The Toyota Prius hybrid is still the most popular and best selling
hybrid vehicle in the USA today. The release of this car in 1997
launched the movement towards hybrids.
The Prius sold very poorly at first, but sales picked up when new
models came on the market. In 2003 Toyota came out with their second
generation hybrid vehicle making it car of the year according to Motor
Trend.
People are purchasing hybrids not just for environmental, pollution
and gas shortage issues, but also because of rising gas prices.
Although there are many hybrid cars an individual can choose from, the
Prius is the number one choice due to its simplicity and price.
Lots of modifications have been made to the newer hybrid cars, and
the first generation Toyota Prius was fuel efficient but it only had
thedid not have many options other than air-conditioning. The second
generation Toyota hybrid is bigger, quicker and looked better designed
than its predecessor. It is the first mid-size hatchback car on the
market, and has won many awards.
This hybrid car uses the Synergy hybrid system which is used by all
hybrid vehicles that Toyota manufactures. It uses a 1.5-liter,
4-cylinder engines features intelligent valve timing and an AC
synchronous, permanent magnet motor. It has 110 horsepower (combining
electric power with gas power) and 46 mpg fuel economy (shared city and
highway ranking by EPA).
It has an electronically controlled continuous variable
transmission, anti-lock system and regenerative breaking. It has up to
89 % less emissions and grants the owner a tax credit upon purchase.
Security door locks, electric windows, remote keyless entry, cloth
seats, cruise control and micron filter air conditioning are just to
name a few of the features that are standard on the second generation
Toyota Prius. Climate, audio, and cruise control can be controlled
remotely though switches on the steering wheel.
The Bluetooth Navigational system is one of the options customers
have when buying the vehicle. What makes it different from any other
hybrids on the market is that it uses a power button to start the
ingition rather than a key. On the dashboard is an energy motor that
monitors the power that flows through the battery pack, engine and
electric motor.
While the second-generation Toyota Prius isn’t the most stylish of
the available hybrids, its low price, high miles per gallon, and
environmentally minded features combine to make it extremely
attractive. The practical alternative choice is the pioneer.
