Article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/780882-97.stm

Prius still cool and worthy, but look out for the options
Thursday, April 26, 2007

By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Is Toyota's Prius "puttin' on the Ritz?" It sure looks like it.

I took one look at the price tag on the 2007 model I received for review and gulped -- $28,393 ! That's a whole bunch of money for a small, "economical" car. I can think of a good number of cars at that price or lower -- or even $3,000 or $4,000 more, for that matter -- that might be nice alternatives.

But after I swallowed hard, I looked at the sticker. The explanation for the lofty price is a new touring package that adds $4,455 to the price of the Prius. It includes DV navigation, an upgraded audio system with MP3 capability, hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth, vehicle stability control, backup camera, smart key system and other items.

All of those are worthy items, but the Prius already is a fabulously equipped small car with a base price of $23,070. You get electronic power steering, alloy wheels, front passenger side and curtain air bags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, automatic climate control, a nice audio system, cruise control, climate control, tilt steering wheel, power door locks and windows, and that's not even close to being everything .

My bottom line on this is that if you can control yourself at the option table and get a Prius at close to the base price, you'll have the bargain of the century. Here's a car at a base price that has more than most folks will ever need. My advice: Skip the touring package.

Sales have boomed so much that production facilities are working overtime to build them. Waiting lists extend for months to get one, and there's talk that some consumers are even starting to pay prices well in excess of the sticker prices for the right to park one in their garages.

Along with the gas mileage -- it's rated 60 miles per gallon in the city and 51 on the highway with the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and the hybrid synergy drive system -- Prius also impresses because it's actually quite a luxurious car.

The seats are supremely comfortable, it's quiet, it has decent room and it looks really cool. And, once you get used to the steering wheel-mounted controls, you can do everything with the push of a button without moving your eyes from the road.

You can operate the audio system, turn on the rear and front defrosters, get information on how the car is doing, operate the navigation system and adjust the temperature and modes on the climate control system. This a lot more than you can do with some luxury cars I could mention.

I also found the Prius to be a brisk driving partner. I don't know what those who claim it's slow are talking about. I never had a minute's concern about it.

I've also discovered that I've gotten used to the complicated liquid crystal information display panel. The system has an energy monitor and fuel consumption tables, all the better to inform those among us with a scientific bent. I found it distracting when I tested an earlier Prius, but now I think it's fun and interesting. You can see what's going on at a glance, and my concerns about it being a distraction, as I was with the earlier Prius, have disappeared.

There are some issues , however. The design of the rear window and back panel includes a rather thick hatchback beam across the middle of it, hindering rear-view vision. The different tints of the two window sections can make for rather fuzzy vision, too.

It also would be nice if its gas tank held more than around 11 gallons.

Finally, another issue could well be your expectations. Many people get upset when they don't get the mileage that the window sticker suggests. But they forget that their own driving habits -- a heavy foot at the wheel, not taking care of the car, etc. -- can have a big impact on mileage results.

To be fair to Toyota, some owners in online chat rooms crow about getting as high as 68 mpg, and some say they get as little as 36 or 37 mpg. Most, in fact, are getting results in the 50s.

You need to also consider terrain, road conditions, and according to some owners, whether you live in a hilly city such as Pittsburgh.

Supposedly, we might get worse results here because of our ups and downs in the lay of the land.

By the way, you don't have to plug the car in to regenerate the battery pack. The car does all that stuff itself. The car's system shuts down at lights and during other long pauses and starts up again instantly when you pull away.

The Prius, overall, is a fine automotive value. Just don't get upset if the mileage doesn't always add up to what the claims on the window sticker suggest.



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(Don Hammonds can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1538.)