3-day long-term test drive: Toyota Prius Special Edition Premium
Price as tested: CDN$32530
Total mileage through the test: 400km

The Prius has always been considered as the high water mark of all what all hybrids are judged. I have driven Prius a couple of times in the last couple of years, however, this is the only time that I had a chance to put it through the paces in a few days.

Prius’s 1.5 liter DOHC 4-cylinder 16-valve mill with VVT-i is good for 76 hp alone, combined with the electric motor which have another 50 ponies. It got 126 horses on driver’s disposal. Thanks to the electric motor, it has 295 lb/ft of torque from Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive. The driving experience is a quiet and smooth, although its not as quiet as we expect from a hybrid. Its also feel downright peppy when driving actually needs the power. The transition between electric and gasoline motors are not exactly seamless neither. When it comes to fuel economy, it is disappointing for highway driving. It isn’t terribly good for city driving when running on electric motor. A test average of 9L/100km isn’t spectacular, consider our long-term A3 Sportback 2.0T has an average of 7L/100km with the same driving distance on same driving situations.

Handling and braking performance are as ones we expect from a hybrid. Of all the hybrids I have driven, ranging from Civic to LS600hL. The only driver’s hybrid was the flopped Accord hybrid, its because its too powerful and expensive for hybrid’s status of lives. Prius’s steering is lifeless and numb, chassis is as detached as anything else from Toyota. Ride quality is comfortable, with a sense of Lexus floatiness dialled in the process. The regenerative braking system continues to produce numb and dead pedal feel.

Interior is actually well-made with nice fit-and-finish and decent materials. We love the comfortable cloth seats, as well as the large space. Prius’s hatchback is another reason why we would rather choose it rather than Camry hybrid in the first place. The center screen is not only serve as a gimmick for hybrid system’s working process, it also works as a back-up camera.

After spend a couple of days behind the wheel of a Prius, I have learned a few things about this hybrid benchmark. It remains a status symbol even though it has been on the road for quite a while. Everyone thought you are a movie or political stars behind the wheel of a Prius. The engine shut down during idle is a good design because you can still have air conditioning on, a pretty cold one, mind you. Driven over 140 km/h feels floaty thanks to its soft suspension and low-resistance energy-efficient tires. Only attempted for one time. The rest of the time I remained below 120 km/h for “somewhat” better fuel economy and more confidence-inspiring ride. Thank you very much, Toyota, for setting a suspension like that, in order to encourage full electric and safe driving. You won’t be avoid a hefty fuel bill because Prius still needs gas to run. Fuel economy isn’t anything special when comparing to equivalent gasoline-powered cars. The bottom line. If you want a fuel efficient, fun-to-drive and powerful car that won’t need to worry about battery’s replacement cost, new era diesel is the best solution in the time of superficial gas prices.