2005 Toyota Prius Midsize Car Review & Performance

The Toyota Prius is beautiful in its simplicity, with graceful, fluid lines that make it look futuristic.

The pinched-down nose is helpful for knifing through the air with little resistance. The quarter panels and doors are sleek and clean. The sole character line is a tasteful indentation in the lower region of the doors, visually connecting the creases marking the lower limits of the working area of the front and rear bumpers.

The side view makes clear the stylists' devotion to aerodynamics. A steeply raked windshield carries the hood's acute angle rearward. An even more steeply raked backlight (rear windscreen) ends in a high spoiler that trips the air stream as it leaves the car, maximizing the aero advantage of the car's almost-vertical back end. Sleek rear quarter windows do more to visually enhance the aerodynamic look than they do for outward visibility.

Pictures deceive when it comes to the tires. Viewed in the paint, the Prius looks under-tired, almost as if the tires were left out when the rest of the car was made larger. The narrow tires probably help fuel ecnomy, but they clash visually with the proportions.

The headlights are geometrically complex compound units, housing the running lights, side marker lights and turn indicators. Vertically stacked, compound taillights wear modish clear lenses and bookend the lower section of the liftgate. Integrated into the liftgate, and running its width beneath the rear spoiler, is a strip of glass adding critical rearward visibility for the driver.

The first-generation 2001-03 Prius was classified as a compact by the EPA, but the second-generation 2004-05 Prius is considered a midsize car. Its wheelbase (the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels) is about 6 inches longer than before, yielding a more stable ride and more legroom inside.

The interior of the 2005 Prius is significantly roomier than earlier models. Passenger volume measures 96.2 cubic feet, up more than 6 cubic feet from the '03 Prius. And the '05 Prius is nearly 5 cubic feet roomier than the Honda Civic Hybrid.

The back seat is surprisingly roomy. There's 2-1/2 inches more rear leg room than in the Civic Hybrid, and Prius even beats the Camry by an inch. Still, the Prius remains five-passenger car in designation only, or when one of the rear seat occupants is much smaller statured than the other two. It's more suitable for four.

Cargo space is 16.1 cubic feet, comparable to that of the Camry and the hatchback design makes its cargo area flexible.

Seats in the Prius are comfortable for commutes and short weekend trips. Their forte is not the multi-hour, multi-state drive. The cloth upholstery looks durable and is grippy, compensating somewhat for the minimalist bottom and back side bolsters. Head restraints are adjustable in all five seating positions, although in their lowered positions, the rear seat's restraints are close to dysfunctional for taller passengers. The interior finish is up to Toyota standards, with pleasingly close tolerances between body panels and interior plastic pieces, and plastics that look and feel better than the word plastic connotates.

The speedometer, fuel gauge, trip meter, and transmission selection indicator are tucked into a long, flat, eyebrow-like opening draped across and centered on the top of the dash where it meets the windshield. The primary gauges are located in the left half of the opening, but are closer to the centerline of the car than to the driver.

Climate controls are managed via an LCD screen at the top of the center stack. This panel also displays user preferences and maintenance needs. Most entertaining, however, is that it allows tracking of the power and recharging flows, monitoring battery and gasoline usage. And it serves as the focal point for the optional navigation system.

Directly beneath the screen is the control head for the sound system. Toyota deserves high praise for keeping the stereo's most-used functions outside of the onboard computer's labyrinth and, equally important, for giving it buttons and knobs that are easy to see, read and use. The base AM/FM/CD six-speaker sound system is quite capable. We'd have been better able to enjoy the premium JBL system to its fullest if there had been a bit more sound deadening in the floorpan and doors, but sound deadening adds weight, the enemy of fuel economy.

Remote switches for the audio, climate and cruise controls are conveniently mounted on the steering wheel. There are two accessory power outlets. Dome lights grace the headliner, front and rear. Both sun visors have illuminated vanity mirrors. These may seem small matters, but they distinguish between value and cheap.

A tall glasshouse yields exemplary outward visibility. As is the case with many of the latest aerodynamic designs, the driver can't see the front of the car or the hood without leaning forward.

Storage spaces are abundant and flexible. The glove box is a two-parter, with an upper and lower bin opening like a clamshell. The upper glove box is good for long, narrow items, like gloves. The lower compartment holds bulkier items. The front part of the center console opens up, also clamshell-like, into two cup holders. Door-mounted map pockets, expandable magazine holders stitched into the back of the front seat backs, and an unexpected, semi-secluded storage bin below the stereo offer additional storage.

Two cup holders pop out of the rear of the console for back-seat riders. An armrest folds down out of the rear seat back. The rear seats are split 60/40, each part of which folds to yield an almost-flat floor, without having to remove the head restraints. There are hidden spaces beneath the cargo floor, both below and on top of the mini-spare.

Gas pressurized struts ease opening and closing the hatchback. Doors close with a solid, if not truly impressive clunk; then again, weight savings have to come from somewhere.

Most people who buy hybrid-powered cars aren't looking for something that's fun to drive as much as somthing they can drive with a clear conscience. The Toyota Prius is certainly the latter. But it won't bore its driver, either.

Standing on the accelerator produces a pleasant surprise. Thanks to the electric motor's 295 pound-feet of torque at 0 rpm from the engine, the Prius launches without hesitation. Merging and overtaking at freeways speeds are accomplished with little fuss. Those wishing to experience the car's outer limits, however, should expect more leisurely progress to a top speed of around 100 miles per hour. To speed calls for horsepower, and as Prius approaches its maximum velocity, it relies increasingly on its small gasoline engine for motivation. Toyota says Prius can accelerate from 0-60 mph in about 10 seconds, anemic by modern expectations, but then we've come to expect a lot. As recently as the mid-1950s, performance legends like the Chrysler 300 and Buick Century didn't reach 60 mph much quicker than that.

Prius gets its power from a gasoline engine supplemented by an electric motor. In a bit of hyperbole, Toyota calls the combination the Hybrid Synergy Drive. Hybrid it is; synergistic it isn't, not by the strictest definition of the word, which would mean that the total power output would be more than the sum of the outputs of the gas and electric motors individually. This is not the case. The Hybrid Synergy Drive does, however, rely on the electric motor even more than the system in the first-generation Prius, which is how Toyota was able to make the Prius larger and more practical without compromising its low emissions or fuel economy. The current model is 30 percent cleaner than the squeaky-clean first-generation (2002-03) Prius. Toyota claims the 2005 Prius produces only a little more than 10 percent as much pollution as the average new car. Toyota says its hybrid system is an electric motor with gasoline engine assist, while Honda's system is a gasoline engine with electric motor assist.

By complementing the gasoline engine's horsepower with the electric motor's torque, the Prius makes better use of the energy stored in each gallon of gasoline, while leaving fewer nasty chemical compounds in its wake. The electric motor, which begins cranking out its maximum torque virtually the moment it starts spinning, gets the car moving and helps it accelerate while it's underway. The gasoline engine steps to the fore at more constant speeds, especially during highway driving, where horsepower is more critical for maintaining a car's momentum.

The hybrid system improves fuel economy further by turning off the gasoline engine when it's not needed, like when you are waiting at a stop light or even when puttering around town at low speeds. Any time the driver's right foot requests more motivation than the electric motor alone can provide, the gasoline engine fires up and joins in.

The transmission is non-traditional, too, though not unique in today's market. Prius uses a continuously variable transmission, which shuns gears for a steel-segmented belt riding on variable-diameter pulleys. This system constantly and automatically selects the most efficient drive ratio to get the car moving and to keep it moving.

The EPA gives the Prius a City/Highway fuel economy rating of 60/51 mpg with a Combined rating of 55 mpg. These numbers have generated controversy, however. Hybrid-powered cars tend to achieve high ratings on EPA tests because the cars run on rollers, face no wind resistance, and run with the air conditioning shut off. The electric motor plays a bigger role in these laboratory conditions than it does in the real world. In one of those strange twists of logic often produced by law, Toyota is legally barred from advertising any mileage numbers other than those released by the federal government.

Most Prius owners report much lower fuel economy, while others argue this point. Published reports have pegged actual fuel economy at 44 to 48 mpg or 20-percent less than the government's EPA rating.

Emissions are the lowest of any real car available to U.S. buyers. On the surface, it is bettered by electric cars, but electric cars are impractical and must be recharged using another energy source that, in turn, requires fuel. So in the big picture, the Prius is easier on the environment than electric cars are.

The Prius saves fuel and reduces emisions by scavenging energy that most cars waste. Regenerative braking links the brakes to a generator, helping use the car's kinetic energy to recharge the battery whenever the brakes are applied. Along the same lines, the transmission offers a setting that helps recharge the battery when the driver merely lifts off the accelerator and lets the car coast, most beneficially downhill. In sum, with all these regenerative methodologies, there's no need (and no way, for that matter) to plug the car into an electrical outlet to charge the battery.

The Prius rides on regular, commonly available tires. They are not sporty treads, so don't look for quick and precise left-right transitions. But they are stickier than expected, and quieter than the earlier tires. Some tire noise is evident, no doubt because Toyota skipped some sound insulation in the interest of saving weight. But wind noise is nicely subdued by the car's impressive aerodynamics.

Braking is more linear than in the original model. New algorhithms in the computer that manages this system have made brake feedback more natural, so the brakes don't feel as obviously assisted and as if they were managed somewhere else. Tapping the dash-mounted shift lever to engage the B function (for engine braking) returns a feel much like engine compression braking, as if the driver had dropped down a gear while slowing.

Four adults seem to be about the limit for the soft rear suspension, compressing it to the point where occupants will feel the bump stops on mildly rough pavement. And this is without any luggage. The Prius is better with two adults and two kids.

The 2005 Toyota Prius comes in one well-equipped trim level ($20,875).

Check the list of standard equipment, and you'll see that the word "economy" applies only to Prius in terms of fuel consumption. The fabric upholstery is as good as it gets. Automatic air conditioning with a micron filter is standard, as are power windows, door locks and heated outside mirrors; remote keyless entry; cruise control; a tilting steering wheel with redundant climate and audio controls; intermittent front and rear wipers; and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo.

Safety is enhanced with antilock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, and traction control. Standard passive safety features include multi-stage, dual front airbags; three-point seatbelts and head restraints at all five seating positions; and rear seat head restraints that are adjustable. Curtain airbags designed to offer head protection for front and rear passengers and seat-mounted side-impact airbags for torso protection for driver and front-seat passenger are optional ($650).

Options are bundled into packages for 2005. Package 2 ($920) combines a security alarm, Homelink garage door opener, and Smart Key system. Package 3 ($1,100) combines the Smart Key System with the airbag package. Package 6 ($5,065) bundles all of the above with GPS navigation with voice recognition, Bluetooth capability, a nine-speaker JBL stereo with six-disc CD changer, electronic Vehicle Skid Control, fog lamps, and HID headlamps.