
I have been driving my new 2010 Prius for a week now. It is a very different experience from my 2006. The Toyota Prius is the darling of the environmental set, the toy of preference (after the iPhone) of the technophiles, and the most unique automobile in the world. The 2010 Prius represents the third generation of this car.
Toyota reports that over 100 engineers have been working since 2004 (the second generation release) on redesigning the hybrid. The Prius is a gas-electric hybrid car. That means computers inside the car seamlessly change between electric, gas, gas and electric, and battery charging. The result of all this activity is that gas mileage is vastly improved. The 2010 has an EPA rating of 50 mpg overall (51 city and 48 highway).
It takes more than fancy electronics to get that kind of mileage. The quirky look of the Prius is largely the result of improving the car’s aerodynamics. The 2010 Prius is the most aerodynamic production car in the world. This is expressed as the coeficient of friction; how much force the wind puts on the car. Engine power has to overcome this air resistance. A typical (like the Camry) sedan has a rating of 0.28. SUV’s can get to .030 or more. The generation two Prius had 0.26, and the 2010 0.25. Small numbers that add up to higher gas costs, particularly at highway speeds.
The Prius costs more than traditional sedans. The average price is $3000 to $4000 more than a similarly equipped conventional car. Depending on the price of gas, this premium can be paid back in gas savings in between three and ten years. The average driver (15,000 miles a year) will get back the extra cost in about 6 years with $2.00 gas. with gas prices in the $4.00 range, the payback period drops to two-to-three years. This isn’t just about price. The Prius is rated as a Partial Zero Emission vehicle. That means it contributes very little polution. The Prius tail pipe puts out only 20% of the emissions of conventional cars.
The real difference between Prius Models
The 2010 comes in four configurations (II, III, IV, and V – a I is expected out fall 2009. Models II to IV are identical in terms of powertrain and suspension. The increasingly expensive models add comfort and convenience features. The model V is different from its sisters. Toyota is careful in its literature to avoid highlighting just how different the model V is. If you go by the promotional literature, the big change for the Model V is 17-inch wheels and LED headlights. If you read the comparison charts on the website, that’s pretty much it. However, there are some comparison items missing.
The “standard” Prius has 15-inch tires. The V has 17-inc 215/45 tires. That’s right 45! Those are low profile tires more often seen on a Lexus. That’s not all The V has a steering ration of 14.6 to 1. This compares with the slow 17.6 to 1 ratio on the other models. This translates to much quicker steering; 2.8 turns lock-to-lock (compared with the 3.7 turns lock-to-lock on the other models). In addition the suspension has been beefed up.
One of my biggest complaints with the second generation Prius was the aggressive stability control. It kicked in at time when I knew I had control of the car. The 2010 models II – IV still suffer from this. However the model V is almost sporty to drive. The bigger wheels and fatter tires combined with tight steering and a firm suspension provide a great driving experience. That’s something I never thought I would say about a Prius. It doesn’t hurt that the new third generation cars (all models) have a larger gas engine and more battery power. They also get better mileage than the second generation. Way to go Toyota! This extra power translates to a fast (9.8 second) 0 to 60; well faster than the old one anyway, and a much more responsive accelrator. Speaking of that the new cars have three driving modes: EV, Econ, and Power. The EV mode tries to let the vehicle run on battery alone without starting the engine. Under the best conditions, this can be done for a mile or less. The hybrid computer will turn on the gas engine if it wants to, even in this mode. The Econ mode modulates the response to pressure on the accelerator (translates to sluggish) and delivers the best mpg’s. The Power mode makes the car more responsive to the accelerator. Mileage will go down, but wow!
The extras
Option packages are very limited. Some models (III and IV) can get a power sunroof that includes solar panels to drive a fan to keep the car cool while parked, plus a remote AC start. This package is not available in the model V due to the extra weight and, according to Toyota, “other engineering considerations.”
Models III, IV, and V can add navigation. The 201 navi is much better than the Gen 2. The display is brighter and the graphics are redesigned for easier reading. The setup and other controls have been simplified and made more intuitive. You don’t have to read the 300-page navi manual to use the feature.
Model IV can also get leather seats. Model V has leather standard. It also has cool LED headlights that use 40% of the energy of other kinds. They also look great. The model V has an available Advanced Technology package (about $4,500). This package takes the car to a whole new level. The package includes Navi, of course. It also has adaptive cruise control. There is radar in the nose (behind the oversized Toyota logo) that constantly monitors the distance between your car and the one in front of you. When you use the adaptive cruise control, the Prius maintains a constant following distance. Unlike standard cruise control, the adaptive type uses both accelerator and brakes to manage its tricks. It is amazing to experience.
Another AT feature is Lane Keep Assist (LKA). This feature uses a camera situated above the rear view mirror to “read” the road ahead. If the lanes are marked, LKA will beep and give a gentle “tug” to the steering wheel if you wander too close to the lines. With adaptive cruise control on, LKA will actually steer for you and keep you in your lane; even around turns. However, this “autopilot” will not let you take your hands off the wheel. If it doesn’t sense you “helping” it steer, it will go back to beep and nudge mode. I haven’t yet mastered just the right touch to make this work all the time.
The same radar used for adaptive cruise control is also part of the precollision system. When the car senses that a front end collision is inevitable, it uses the brakes to minimize damage. It also tightens the seatbelts and moves the headrests forward to better protect front seat occupants.
The last major feature in this package is the Parking Assist. This is the same spooky system that automatically parallel parks your car. It also will back you into a parking lot spot too. This is not an easy or intuative feature to use. First you turn it on when you are nearing a parking spot (you have to press the button once for parallel and twice for head-out parking). The display tells you to move forward very slowly (less than 6mph) and stop when it beeps. When you stop it tells you to shift into reverse. Then the screen shows you a picture of the parking spot with a green box in the position your car will end up. This green box has to be moved (using your fingers on the screen) to correctly set up the parking space. There is a learning curve for this. Plan to spend some time practicing somewhere no one wants to pass you. I still haven’t perfected my technique.
The display and controls
The generation 3 Prius moves the cool hybrid readouts from the screen between the driver and passenger to the display just under the windshield. This display is considerably more complex and offers more options. The high-tech crowd loves this display. There are two cool multi-function controls on the steering wheel that allow control of cabin temperature, audio, and hybrid display. There are also buttons for voice control, telephone (bluetooth), and the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. The model V cockpit looks more like a 747 than a car. It turns out a lot easier to use than it looks.
Complaints
The Model V sound system is a small improvement over the Gen 2 JBL system. Compared to other JBL/Toyota sound systems, this one is pretty weak. The airconditioning readout (cabin temperature settings and outside temperature) is difficult to read. Since I leave the cabin AC set to “Auto”, I don’t worry too much about this. I do like to know the outside temperature, and I can’t read that unless I stop the car and really struggle to read the LCD display.
Summary
The 2010 Model V Prius is now more than a fuel saving ride. It is now a fun car to drive with advanced features that almost make it feel like the car of the future. It’s expensive, but worth the cost. The Prius is reliable, gets great mileage, and is fun to drive. I am really happy I bought this car.