Many people simply need a car to get efficiently and reliably from A to B, with little cost or fuss. For that, it's hard to beat the Toyota Prius, as it meets the basic transportation needs of just about everyone. At 44 mpg overall in our tests, only electric cars were more fuel efficient. Despite the apparent complication of the hybrid system, all of the Prius' technology is well-proven. The Toyota Prius has one of the lowest costs of ownership.
The hatchback body is aerodynamic and spacious for both people and cargo. Rear-seat space is on par with many midsized sedans, with plenty of cargo capacity to boot. Folding down the rear seats makes even more room.
While this all sounds good, don't confuse the Prius for being a saint. For example, while all seems quiet at low speeds when running on battery power alone, accelerating hard cranks out a lot of engine noise. Ride comfort is merely OK and road noise is pronounced. There's nothing luxurious about the cheap-looking interior either, and seat comfort is only average. Some controls, especially the shifter, take some getting used to, and the unique split back window reduces rear visibility.
Lackluster handling robs the Prius driver of fun. Acceleration is adequate, but can't be described as quick. Only those who enjoy maximizing fuel economy will find much joy behind the wheel.
There are two versions of this iteration of the car, the regular Prius and Prius Plug-in, intended for those seeking the next step toward driving an electric vehicle. The step is a mild one though, owing to a small battery. We observed about a 12 mile "electric" range, which is often disrupted by the engine kicking in. At least the small battery recharges quickly. Charging it with normal 120-volt household current takes little more than three hours.
Once the battery is depleted and Prius reverts to normal hybrid operation, the car gets 43 mpg. This is one less than the conventional version. Longer stopping distances and less-capable handling limits reduced the Plug-in's track score compared to our last tested regular Prius.
Still, one should consider the Prius an extremely logical choice. Fears of expensive hybrid battery replacement have gone unfounded over the many years of Prius production. Later structural improvements aid performance in the difficult Insurance Institute for Highway Safety small overlap crash test. If you need even more room, consider the larger Prius V wagon, which gets three mpg less than the regular Prius.