Toyota Prius 2002

Give to Caesar, what Belongs to Caesar.

Any member who has been reading my reviews knows that I am not a big fan of Japanese cars. There are two reasons for this, first in the early 70’s I owned a Datsun, (now they are called Nissan) the car was a real lemon.

The second reason is, that I believe that Japanese auto manufacturers with the Japanese government are unfairly restricting American cars to be imported in Japan, so this is like my personal boycott.

I do not discriminate against anything from the Land of the Rising Sun, most electronic components that I own are Japanese.

I just have a problem with the automobiles industry. So for me to write a positive review about the Toyota Prius is unusual and therefore the title.

Last fall I attended an auto show in Asia, I was fortunate enough to know a few of the organizers and was given a VIP pass.

The pass allowed me to enter the show at will, attend all the seminars I wanted and have lunch with the press.

During one of these lunches, I met a Belgian reporter and we shared stories about his country and America.

A few days later as I was walking down an aisle, I herd my name, I turned around and the reporter was waving for me to approach.

He was standing next to this gray car called the Prius. He asked me. “Qu’en penses-tu?” Meaning what do you think about it. I told him that I never drove one, he said that I was in luck, Toyota had given him 2 passes to test drive the car on the exhibition tract and he asked if I was interested to come along. I accepted and here is my opinion
about the Toyota Prius.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Toyota Prius is a 4-door sedan that is a little unusual by having two motors. One motor is a regular gasoline engine and the second is an electric engine powered by rechargeable batteries.

Toyota introduced the Prius to the Japanese in 1997 and they have sold over 37,000 cars since then. Today the Prius is available on the American market and it seems to have been well received so far.

THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR

The interior:

The interior of the Prius reminds me of a Renault that one of my friends owns.

As for the Renault the steering is positioned very high, now this makes it very easy to enter and exit the car but it sure can be uncomfortable for the driver’s arms on long trips.

This can be an indication that the Prius is not a car that
you may want to go on an extended voyage with.

The two front bucket seats are very comfortable, and all the gauges and controls are easy to see and reach from the driver’s position. I particularly like the on-dash screen that will turn on or off accessories at a simple touch.

The back seat is a little hard but it is still comfortable enough for a short drive.

The all around visibility in the Prius is not to good, even the side view mirrors seemed to be in the wrong place and the rear view is limited.

But aside from that the Prius interior is excellent and the craftsmanship is remarkable.

The exterior:

As exceptional the interior is, as bland the exterior is. Now unless you already know what exactly is a Prius, you may have passed several without noticing them.

One particularity is the glass; all windows are made from a thermal glass that helps to preserve energy that is so important to this car.

THE ROAD TEST

I would have loved to be able to drive the Prius on the highway, but we were limited to driving it on the exhibition test track.

When you start moving it is only the electric motors that runs, then the gas engine kicks in as the electric motor turns off and then when you want more power both motors will run together.

Of course you do not hear a sound when the electric motor is running, but I do think that the gas engine is a little too noisy.

Breaking with the Prius feels a little different, maybe a bit too abrupt. I was explained that it has something to do with the charging of the batteries.

As a whole driving the Prius is a fun experienced, you might have to get used to the weird position of the gear stick but aside from that it is a smooth ride.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Engines: 1) A 4-cylinder gas engine, 1.5 liters developing 70 horsepower.
2) An electric motor that develops 44 horsepower.
Transmission: An all-electronic transmission.
Brakes: Front are discs, rear are drums.
Tires: P175/65R14

Amount Paid (US$): test drive
Model Year: 2002