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Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
2004 Toyota Prius by Cordell Koland Toyota has unveiled an all-new version of the Prius hybrid, which promises less pain for those automobile owners who are determined to be environmentally conscious. Toyota’s ultimate goal is to move the Prius and its gasoline-electric hybrid technology into the consumer mainstream. The new Prius’ technology offers more power, better performance and improved fuel consumption, a winning combination. Fuel economy hits 55 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving and the car burns gasoline 30 percent cleaner than the previous model. The new Prius is larger than its predecessor and now is classified as a mid-size sedan. Yes, ownership of a Prius could enhance your chances of getting elected president of your local Sierra Club chapter, but the car has taken on its own kind of techno glamour. Such celebrities as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Bill Maher and Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and star of the HBO comedy hit Curb Your Enthusiasm, are all Prius owners. And despite a number of exciting new models, the Prius has already won the 2004 Car of the Year Award from Motor Trend and the North American Car of the Year Award presented at the international auto show in Detroit in January. Hybrids use a combination of a small gasoline engine and an electric motor. Kinetic energy produced by vehicle deceleration and braking force are converted into stored energy to power the electric motor. It finally appears that the hybrid technology is taking off. So far only Toyota and Honda have hybrid models, but recently DaimlerChrysler and General Motors have announced hybrids that we will see in a year of two. Meanwhile the Prius is very now. Beyond the hype, the new Toyota hybrid goes a
long way toward moving the hybrid from Berkeley to suburbia. The Prius
has upgraded performance substantially and should be considered as a prime
commute car for people who drive long distances to get to work. The new
Prius not only gets outstanding gas mileage, but also burns regular gas
to boot. This could save thousands of dollars
The car is not only frugal, but also extremely clean. It meets California’s stringent Super-Ultra-Low-Emission-Vehicle standard. In addition, it qualifies as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle. This rating combines tail-pipe emissions with zero fuel evaporation and the long-term viability of the systems involved. If all vehicles met these standards, the air quality in most cities would be substantially increased. On the other hand, there are all kinds of clues
that the Prius, while heading for the mainstream, still has its idiosyncrasies.
Toyota designers, among the most conservative in the industry, went wild
on the Prius. The exterior design with its large glazed area and sharply
sloped hood and front fenders is one of the spaciest designs in production.
The obvious message delivered by the styling is that the
The unique design elements extend into the interior as well. The car lacks the conventional instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Instead, the design focuses on a video screen mounted high in the middle of the dashboard. The touch screen has modes the driver can select to control audio and climate control functions. The screen also provides a plethora of information about the operation of the vehicle, such as power output and gasoline mileage. Yet despite the whiz-bang technology, I did not find the center controls intuitive. It took some time to master the Prius’ control vocabulary. The performance is respectable. The new Prius cuts the time it takes to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour to 10 seconds—about 25 percent quicker than the previous model. I particularly noticed the difference in accelerating up a rather demanding mountain grade. The Prius was able to gain speed and easily passed slow-moving trucks. The car’s performance and gas mileage are aided by extraordinary aerodynamics. The Prius registers a 0.26 coefficient of drag, an exceptional mark for a mid-sized economy sedan. Vehicle: Toyota Prius
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