Toyota Prius (First Generation)

cliffy1

Sircordier is correct about battery life. In fact, they will come with an 8 year/100K mile warranty. They are compartmentalized and in theory, you could replace one part without doing the whole thing. I think cost will be very high at first but Toyota is banking on massive supply in the future to bring costs down. Right now, you would be paying for development costs where down the road, you wouldn't.

Regular unleaded is what I have heard.

gckorn

Per the Toyota University brochure the dealer gave me, the Prius uses regular unleaded.

Also, cliffy is right about the 8 year/100K battery warranty. Over and above that, the vehicle comes with 3 years of free scheduled maintence (every 7,500 miles).

krakato

We live in Tucson too and are very interested in purchasing the Prius as a second in-town commuter car, but decided not to take the plunge just yet. (I got an Echo instead, which I love). When we were car shopping in June the salespersons at both Toyota dealerships seemed to know absolutely nothing about the Prius. So I'm curious, which dealership have you been working with to get your Prius?

garys10

A Toyota salesperson told me today that if I bought a Prius I would receive a $2000 tax credit. Does anyone know about this? I am seriously considering buying a Prius soon, and a tax credit would make my decision easier. Thanks for any help.

davidfs

I sat in a beautiful superwhite Prius here in Albuquerque, NM yesterday. What a car! The roominess is amazing and the fit and finish is superb! I would have put $4000 down now that I have seen it. I read the owners manual and found that toyota is officially saying to use a minimum of 87 octane fuel. Also, the manual has an entire section on cruise control so I am thinking and hoping it will be an easy available add-on. In person, this car looks like a baby lexus! Just my opinion...

cliffy1

I have not really looked into this. In fact, at the training I went to, we were told to avoid discussions of it to keep us safe. We were told that there is a tax deduction (as opposed to a tax credit) for the Prius. We were told to send them to their tax advisor.

If the IRS told you that the car must primarily be electric, the Prius may qualify. Keep in mind, this is an electric car with an on-board charger/generator. It is the electric motor that turns the tires. The gas motor charges the batteries and sometimes directs power to the motor directly. All power must be routed through the electric motor though. This could be the loophole owners can drive through... But I am not a lawyer nor an accountant so don't take this as tax advise!

gckorn

My CPA is looking into this now (there is an additional $5,000 state credit here in Arizona). I will report back his findings.

Given cliffy's comments about all power to the wheels coming from the electric motor, I'm contemplating at least seeking a Private Letter Ruling from the IRS.

Does anyone think it surprising that Toyota itself has not pursued this issue with the IRS?

scott142

From what I've read, there is up to a $2000 tax deduction. I read this out of a Q & A University of Toyota document.

wenyue

You mean, you can pay $2000 less in tax, or just have $2000 of your income un-taxed?

cliffy1

A deduction is reducing your taxable income. There may be two different rules in effect here.

jetson2

cliffy1, do you have an IRS refference to the "deduction"? the link above addresses the Credit ( which sounds pretty good to me)

cliffy1

I just got my hands on a service writer's hand book for a couple of days. This has a better diagram and explanation of the drive system than the salesman literature. The engine output is routed to a "power split devise" (PSD). The PDS sends power either to the generator or to the CVT transaxle. From the generator, power is sent to the inverter and used to charge the batteries or directly back to the electric motor which sends power to the CVT.

Clear enough so far? The up shot of this is that I was wrong when I claimed there was no direct mechanical contact between the gas engine and transaxle. This car will take some work to lean.

cliffy1

Sorry but no. Toyota is trying to keep us from becoming tax advisors and is not depending on this to increase sales. they don't want us bringing it up to avoid confusion or bad advise.

gckorn

Had my test ride today at Precision Toyota (Tucson). What a wonderful car! You can see from just looking at it that it cost Toyota more than $20,000 to put on the road.

The car is beautiful (I saw it in brilliant white). No comparison to an Echo. It is not stubby, but has a sleekness to its side lines.

The doors are wide (even the back door). They slam with a serious thud. Because of the size of the rear door, it is very easy to enter/exit. And the legroom back there is perfect, more (it seems) than my BMW 540i.

The dash is great (the shifter is in a weird spot though). The instrument cluster just below the window is quite easy to scan.

Best yet is the display panel. The graphics are great (bar graphs for fuel consumption, pictorial for energy sources and usage). I couldn't take my eyes of it. Also, the sound system is controlled through this touch screen display, in a graphic fashion, including stations, balance, fade, bass, treble. It also has digital radio, and (where available) displays the type of music being played.

Better still was the ride! Silent! And when the engine comes on, you can't tell. At speed, it just comes on and off all the time, off when coasing, on again when pressing the pedal. Really wild. And the torque from standstill is very noticeable.

So much more to tell. You have to see/drive it.

gckorn

Can anyone help on this please: Arizona has a $5,000 tax credit for the purchase of "alternative fuel" vehicles. Included in the definition of "alternative fuel" vehicles are "bi-fuel vehicles."

"Bi-fuel" vehicles are defined as follows: "Bi-fuel vehicle means a vehicle that is capable of operating on both gasoline or an alternative fuel [i.e., electricity] but does not include a vehicle that is capable of operating on a mixture of two or more fuel types."

What do you think? Does the Prius fit this definition?

stevens4

I took a test ride in the new Prius last week. Four other passengers rode along during the demonstration. I'm a video producer here in Michigan, interested in alternative technologies. The ride is smooth and quiet. The quality of the fit and finish is superb. The digital dashboard screen provides easy-to-read engine performance data, and control of the radio/tape/CD system. At some time in the future, it may be possible to expand the display screen functions to provide GPS navigation and cell phone communications.

The Prius warranty is the best of any vehicle I've considered purchasing. Toyota's brochure says the newly revised electric motor generates 258 pounds of torque from 0-400rpm. The torque response is said to be similar to the fullsize Toyota Avalon. During the test ride the driver put the accelerator to the floor and from standstill we "burned rubber" on the pavement. It pushed us back into the seat. I thought there would be only gradual acceleration, but instead the driver can choose to put it to the floor and "burn rubber" on takeoff. Pickup for passing at cruising speed was strong. We were told the power of both engines has been increased for U.S. driving conditions following last year's U.S. Prius test evaluations.

The Prius isn't a sports car, but with the new beefed up torque and .29 drag coefficient, the same as the new Celica, it's looking good. Plus, with an EPA 52 mpg city rating, the Prius has a range of 600+ miles on 10-12 gallons of regular 87 gas. This is nearly four times better mileage than my current 1996 V-8 SUV. It's four times as far on half as much.

The ride quality is comfortable and pleasant. I'm 6'2 and had no problem sitting in the back with the front seat pushed back, with plenty of head/leg room. Driving visiblity is great. I've ordered one so now we'll see how it goes this fall & winter.

cliffy1

Thanks for the great post.

gckorn

According to the Arizona Dep't of Commerce, electric hybrids cannot get the huge tax credit available from a recent Arizona law. See http://www.azcommerce.com/energy2/new%20incentives.htm#Alternative Fuels - Definitions and Eligibility

This makes absolutely no sense. The Prius is a SULEV, which means it pollutes LESS than some of the alternative fuel vehicles for which Arizona allows a credit.

scott142

Does anybody know what the tax deduction status is for the other 49 states for hybrids like the Prius?

Wouldn't /Shouldn't Toyota have information about this?

thumpassery

Is the Aqua Ice a light blue or is there a bit of green along with the blue. I might be color blind, on my computer it looks blue. Anyone seen a Prius in Aqua Ice Opalescent. How does it look?

garys10

I saw an Aqua Ice Opalescent Prius here in San Diego last week at a dealer, and it definitely has a bit of green in it. It's a beautiful color! Reminds me of the foam green color of a Porche.

gckorn

Well, cliffy will hate this, but I'm still thinking of having the Prius painted a bright, glossy yellow. I think it would look quite sharp. Resale doesn't matter much because I plan to hand-me-down the car to my son when he starts driving.

Earlier today I was regretting not having ordered a PT Cruiser, but I then saw a bunch of them and concluded that, after a while, the design does get a bit cute. I'll stick with the new technology stuff . . . Prius.

cliffy1

We got two Prius' yesterday. One is the TRAC car for loaner use and the other is to fill our first order. I drove it and can tell you all that it is awesome. It feels just like any other car. You can barely tell when the engine kicks in largely due to how quite the thing it. It feels much more substantial than our Corolla. Seats are nice, ergonomics are great, braking is strong (I didn't even feel the regen brakes kick off) and you get very funny looks at stop signs. My only complaint is that the monitor is a bit distracting. I'm sure once you get used to it, it will be fine but I needed a copilot to work the thing.

gckorn

driving the Prius. It is neat, isn't it! And you are correct, the monitor is quite distracting (but fun).

You also are right about the "substantial" feeling. Even just the width of the back doors and they strong "thud" when they close. Looking at the car, and the motor compartment (which is packed), I could see how Toyota spent more making it than we are paying to purchase it.

sheine

When I called IRS, I was referred to Publication 535, page 53. It says, "You can take the electric vehicle credit or the deduction for clean-fuel vehicle property regardless of whether you use the vehicle in a trade or business."

scoopster

Anyone know where I can get a copy of crash test results for the Prius online? Perhaps some results from previous year's models from Japan?
Thanks!

krakato

Here's a site for automobile safety info in Japan. There are results for the Prius listed.

http://www.osa.go.jp/indexe.html

scoopster

Krakato--Thanks for the link. It looks like the car performed good, but not great compared to others. The "B" rating on the driver in head-on collision is the major shortcoming...otherwise pretty solid. I was surprised at the braking test results, though, too, because when I drove the Prius last weekend, I thought the braking was outstanding due to the regenerative system kicking in.

wenyue

Keep in mind that the U.S Prius is little different from the Japanese Prius. It's tuned to give more performance (for U.S taste). Crashtest result should still be valid, but they MIGHT have increased the braking performance for the U.S prius to cope with the extra performance (but I don't know for sure).

scott142

My salesman suggested when I put my deposit down for the Prius back in early July that the car will be delivered mid-August. Now he's suggesting it may be longer.

Does anybody know if there's a "delivery" due date for this car?

gibran

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread. I went for a test drive yesterday which included around town and interstate driving. I found around town driving to be very smooth and quite with good pickup up to about 30mph. Both the Salesman and I noticed that when the car came to a stop at a red light, the AC fan would continue to blow BUT the compressor would turn off. I don't know if this is adjustable or not. If not, this would be a big concern during stop and go traffic in Hot climates. On the interstate, I was disappointed with the cars performance. A previous poster had made reference to the strong pickup. Frankly, the car struggled to get up to Highway speeds(70-75mph) and one would need a lot of distance to do any passing on the interstate at these speeds. Entering a fast moving, crowded highway via an on ramp or just trying to get out of someones way could be scary(and, I should mention that I drive a Volvo 240 wagon with a small 4 cylinder engine which in itself is no speed demon!). The fit and finish was very nice. The car seemed to be of a very high quality(But certainly not Lexus status as mentioned earlier!) The seats were comfortable but very plain and minimalist with no lumber controls, ect. as one might see on a $20k car. The Rear seats do not Fold down which is a shame and, unfortunately, Cruise Control is not available until next year sometime. In conclusion, my opinion is that the Prius is an Exceptional Commuter and around town car But not a car which one would want to drive for any great distances on the interstate. I think Toyota's Advertising which shows the car passing a truck on the interstate is very misleading. This car was obviously not made for this.

cliffy1

I took an order on Tuesday night and sent the order to Toyota that night. We got a confirmation notice telling us to expect the car in "3 to 4 months." The initial orders that we put in on June 29th told us one to two months. The longer you wait to order, the longer it will take to get it.

cliffy1

The AC issue is something Toyota is aware of. That is why you have the "Max" button on the AC. This keeps the gas engine running to keep the compressor going.

Also, your comments on highway driving illustrates why Toyota has asked us not to sell these cars to people who do a lot of highway driving. They know that this is not its ideal environment. The car is not intended as a long haul car nor will it be marketed as such.

gckorn

Cliffy, I would be using the Prius primarily for city driving, with occasional (once a month) highway trips between Tucson/Phoenix, which is about 120 miles each way (and at the Arizona speed limit of 75 MPH).

We use another car (a Honda Odyssey) for family highway trips.

Given this scenario, do you see a problem with selecting a Prius?

Gary
P.S. As for the a/c, I figure I'll just have to set it at the "max" position during the summer (though, to minimize gas engine usage during a test drive, I did turn the a/c off for a time).

shaddad

It would be a deduction from your taxable income, not a tax credit. Here is the official communique:

An individual consumer purchaser of a Prius may be entitled to a federal tax deduction of up to $2,000 for Prius purchases completed on or before December 31, 2001. This deduction is not available to a consumer lessee of a Prius. The overall federal tax benefit will depend on your individual tax situation, particularly if you claim depreciation deductions on your Prius. Contact your individual tax adviror for further information on how you can take advantage of this important federal tax benefit for qualified clean fule vehicles like Prius (Internal Revenue Code Section 179A).

Orders that were placed in the first couple days (June 29-30) will be filled from July production and delivered approximately August. Orders placed by dealers beginning July will be built August and delivered sept. Will vary depending which coast you are on.
Toyota is working on a better Prius order tracking system.

cliffy1

From the sounds of it, the Prius should be right up your alley. It won't kill you to drive this car on the highway but it just doesn't shine like it does around town.

cliffy1

I just learned today that in Maryland and Virginia, you pay no sales tax on the Prius! I don't know about other states, but you are talking about a real advantage in these two states.

Maryland also has a $1500 deduction from the income tax for Prius owners.

gckorn

The following is from a NYTimes article on the Porsche Boxster S:

How did Porsche accomplish this transformation? . . . The greater displacement, complemented by improvements in both the air-intake system and the electronics, also raised the maximum torque by 25 percent, to a hefty 225 foot-pounds. Most of that torque, by the way, is available at relatively low engine speeds.

The Prius torque is the same "hefty" 225 foot-pounds.

gckorn

Cliffy, that is great news for you easterners. Arizona has a law that allow do PRECISELY the same thing, but for some reason the $%#! Department of Commerce has interpreted it to exclude electric hybrids. That is, they EXCLUDE cars that are cleaner than the cars for which they allow tax credits and tax-free purchases. Only in Arizona!

sheine

cliff 1's response to gibran's criticism is peculiar. In today's cities, much of the driving is done on freeways, which are often busy all day. If the Prius does not have enough acceleration to enter busy ramps safely or stay out of other's way, it is unsuitable as an American city car. If these people are right, soon after the Prius is delivered to customers, we should hear of many accidents. I find it hard to believe that Toyota would sell a car that couldn't handle these situations. This country does not need a car limited to city streets and unable to use freeways.

On the other hand, as one who lives in a small town along I-10, neither of these problems is relevant. Our interstate entrances are never very busy and one can usually maintain a steady speed without problems. There could be a problem in passing vehicles on two lane roads. Even allowing for this, if one can believe these critics, the Prius is better as a country car than a city car, because good mileage is important for the distances that we drive.

gckorn

7/29/00 Toronto Star WH01
2000 WL 24060965
The Toronto Star
Copyright (c) 2000 The Toronto Star

Saturday, July 29, 2000

WHEELS

Prius: Keen, green machine
---
Toyota's talented gas-electric hybrid puts fun into saving fuel and environment
JOHN MAHLER/THE TORONTO STAR

Wheels Preview

Brian Moore

The hybrids are here, and for the technologically adventurous,
driving may never be the same.

Hybrids are the auto industry's current answer to ever-tightening
emissions standards and rising fuel prices.

They blend the strong points of the traditional internal combustion
engine and the battery-powered electric motor - and curb the drawbacks.

Their marketing challenge: to make consumers forget about the fatal
flaws of pure electrics - tepid performance, limited range, the need to
recharge a battery pack overnight.

First example of the hybrid breed to hit our market was the 2000
Honda Insight, which arrived in May. Now comes the 2001 Toyota Prius,
which went on sale in Toronto and Ottawa last week.

Prius is more of a mainstream pitch in that it's a family friendly
compact sedan that can hold five, while Insight is a small, two-seat
coupe. (Ford, incidentally, says it will build a gas-electric version of
its new Ford Escape sport-utility - the first hybrid SUV - in 2003.)

Tooling around T.O. in a silver sample of Toyota's wizardry for a couple of days this week, I was pleasantly surprised by this stylish
green machine's pep and driveability.

It performs pretty much like a regular car, and it's quieter. You're
burning only about half as much gasoline as normal and emitting minimal
pollutants into the atmosphere.

When you stop at a red light, the engine shuts off, eliminating
exhaust. You move off under electric power and the engine kicks in for
standard motoring.

Of course, how this cutting-edge technology - still unproven in North
America, anyway - would work on a trip to, say, Florida with four people
and luggage aboard is the subject of another story.

This front-wheel driver's powertrain - called the Toyota Hybrid
System - is said to be particularly efficient in stop-and-go city
driving.

In fact, Toyota claims Prius is one of the first vehicles to be more
efficient in city than in highway driving, It cites fuel consumption of
4.5 L/100 km in the city and 4.6 L/100 km on the highway.

Its maker says the Prius can do about 1,000 km on a single, 45 L tank
of gas. The engine's emissions are exceptionally low and are said to
meet California's stringent SULEV (super low emission vehicle)
standards.

The North American version has a beefier suspension and peppier
acceleration than the model that has been sold in Japan since late 1997.
The name Prius (pronounced pree-us) comes from a Latin word meaning
"that which goes before," Toyota explains.

The high-tech hustler gets its go from two powerplants under its
short, arcing hood:

A 70 hp, 1.5 L aluminum four-cylinder gas engine with 16 valves,
double overhead camshafts and 4000 rpm limit.

A 44-horse electric motor powered by a sealed nickel-metal hydride
battery pack that sits behind the back seat.
The high-performance pack should last the life of the car, according
to Toyota.

The batteries can be charged by the gas engine or a "regenerative"
braking system that converts kinetic (motion) energy into electricity.
When a Prius pilot brakes or coasts, the electric motor becomes a
generator, turning normally lost energy into juice to recharge the
batteries. So that pack never needs an overnight plug-in.

Five onboard computers blend all this into a seamless, low-emissions
energy flow, taking into account your accelerator and brake inputs as
well as road grade.

The driver gets the big picture by keeping an eye on a
touch-to-adjust screen mounted in the top centre of the dashboard.

Set to "Energy Monitor," the screen presents hybrid theory for
dummies. It depicts a wheel, gas engine, electric motor and battery
pack. Thick lines connecting these elements flip back and forth from
orange (go-power supplied) to green (energy stored) to blank (car at
rest).

Another push on the screen and you can monitor your fuel consumption.

The only transmission offered is an automatic - one of those
super-efficient CVTs (continuously variable transmission) that provide
endless drive ratios rather than a mere four or five speeds.

But even the best auto technology can fall flat in the marketplace if
styling isn't there.

Toyota appears to have few worries on this score: the Prius is
Euro-handsome and strikingly proportioned, exuding a confident future
flash that should appeal to those who can't get excited about retro.
Some creases and flank spikes add surface excitement.

A little spoiler on narrow trunklid signals that even eco-heads want
to have fun. "Hybrid" on the rear, plus a few discreet logos, help get
the word out that you're driving a clean dream.

Inside, your eye is drawn to the dramatic sweep of the dash, its
controls and displays grouped in the centre to accommodate left- and right-hand drive versions. Speed and other information appears on a
digital readout at the base of the windshield.

Another unusual feature is the gearshift lever. It protrudes from the
instrument panel, then abruptly goes vertical. It obscures a few audio
controls in Drive, but works well.

This is a tall car: headroom is abundant. Rear-seat legroom has a
midsize feel. That capaciousness means the middle position on the back
bench is actually comfortable, though the girth of your seatmates would
be a key factor. Trunk space is reasonable, considering the nearby
battery pack

Downsides? The ABS brakes (ventilated front discs up front) on my
preview car felt a little grabby. The main display screen reflected in
the top of the windshield at night.

The manual driver's seat, while comfy, lacked any adjustment, except
for basic back-and-forth and seatback rake.

The base price, $29,990 (tank of gas included), may give some nature
lovers pause. Toyota Canada says it's making money on every Prius sold,
though at reduced profit margins.

Among the standard features: power locks (with keyless remote),
windows and mirrors; cruise control; air conditioning; antilock brakes;
AM/FM radio plus cassette and CD player; and an engine immobilizer.

Options include a block heater, cargo net, licence plate cover,
splash guards, wheel locks and a six-disc CD changer.

Five enviro-flavoured hues are offered: alpine white, silver sand
metallic, electric green mica, brilliant blue pearl, ocean blue pearl.

The Prius sold here has been fine-tuned to suit Canadian conditions.
That includes three winters of testing at Toyota's Cold Research Centre
near Timmins.

Toyota expects initial demand to be strongest in urban centres. So,
after Toronto and Ottawa, Prius will be marketed in Montreal and
Vancouver en route to a national rollout.

"Prius encourages drivers to do something positive for our planet
without asking them to sacrifice style, convenience or fun," said Yoshio
Nakatani, president of Toyota Canada.

"It operates on less fuel with greatly reduced emissions so it's easy
on the environment and easy on the wallet, but we've sold over 40,000 in
Japan because we also make it easy to live with."

The automaker scored a modest PR coup when environmentalist David
Suzuki of Vancouver b
7/29/00 Toronto Star WH01
2000 WL 24060965
The Toronto Star
Copyright (c) 2000 The Toronto Star

Saturday, Jought the first Prius sold in Canada.

He recently got a close-up look at the North American Prius during an
informal meeting with Nakatani at Toyota Canada headquarters in
Scarborough.

"It's important to do everything we can to reduce greenhouse gases
and smog right now," Suzuki, 64, said. "Hybrid technology is a big
intermediate step toward the totally pollution-free transportation we're
ultimately aiming for."

The genetic biologist and science commentator said he bought his blue
Prius - paying full price - to support the push for emission-free
vehicles, according to a Canadian Press report.

It's his first new car in nearly 40 years. He also owns a
second-hand, 12-year-old Camry station wagon.

In Suzuki's view, minivans and sport-utilities contribute
disproportionately to global warming.

Hybrids like Prius, he said, are an environmentally friendly
transition to essentially pollution-free hydrogen fuel cell electric
cars expected to hit production in a few years.

He believes governments should offer financial incentives to
encourage consumers to buy green machines like Prius - and impose
penalties on motorists who opt for gas guzzlers.

"I think there ought to be disincentives for the big guys, too. If
people want to buy sport-utility vehicles, they ought to pay for them."

Suzuki doesn't plan to drive his new eco-cruiser much himself, but admitted his teenage daughter Sarika "can't wait to get behind the
wheel."

You don't need a science PhD to figure out that Toyota is on to
something with Prius.

Odds are, you'll be hearing a lot more about hybrids.

TABULAR OR GRAPHIC MATERIAL SET FORTH IN THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT DISPLAYABLE

LOOKING GOOD: The all-new Prius, photographed in High Park, cloaks its tech in handsomely styled metal. The tall sedan has excellent headroom. ACTION STATION: Main display screen on dash lets you track the powertrain's computerized operation. Servicing the 274-volt Toyota Hybrid System, left, requires an expert's hand. HIGH-STEPPER: When brisk acceleration is needed, the hybrid's 70 hp,1.5 L, 16-valve gasoline engine and its electric motor both go to work. Prius base price: $29,990.

---- INDEX REFERENCES ----

cliffy1

I was about to send you a fairly nasty post but decided against it. You seem pretty secure with your grasp of what the American population wants and needs and I am sure there would be no reasoning with you. For somebody who has not driven the car, you also seem pretty confident of what the strengths and weaknesses of this car are. I guess you are not a Prius buyer so I'll just drop it.

And by the way, I am very familiar with what I-10 is about and unless everybody has moved from the Inland Empire, merges at speed are rare.

cliffy1

Good timing on the articles. Thanks

davidfs

I have lugged around for the past year in a 99 F-250 superduty truck which has a v-10 and gets about 9 miles to the gallon. I pay more for gas than I do for my payment. I have had to use this truck as my commuter, putting over 40k miles in just one year.

There is a good chance I will be Albuquerque's first Prius owner. I put my money down over two month's ago (aqua ice!)and am anxious to start parking it in my garage. At first, I had a concern with the Prius' lack of cruise control. I drive almost exclusively on the highway. driving a minimum of 60 miles a day on the interstate (75-80 mph) and frequently to other cities in NM for business.

It was recently reported by my dealer that cruise will never be available on this first batch of cars (but will be on next generation in a couple of years). So I had to do some thinking as to whether or not this car is right for me.

But then I drove one. Last week my dealer called to say the demo Prius had just shown up. I went straight there and we headed out for a drive on the interstate. We drove west on I-40 leaving the city in no time at all. I found that the car accelerated as fast as needed if not faster at all speeds. We quickly got to 80 mph passing numerous semi's along the way. We maintained a speed of about 82mph for quite some time without any effort. I was very impressed and not any discouraged.

I realize that I am probably not Toyota's target driver for this car but I am willing to take my chances with this car. I am buying the Prius because I love gadgets and am a high tech fanatic. I don't have any worries doing so based on my first driving experience. I see myself as a pioneer (as I am sure most of you do as well) for this technology. I am so glad I got my order in before the 6 month wait. I am certain I will win the record a year from now as the Prius owner with the highest miles.

PS. I too liked the articles from gckorn. Thanks for posting them and keep em' coming.

gckorn

http://www.ecomtracker.com/downloads/download.asp?cid=183&mid=26004

gckorn

7/21/00 Knight-Ridder Trib. Bus. News - KRTBN (Pg. Unavail. Online)
2000 WL 24232389

KRTBN Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News: Environmental News Network
Copyright (C) 2000 KRTBN Knight Ridder Tribune Business News; Source: World
Reporter (TM)

Friday, July 21, 2000

Environmental News Network, Sun Valley, Idaho, Business Briefs Column

PRIUS KING OF THE HILL: The hybrid-electric Toyota Prius is ranked No. 1 among alternative vehicles available in the United States, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The council recently updated its Green Book, which rates the environmental
performance of cars and trucks and put Prius at the top of the lot. The Honda Insight achieves higher fuel efficiency but the Prius meets
California's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standard, giving it the edge over the Insight. The SULEV standard means the Prius emits only 20
percent of the pollution spewed by a standard new compact car.

gckorn

7/10/00 Cin. Post 1C
2000 WL 23834426
The Cincinnati Post
Copyright 2000

Monday, July 10, 2000

LIVING

This car's on a crusade
Cindy Starr Post staff reporter
Text of fax box follows article; Hybrid battles high gas prices

While consumers and government officials pout and stomp over the
price of gasoline, a Japanese auto manufacturer is quietly posing
another option: cut costs by purchasing half as much gas.

You can accomplish that - and drive in style, to boot - with the
2001 Toyota Prius, a gasoline-electric hybrid sedan that arrives in
the nick of time to wage battle with summer gasoline prices that at
one point surpassed $2 a gallon. (Prius, pronounced pree-us, is Latin
for the phrase "to come before.")

"Technologically, it's completely beyond anything you've seen in
your life," said Robert Jordan, general sales manager at Kings Toyota
in Deerfield Township. "It's a combination of gas and electric, which
work in concert. The only time it uses gas is when the car is in
demand. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the gas quits.
When you're at a stop it's completely silent."

The five-seat, $20,450 Prius, which can be ordered now from
Cincinnati dealers and delivered in August, averages 52 mpg in the
city and 45 mpg on the highway. The car is more efficient in stop-
and-go traffic because it uses no gasoline when it is at a standstill
or moving slowly; on the highway, it performs more like a
conventional car. All told, the Prius can go roughly 570 miles on a
tank (11.9 gallons) of gas. Driving it 10,000 miles would cost, at
today's gasoline prices ($1.70/gallon for regular), roughly $350.
Driving a Toyota Land Cruiser (13/16 mpg) the same distance, by
comparison, would cost about $1,170. The battery pack is automatically recharged while the car is being
driven. The Prius meets California's standards for a super ultra-low
emissions vehicle and qualifies for the federal clean-fuel vehicle
tax deduction of up to $2,000.

Honda is also offering a hybrid in the $20,000 Insight, a two-
seater hatchback that gets 61 miles per gallon in the city and 70 on
the highway. But only 5,000 are earmarked for the U.S. market. Local
dealers are getting only one every 45 to 60 days.

Ford Motor Co. plans to offer a hybrid sport utility vehicle, the
Escape, in 2003.

Toyota, meanwhile, is hoping for widespread distribution. Sales
consultants at Kings Toyota looked like kids in a candy store last
week when Joshua Hoffman, district manager for Toyota Motor Sales
USA, pulled up to the dealership in a slick electric-green mica
Prius.

If the sales personnel were expecting an econo-box, they were
pleasantly surprised. The staff praised the car for its European
styling, quiet ride, quick acceleration and roominess, which rivals a
Camry's.

When a driver is at a standstill on the freeway, the Prius' engine
will not idle, squandering gas. It will stop, but the generators will
keep the air-conditioning going. When traffic moves again, the car
starts silently and with no emissions, drawing power from the
batteries. At higher speeds, the 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline
engine kicks in.

When the driver is coasting or braking, the motor becomes a
generator, capturing energy from the wheels and storing it in the
batteries.

Because the Prius is not purely electric, it has the driving range
of any other car. You don't need to plug it in anywhere, because it
recharges itself automatically.

The Prius, though new to America, was introduced to Japan in 1997,
where more than 34,000 cars have been sold. Toyota hopes to sell
12,000 in the United States this year through advance orders. Local dealers will have only a single demonstration car for viewing.

There is no luxury model, and only two options - floor mats and CD
changer - are available, though a navigation system and cruise
control will be offered after Jan. 1.

Standard features include anti-lock brakes, keyless entry, air-
conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors, aluminum alloy
wheels, dual air bags and a glow-in-the-dark escape hatch in the
trunk.

Toyota is doing everything possible to win consumers over,
starting with the artificially low price, which Toyota officials say
is below the production cost. The company also offers an six-year,
100,000-mile warranty and a free three-year, 36,000-mile, 24-hour
roadside assistance package. Drivers who enjoy shifting gears may be
disappointed, because the Prius uses a continuously variable
transmission and does all "shifting" seamlessly and automatically.

But the Prius appears to be everything Toyota reps say it is: a
car without compromises - clean, efficient, attractive and definitely
on time.

TABULAR OR GRAPHIC MATERIAL SET FORTH IN THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT DISPLAYABLE

Photo (3); Caption: BILL LIEBSCHUTZ/for The Post - The electric/gas engine of the new Toyota Prius; the car boasts more than 50 mpg in city driving.; Bill Liebschutz/The Post - The Toyota Prius features an instrument panel that tells you when batteries are powering the engine.; The Prius lists for $20,450 and can be ordered now for delivery in August.

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wenyue

Why did Toyota had all the gadgets and goodies like a multi-colored-multi-function displace yet neglected adding a $200 cruise control? The car is really loaded, but that makes the absence of cruise control all the more noticable.

Can you add an after market cruise control to the Prius or is the wiring of the car too complicated for an typical after market one?

scott142

Took the Prius for a test drive today and I was very impressed. I could barely hear the engine when it started (a nice feature) and the car ran like any other car.

I was a little surprised the gas engine kicked in as much as it did (based on the monitor read out). However, according the mechanic that could be because the car is new and the battery needed more charging than usual.

I'm glad I'm getting this car, especially after the test drive.

Lots of interior room and trunk space as well which is nice.

Anybody know how I can get information about Ohio Tax law and hybrids/electric cars?

stevens4

This morning I had the privilege of taking a test drive of the new Prius, provided by a Toyota dealership in Lansing, Michigan. I'm not a dealer, but a video producer here in West Michigan and am not affiliated with the auto industry.

I've ordered a Prius and had some concerns about the Prius having enough power for highway entry, travel, and freeway cruising.

From a near standstill on the interstate freeway entry ramp in East Lansing, a heavy traffic area, we got to 70mph in a matter of seconds without hesitancy or delay. It was fast, solid acceleration, as fast as any vehicle I've owned including my current V8-SUV. On the highway, after cruising several miles at 70 mph, there was an plenty of torque available to quickly bring us past other vehicles. At one point during a passing maneuver we reached 85mph in a handful of seconds, no long delays or slow speed increase.

While this was a short drive, I now wouldn't hesitate to take the Prius on the freeway because it seems to have plenty of power for highway driving. It is a small compact car and that might be a reason some drivers might not want to drive it on the highway, but it's larger than a Miata, VW beetle and lots of other compacts on the road today.

On the short test drive the average fuel economy was 38 mpg with a/c on. At times while in the city on flat roads with no hills the instant fuel economy readout said we were getting one hundred (100) mpg! However, that's an instant fuel economy readout in a very short amount of city driving on flat roads. It looks like the 52 mpg city EPA rating is possible.

The dealer mentioned the entire first order of the Prius for our region of the midwest, something like 900 cars, have already been sold.