08 Toyota Prius By ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net  Everyone has probably heard about the  Toyota Prius.  In case you did not know, the Prius is a hybrid vehicle.  It doesn’t come in either gas or electric.  It only comes as a hybrid that has both gas and electric combined.  It is a fairly good looking vehicle, but the tremendous gas mileage is the attraction.  That, and the feeling of doing something "green" for the environment.

My wife Judy and I had a Classic Silver model Prius for a week-long test drive.  It was a Package Two trim level, one of three that is available on the Prius. That means it had cloth seats instead of leather seats, basically. The Prius is a four door hatchback, five passenger, that runs on a four cylinder engine combined with a battery-powered electric motor.  The interaction is seamless and without the visible display on the dashboard, you cannot sense the switch between the gas power or electric power.  The electric motor runs at 110 horsepower.  When you need the acceleration, it is there.  When you are trying to be light-footed and maximize your fuel economy, it is there. 
The Prius does not require plugging in to a power source like a golf cart, but there are other vehicles that will soon be on the market that do plug in at night.  The Prius batteries are charged by the four cylinder engine.  As power is needed for acceleration or maintaining sustained highway speeds, the gas engine powers the car.  As the car is slowed down, idling at a traffic signal, or rolling downhill, the gas engine transfers the output into the batteries, so that they stay re-charged.
Although I casually made attempts to drive conservatively, I often ignored the fuel saving attempts and pushed the pedal down.  I also spent more time on highway driving than slow commuting.  Even so, my gas mileage averaged out at slightly over 52 miles per hour for the week’s test drive.
The Prius is considered more of a mid-size vehicle that really will carry five adults.  It is a conservatively designed family sedan, although many commuters like it most because of the fuel economy.  Owners generally refer to the reliability and comfortable ride when they talk about their own Prius vehicles.  The seats were very comfortable, especially for the highway driving.  My test model had the Package #2 added on for an extra cost that included Vehicle Stability Control, backup camera, Smart Key, and an enhanced audio system.
Visibility is generally good.  The Prius has an abundance of window glass.  The rear glass is split and that created an occasional problem with other vehicle headlights reflecting into the car.  There was a really good back-up alarm that combined with an excellent camera display of the rear area.  Cargo space in the rear was adequate for most situations, but might but a little crowded for a long road trip.  My test model included one of those Smart Keys, that does not require it to be inserted and turned for starting the car.  You simply keep the key in your pocket or purse and push a button to turn the car on or off.
Hybrid vehicles are proven and dependable.  The Prius has been in the front of the pack for several years and many consider it as the standard for environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles. The standard warranty for the hybrid-related parts is eight years or 100,000 mles.  Bottom sticker price on my test model was $24,110.   Stop by a Toyota dealership and check out the Prius Hybrid yourself.  Ask for a test drive to experience the uniqueness of this dependable small vehicle yourself.

(Alan is an experienced automotive journalist and a member of the National Newspaper Association.  He can be contacted at email Yelped 50551@MyPacks.net)