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The Toyota Prius is still the most popular and best-selling hybrid car in the world today. The release of the Prius in 1997 launched the movement towards hybrids.

The Prius didn’t sell well at first, but sales improved when new models came onto market. Toyota released its second-generation Prius in 2003 as the first midsize hybrid available to the public, and it was named Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine.

People are purchasing hybrids not just for environmental, pollution and gas shortage issues, but also because of rising gas prices. Although there are many hybrid cars an individual can choose from, the Prius is the number one choice due to its simplicity and price.

The Toyota Prius’ second generation has improved upon the first one in many important ways. While the first version of the Toyota Prius had excellent fuel efficiency, air conditioning was the sole option available. The second generation was bigger, faster and looked better than its predecessor. It’s the first midsize hatchback sedan on the market which has won many awards.

This hybrid car uses the Synergy hybrid system which is used by all hybrid vehicles that Toyota manufactures. It uses a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engines features intelligent valve timing and an AC synchronous, permanent magnet motor. It has 110 horsepower (combining electric power with gas power) and 46 mpg fuel economy (shared city and highway ranking by EPA).

It has an electronically controlled continuous variable transmission, anti-lock system and regenerative breaking. It has up to 89 % less emissions and grants the owner a tax credit upon purchase.

Security door locks, electric windows, remote keyless entry, cloth seats, cruise control and micron filter air conditioning are just to name a few of the features that are standard on the second generation Toyota Prius. Climate, audio, and cruise control can be controlled remotely though switches on the steering wheel.

Navigational systems with Bluetooth is one of the options customers have when buying the vehicle. Unlike all most other hybrid cars on the market, you actually push a button to start the ignition instead of turning a key, very cool. An energy motor is mounted on the dashboard which indicates the flow of power between the engine, electric motor and battery pack.

Even though there seems to be more stylish hybrids on the market, however, the Toyota Prius stands out because of its fuel efficiency, reasonable prices and environmentally friendly features. Why not you choose the pioneer, if you are looking for a practical hybrid car?

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