2008 Toyota Prius Touring Edition test drive

[Val]

by Christine & Scott Gable - He is a car enginner and she ... the wife!

Initial Impression



Christine: “I kinda like this quirky little guy’s looks and definitely his efficient attitude. And when our nine-year-old daughter eagerly climbed into the driver’s seat with a big smile saying she’d like one as her first car, it sure seemed a good omen. Was this a positive harbinger of our test drive week with this little eco-machine?”

Scott: “I've always loved the peculiar looking and oddly appealing little Prius. It is the epitome of practical, frugal, efficient and green motoring. Of course, depending on your personality, the order of importance of those particular qualities might change a bit, but their validity is pretty unquestionable. I test drove the ’07 and came away happy—could I expect the same with the ’08 model?”

Look & feel





The Prius is the kind of car that appeals to the fun-loving kid as well as the practical adult that lives within us all. The high roofline, the big headlights and the split-rear window treatment give it almost an impish-cartoon appeal that your child-side can’t resist. But for the practical grown-up in you, the view through the windshield is wide and expansive, and the clever arrangement of the digital speedometer, fuel gauge, gear selection and sundry other control parameters make driving a safe, in-control experience. The net effect keeps the driver’s eye squarely on the road ahead of him, with nary a movement of the eye to monitor all systems.

Its smallish exterior belies a surprisingly spacious utilitarian interior. At 6’ and 6’4”, the guys in our house appreciate the wide open 96.2 feet of passenger space and the generous 38.6 inches of rear seating. But Prius’ spaciousness isn’t all about people; lay down the 60-40 split-fold rear seat and the Prius is ready to load up almost anything sized between a big screen TV and a washing machine. It’s that shape again. And while it doesn’t look like a car that would handle well—it does, with surprising finesse and agility. It is solid and precise, and will snap off sharp turns like a car with a thoroughbred pedigree.

Fuel-ability



It’s cute. It’s fun to drive and sure, it has enough room to (almost) carry your refrig, but it’s the fuel mileage that makes everyone think Prius. How many cars can sport a mere 12-gallon fuel tank and still crack off better than 500 miles of driving range? It’s all in the Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Start the Prius with a push of the on/off power button (part of the keyless ignition)—and within seconds, the hybrid system determines whether or not it needs to start the internal combustion engine. A ready light comes on within the same amount of seconds and the car is ready to go, but there’s no traditional gear shifter. Click the small joystick that electrically interfaces with the eCVT (electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission), and you’re on your way. It’s that simple—drive off and the system continuously monitors driving and vehicle conditions, and then calculates the most efficient combination of power. It’s able to drive on engine power, electric motor power or combinations of the two. All of this information is relayed back to the driver via the energy display monitor.

Not only is the Prius amazingly fuel-efficient, it also has pristine SULEV and AT-PZEV emissions ratings. It’s a combination of the hybrid system’s miserly fuel usage and the sophisticated 3-way catalytic converter exhaust scrubbing that makes this all possible. All together, these systems make the Prius a clean, green driving machine. The Prius actually produces over 70 percent fewer smog forming emissions than the average new vehicle. And that’s a winner in our book.

The Toyota Prius is one of the few vehicles that really offers a total package deal. What Toyota calls a “monoform design” gives the Prius mid-size car interior space with compact exterior dimensions. Think small, compact car handling and maneuverability with SUV-like utility (with that rear seat folded down).

When it's all said & done



The Prius’ 46 mpg combined rating is hard to beat (we were able to average a tick over 50 mpg with light and economical driving habits). Even though small diesels can be competitive with those mileage numbers, comparable diesel-powered vehicles don’t offer the same level of utility. There’s been some skepticism about using gas/electric hybrids to achieve good fuel economy—critics often say that a small diesel engine can produce like mileage without all the baggage of that complex electromechanicl system—and although that may be true, with the rising cost of diesel fuel compared to gasoline, diesels are losing their competitive edge. Not to mention that hybrid complexity worries are certainly mitigated with the 8-year/100,000 mile warranty.

The Prius has been with us for ten years and its popularity hasn’t waned—in fact, it’s increased. And that proves that people really want what it has to offer. It has that indefinable mystique that combines its kid-like fun (as our daughter can attest), with just enough adult-like serious business. And it does all this with a $23,880 base price.

The Enviro-meter

We ordinarily compare a hybrid car to its non-hybrid version. But for this comparison, (since the Prius has no conventional version) we used one of the Prius' hottest competitors, the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, to see how the numbers stack up.

Here's how the 2008 Prius Touring Edition's environmental impact tallies up, according to fueleconomy.gov:

Petroleum Oil Consumption: 7.4 barrels of crude annually—compared to 8.2 barrels for the Civic Hybrid.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions:4.0 tons/year, where the Civic Hybrid will total 4.4 tons/year (driving an average of 15,000 miles per year).
EPA Air Pollution Score: on a scale of 1 to 10 (best), scores in at an 8 and the Civic Hybrid surprisingly scores a higher 9.

Details and Specs

Technical Features: 1.5-liter 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve with VVT-i Engine, Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT), electronic power steering system

Safety Features: driver and front passenger advanced front airbags, driver and front passenger side and curtain airbags, traction control, ABS, side-impact door beams, LATCH child restraint system

Interior Features: auto climate control with air filtration, AM/FM CD with 6 speakers, push button start, remote keyless entry, cruise control, multi-info display with energy monitor, tilt steering wheel with climate and audio control, 60/40 split fold-flat rear seat, power door locks and windows, carpet floor mats and cargo net, plus Package #3 which includes JBL 6-disc stereo system with Bluetooth capability and back-up camera

Exterior Features: 16-inch alloy wheels, low rolling resistance tires, P195/55/R16

[Blackmask]

What a beautiful little car.

[Val]

Get out of here, Madam!
You are suspect to tell something about this car.

[edawg99]

It has no power and there is no style and it looks ugly. I hate it.

[Blackmask]

Originally Posted by Val

Get out of here, Madam!
You are suspect to tell something about this car.

What would you like to know Val?

It's incredibly fuel efficient costing so saves me a lot of money there. It wouldn't have the power to drag of some young hoon in a street race but it's not lacking in power from a driving perspective at all. It's deceptive in size and will comfortably seat 5 adults. It's reliable, which makes sense given it's a Toyota, and costs no more for a service than a regular petrol car would.

[Val]

Yes, yes, yes ... I agree! The car is good.
The case is that me ... and Eric ... we want your car with more power in the engine like my Vectra and his SS. This your Prius should has at least a 2.0 engine with no problem.

[Blackmask]

The Prius is a split system though, it can run on petrol only, battery only, or a combination of both.

I don't know what the Civic does now, but when I bought the Prius this was a difference in the operation, at least as I understood it. The Civic ran on either petrol engine, or battery. There was a kick in point, I think it was 30km/hr when it would switch.

The hybrid system of the Prius uses both battery and petrol engine at the same time so to go purely on the power of the petrol engine is misleading to the overall power of the car. It's not designed as a high power vehicle like V6s and V8s, but you'd be surprised the power it has. It's certainly not a soft little toy car Val.