Toyota has sold more Priuses than all other hybrids combined—and for good reason. Since the debut of the second generation Prius in 2003 (as a 2004 model), the midsize hatchback sedan has racked up award after award. Years later, it continues to be a red-hot seller.
The Prius inspires a cult-like devotion from its drivers. Satisfaction rates, consistently at 98 percent, are unparalleled. Prius owners are already looking 20 years ahead, when they can claim with great pride, "Yes. I drove one of the first Priuses."
The Prius drives like a charm, humming along silently in all-electric mode at low speeds and revving up its 110 combined gas-electric horsepower for a respectable 0-to-60 rate of 10.2 seconds.
Its stability control system makes it very safe. And the Prius has loads of bells and whistles, from keyless entry, a high-tech fuel use dash display, and a rear-view camera system to help you squeeze into a tight parking spot.
When Toyota released the second generation Prius in 2003, the vehicle was bigger, faster, more efficient, and more stylized than its predecessor. The third-generation Prius, due out as a 2009 model, promises a similar bump in the key metrics. That model will not use next-generation battery technology (lithium ion) or offer a plug-in option. Toyota has opted to squeeze out additional efficiencies in its tried-and-true hybrid system for more incremental improvements, which could send the Prius's mpg into the 50s. That should allow the Prius to maintain its position as the most fuel efficient vehicle on the road.
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