Toyota Prius Dominates Fuel Economy

By: Andy Hodges
08/27/2009 04:20 PM ET

The 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid met higher expectations on mileage. The 2010 Prius can easily achieve and deliver more than 50 miles per gallon. The hybrid car is loaded with several new green technologies including a solar panel ventilation system.

The Toyota Prius has solar panels mounted on its roof that automatically charge its solar ventilation system. When I first unlocked the doors to the automobile, I was met with a surprise. I expected to feel hot air rushing out of the car, instead, the interior was cool. This is a great feature because heat is the number one reason why interior in vehicles is destroyed.

2010 Prius has an instant fuel economy bar graph which is different than its first Toyota and second-generation previous models. This graph has moved from the navigation screen, from previous models, to the dashboard instrument panel. The third-generation gauge is now located on top of the dash so the driver can keep their eyes on the road ahead.

The Toyota Prius 2010 model drives with precision and feels stable and secure. The steering wheel responds immediately because of the automobile’s electric-assisted power steering (EPS) and can handle turns accurately. The EPS is probably one of its best features because the car handles so smoothly around corners.

The Prius Hybrid car also includes an added steering caster to enhance the vehicle’s straight-line stability. The steering rack is rigidly mounted to improve central feel. The Toyota electronic-assist power steering feels like real steering with accurate precision.

The Toyota hybrid car ran very quiet during our test drive. It was hard to believe the engine was on. The engine is a 1.8-liter inline-4 with variable intake valve timing and power output is rated at 98 hp.

However, the vehicle has the power to deliver up to 134 hp. The Toyota hybrid car gets an additional 36 hp coming from the carryover nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The hybrid electric batteries can provide more punch while improving efficiency.

We average approximately 53.4 mpg during our test drive and review. We noticed that slower acceleration and not using the brake as often helped with fuel economy. It is possible to achieve more mileage on this car.

In addition, the vehicle can go from 0-60 is 10 seconds. We tried it a few times, with greater and lesser results, but it averaged about 10 seconds. The 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid is great choice if you want to save gas.