2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

No car in recent years has been more controversial than the Toyota Prius, except for maybe its exact opposite which is the Hummer H2. Both the Prius and the Hummer cause people to form opinions which are based on both fact and fiction, social acceptability, tax incentives for purchasing either one, environmental reasons, political viewpoints, or the fact that Hollywood welcomes both vehicles with open arms. These views on both the Prius and the Hummer will continue and this TORC road test will not solve the argument between the two disputed vehicles. However, we are here to put Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles through real-world road tests to keep TORC’s readers informed on the latest automotive creations from Toyota, Scion and Lexus. Hopefully by the end of reading this TORC road test, all will come away with a better understanding of the Prius.

 

In the Latin language, Prius means “before” or “first,” the English word “prior” is derived from this. Even though Honda was the first manufacturer to market a hybrid vehicle (the 2-seater Honda Insight), it was a different kind of hybrid thinking. The difference is in the fact that the Hybrid system in the Prius can use the electric motor alone to power the car at a pretty brisk pace when charged or it can decide to use the gasoline engine or it can decide to use both at the same time. That is the basic promise of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive System. The Honda Insight hybrid system was not designed to let the electric motor power alone the car when charged, it was only designed to supplement the gasoline motor. All Prius models are equipped with an Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT). There are no gears in an ECVT transmission so smoothness is a normal trait of this type of transmission and when braking, energy from the brakes is regenerated into energy to help recharge the batteries. Sounds simple, but the whole Prius concept must have kept Toyota’s engineers burning the midnight oil for many months and years on end to turn the Dream of the Prius into reality

 

The technology on the Prius begins before even entering the car with the optional smart key. How does it work? When standing just a few inches from the door with the key fob in your pocket or purse, reach for the door handle and it sends a quick signal out to verify that the matching key is with you and promptly unlocks the door for entry. Once seated, just push the start button on the dashboard to get going. However, some drivers may be slightly confused with the different way to operate this hybrid especially if they purchased it from a dealer that did not have the courtesy to fully explain the different functions of how a hybrid works and drives. Some owners may never even use the B position on the transmission lever or other unique Prius functions. When the lever is pushed downward into the B position it has the effect of engine braking on a normal transmission and helps to slow down the car while braking or decelerating while at the same time it maximizes the regenerative braking system to store energy for the battery. Many Prius owners never use this feature through either not knowing about it or through not wanting to bother using it.

 

The interior of the Prius may be one of the most comfortable interiors from Toyota in many years. The firm and supportive seats, the way the center and door panel armrests arch downward to match the natural shape of a human’s arms and the ergonomic way that all controls remain in easy reach all make this a pleasurable experience for the driver. The Prius is also much bigger inside than it looks; it actually has only 5.5 cubic feet less interior space than a 2005 Camry. The fit and finish both inside and out are better than some cars costing thousands more.

 

We have two huge warnings about the Prius, especially if it is equipped with the optional navigation system. Warning number one is, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD! It is all too easy to be distracted by the informative and amusing display panel in the center of the dashboard especially if your previous car did not have a NAV-system or display panel in the center of the dash. During our TORC Road Test it caused this writer to be distracted and the brakes had to be slammed on hard to avoid a truck doing a panic stop in front. This allowed for us to see a feature of the Prius that hopefully most people will never have to see, the Brake Assist System. The Brake Assist System puts additional pressure on the brakes to help avoid accidents. As the brakes were applied, the extra pressure could be felt and with little drama, the system applied extra pressure to the ABS brakes and helped the Prius to stop inches short of hitting the stopped truck in front.  The Prius also has Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) which adjusts braking power between front and rear wheels for better balance and safer braking.

 

Warning number two is, be extra careful in parking lots when driving the Prius. The Prius is close to silent when running on the electric motor alone at lower speeds. On several occasions while driving through parking lots, pedestrians walking to and fro did not hear the Prius coming and actually walked directly in front of it without realizing that there was a car coming all because they could not hear a motor. However, the near silence of the Prius can also be a good thing for the driver and passengers of the Prius to enjoy the excellent stereo, talk to each other without raising voices or when equipped with the optional Nav-system, the Bluetooth hand-free cell phone interface can be used for safer driving with cell phone users, all with the press of a button on the steering wheel.

 

According to www.driveclean.com, the website from the California Air Resources Board (CARB):

 

· The Prius and other cars with a PZEV or AT-PZEV rating emit over 90% fewer smog-forming emissions than a normal passenger car and achieves an AT-PZEV (partial zero emissions vehicle) rating in the 5 states where PZEV vehicles are required such as: California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine.

· Vehicles with a PZEV emission rating burn so clean that they emit less than 2 pounds of hydrocarbons when driven for 100,000 miles. Two pounds of hydrocarbons is equivalent to spilling one pint of gasoline in terms of pollution. This is in contrast to a 1965 model year car which emits 2,000 pounds of hydrocarbons for every 100,000 miles driven.

· Cars with a PZEV emission rating burn fuel so completely and so clean that in very urban smoggy areas, the exhaust out of the tailpipe is actually cleaner than the air outside

· All cars with a PZEV emissions rating come with a 15 year/150,000 mile emission control system warranty so that means no worries for passing smog tests even when the car gets more miles or gets older.

 

These facts from CARB are absolutely amazing!

 

During this TORC Road Test we averaged 44.68 miles per gallon and we realized that mileage can vary greatly based on driving conditions. We did manage to achieve over 50 miles per gallon on one tank when we attempted to use the electric motor more than the gasoline motor while driving on light traffic city streets at night. This was done by first driving the car for over 1 hour at freeway speeds to charge up the battery as much as possible and then spending time on city streets with a light foot on the throttle pedal to utilize the electric motor as much as possible. This will not be possible driving during the day in crowded streets, other drivers would be very mad to have someone driving slowly in front of them and it is possible to get a ticket for driving too slow. The real-world gas mileage for normal driving from most car magazines that have tested the Prius, is between 40 to 44 miles per gallon and our TORC test is in line with that. But the window sticker says it gets 60 MPG! That is not going to happen in real world driving and the EPA is fast at work on upgrading how gas mileage is evaluated to reflect real driving patterns. It was hard enough just hitting the 50 MPG mark. 40 to 44 miles per gallon is still commendable considering the ever rising fuel prices.

 

Take a look at the overall shape of the Prius. Do you notice the resemblance to something? OK, take a close look at Lance Armstrong’s bicycle helmet and then take a look at the Prius again. Both the shape of Lance’s helmet and the shape of the Prius have the same purpose and similar shapes. Both are designed to cut through the wind with as little resistance as possible. The Prius has an ultra low 0.26 (Cd) Coefficient of drag to slip through the air as efficiently as possible. Whether you like the design or not, it is without a doubt Toyota’s most unique and purposeful design ever. It is impossible to mistake a Prius for anything but a Prius. That is a very strong design achievement indeed. Notice the design details such as the roofline that comes to a peak above the driver’s and front passenger’s heads make air flow over the car as smooth as possible. While looking at the roof, notice the channels in the center of the roof to smooth airflow as well as the peaks of the roof above the front seating area just like the famous “double bubble” roof design that was made popular by the famous Italian Coach building firm, Zagato. The first Toyota to use such a roof design was Japan’s first supercar, the 2000 GT from the late 1960s. Even the way the hood of the Prius comes to a subtle point just like the shape of a bottlenose dolphin was no afterthought, of course it was intended for better airflow as well. The high rear deck could have taken visibility away but instead Toyota designers inserted a tinted glass see-through panel to make it easy to see when in reverse gear.

 

After living with the Prius for one week, it was easy to see that this is a car made for keeping the momentum going. It is equipped with non-sticky, low rolling resistance tires to help increase fuel economy. The steering is very numb and could benefit from having a little better feel, to make drivers feel more confident when driving in the mountains. The suspension is also very soft and the body does have a bit of body roll when driving on twisty roads. The Prius is definitely not a car for tuners, mainly because aftermarket performance parts are not available for this car and because most owners buy it to achieve better gas mileage, not to race from stoplight to stoplight. So in that context, it is hard to criticize.

 

The Prius is best in city driving and driving in rush hour traffic where the electric motor can be used to the maximize fuel economy. It is hard to imagine a better daily driver for someone living in large congested cities like, Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco. It is even hard to imagine how Toyota will top this current Prius with the next generation Prius due in just a few years. The current Prius is so much better than the first generation Prius in styling, performance, safety and many other areas too. Shop around when looking for a Prius, there are still so many greedy dealers trying to charge $2,000 to $3,000 or more over sticker price to take advantage of a situation where the supply is less than the demand. Remember, if that dealer is trying to fleece you at purchase time, there is also a high chance that they will try to empty your pockets when it is time to service your Prius too. At many dealers, there is still a 3 to 6 month waiting period to get a new Prius so patience may be required to get the exact color and features that you want.

 

Talking with other Prius owners revealed two very important things to us. One Prius owner just bought a brand new Prius when he did not need to. Why did he buy a new one? He sold his 2004 Prius with 20,000 miles on it for only $2,000 less than what he originally paid for it. That equals only $1,000 depreciation per 10,000 miles during a time period of less than 2 years. If you factor in the tax incentives for owning a Prius, then it basically means that he took no depreciation on it. Absolutely amazing!  On top of that positive news, he sold it in less than one day after posting it online. His Prius was sold to the first person to come and view it and then his phone kept ringing with more people wanting to buy it. I guess this confirms just how high the demand and the resale value for the Prius really is.

 

In talking with another Prius owner who is a corporate executive, he claims that the Prius is the most satisfying car he ever owned; he revealed that the Prius is a time saver. This man has owned a black Prius for just a few months and he brought to my attention that the Prius is much more than the environmentally friendly or fuel saving machine that it is know for. There are other benefits that come with Prius ownership. One of the reasons why he was so satisfied with the Prius is that it is a time saving machine that assists him in his busy executive life. He claims that the time saved by not fumbling for keys to open the door and start the car adds up to many more productive minutes saved per year. (His car was equipped with the Smart Key option). He also claims that since he does not have to visit the gas station very often because the fuel range is so high, he saves precious minutes by not needing to fill up as often as his previous vehicle. Even more time is saved by this busy executive when using the Bluetooth hands free cell-phone interface to get to those important conference calls while driving. The interior of the Prius is so quiet, it really helps to maximize the benefits of the Bluetooth system by minimizing noise so your callers are not bothered by road noises echoing through the car.

 

Anyone wanting to know the full story of how the Prius was developed should read the excellent but hard to find book called “The Prius that Shook the World,” by Hideshi Itazaki. It is a fascinating read about turning the impossible into reality and gives much insight to how this car was designed or should we say “invented.” It is a very engineering heavy book but gives much insight on how the Prius was came to be.

 

In addition to various tax incentives, parking incentives, car-pool lane incentives and fuel savings, there are some companies that actually encourage their employees to purchase hybrid cars by offering rebates, here are some examples:

 

· Bank of America, for employees who live within a 90 mile radius of Boston, Charlotte and Los Angeles, are eligible for a $3,000 rebate from Bank of America after purchasing a hybrid vehicle. (This is a test program for Bank of America and if the program is successful in these areas, it could roll out the program nationwide) Bank of America currently employs about 200,000 people nationwide.

· Google employees are eligible to receive a $5,000 rebate for purchasing a hybrid vehicle or a $2,500 rebate for leasing a hybrid vehicle.

· Timberland employees are eligible to receive a $3,000 rebate for purchasing a hybrid vehicle.

 

If you are considering the Prius for your next car, just ask any current Prius owner what they think of their’s and most responses will probably be the same. The Prius may not be the best handling, fastest or flashiest car but the Prius is a car that makes owners happy to own such a special car. Some owners are happy about the excellent fuel mileage while others are happy that they are not polluting the environment much, due to the extremely low-emissions engine. If this car makes people proud to own it, that is a very good thing indeed. 

 

Attention all current Prius owners out there! Please post any of your gas mileage saving techniques on the TORC forum and share your secrets with other Prius owners. What mileage are you getting from your Prius?

 

Specifications:

2005 Prius

 

MSRP base price: $20,875

Engine: Hybrid Synergy Drive System

              Gas:1.5 liter DOHC VVT-I 4 cylinder

              Electric: permanent magnet AC synchronous motor

 

Transmission: Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT)

 

Engine Code: 1NZ-FXE 

 

Horsepower/torque:  4 cylinder gas engine: 76 HP/82 lb.-ft.

                                  Electric: 67 HP/295 lb.-ft.

 

Front Suspension:  Independent MacPherson Struts with stabilizer bar

Rear Suspension:   Torsion beam with stabilizer bar

 

Turning Circle:  34.1 feet

 

Brakes:  Power-assisted ventilated front disc brakes/rear drum brakes with Anti-lock brake system (ABS) and integrated regenerative braking

 

Front Tires: P185/65R15

Rear Tires:  P185/65R15

 

Wheels: 15 inch alloy

 

Curb Weight: 2890 lbs.

 

Towing Capacity: Towing is not recommended

 

Required Fuel: 87 octane regular unleaded.

 

Fuel Tank: 11.9 Gallons

 

EPA Fuel Economy: 60 MPG city/51 MPG hwy

 

TORC Test actual MPG: 44.68 MPG Average

Lowest MPG: 37.06 MPG

Highest MPG: 50.08 MPG

TORC Test Evaluation (5 stars is top rating)

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