Toyota Prius - test drive report

jithesh · 17th August 2010, 06:45

Friends,

Got a chance to drive the Toyota Hybrid Prius. When I got in to the car my mind was with full emotions as I was driving a hybrid for the first time and had lot of doubts as well. Believe me after the drive now I am so confident of the technology.

This car is features packed and most of those are really new to me like head up display, hybrid monitoring systems, fuel economy monitoring system/graph, joy stick gear leaver, and even the opening and closing of the A/C vents are awesome. You feel like you are sitting in a captain seat of a latest air craft with the display around you.

The car has a push button start and I didn't realize the car is started until the sales person told me so. There is no noise of the engine and later I got a clarification that the car is currently working on the electric motor. Wow...this is really great..

We started the drive and this was in Eco mode!! The pick up was not that high and as car reached a certain distance the 1.8 litter petrol engine started his action. The Car had caught its movement um and the steering was very light to handle on the same time it was giving me a feeling of driving a heavy car as well.

Then the sales officer advised me to change the mode to power mode and this is a feather touch button. The power delivered by the car was really great and felt like driving a sports car.

In the Ride & Handling department it was feeling good and the braking also perfect. As you put you feet on the brake pedal the regenerative braking system charges the battery and the same is displayed on the monitor.

My biggest doubt was in the ground clearance and to my surprise it didn't touch any of those(we had 4 of those to cover). I think Toyota have really thought of this before introduction of Prius to India.

The overall feel is very good...

Cheers...

Mevtec · 22nd August 2010, 00:21

Hi jithesh thanks for the test drive report on Prius.Where did you drive the car?Please post some pictures.

anekho · 22nd August 2010, 00:36

Nice one Jitesh! You're tempting me to put out an ownership report

monkey_wrench · 22nd August 2010, 10:48

Hey anekho, that would be a real useful report. A hybrid car is a real rare sight on Indian roads, and an ownership report will really help everyone understand what it's really all about!

Hope you're tempted enough

u_chill · 22nd August 2010, 18:52

Nice review Jithesh. The Prius is indeed a very competent vehicle. I used a rental Prius in CA for about 2 months back in 2008. Easily one of the most well sorted out cars in the US market back then.

The cockpit feels very different with the large center screen dominating other dials. A sophisticated mechanism helps you track exact fuel consumption, and how much of the electric drivetrain is powering your drive...techie delight! Very easy to drive, perfect for a daily runabout, though one felt the need for more grunt on the freeways.

No wonder this has been a hot seller despite offering Corolla like dynamics and space at a premium in the U.S.

Both Toyota and Honda do not seem to understand or worry about charging unreasonable premiums for their products in India. At a price point under Rs 20 lacs this would be a serious contender for the garage with bollywood types (it is a well known statement car in hollywood), corporate honchos and green enthusiasts alike.

DMehta · 25th January 2011, 22:22

I agree with you Jithesh. For me, the toyota prius is the future of automobiles. I recently visited the mumbai international motor show and man, the prius was one car that blew my mind over.
The looks are great and the interiors are the best. The overall feel of the car is just awesome. I would consider purchasing it in the near future, till then here are some pictures.

vebmetal · 26th January 2011, 00:45

^ Definitely looks very smart! Somehow the Prius in the states does not look as nice, butI think it's just that we have a lot more bad looking cars in India. I wish they did not strip down the stereo systems etc. e.g. look at the 2010 Prius in the States and compare it with the picture above:

Prius Dash in US

or the newer dash that would be coming soon:

All in all I too am glad that hybrids are at least somewhat on the scene now. I just wish that electric / hybrid cars become the mainstream, and we can say goodbye to petrol / diesel ones! Thanks jithesh for the test drive report!

Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please note that it is now imperative for you to upload pictures directly to the Team-BHP Server. Click here (Uploading photographs directly to Team-BHP) to view our simple help article on uploading pictures.

Bhushanrulz · 26th January 2011, 11:41

well the US interiors look much better.. but am i the only one who cant see the automatic gear lever in the US model? or have they put the gear on the steering(premier padmini style) like many automatic cars in the usa?

DMehta · 27th January 2011, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bhushanrulz

well the US interiors look much better.. but am i the only one who cant see the automatic gear lever in the US model? or have they put the gear on the steering(premier padmini style) like many automatic cars in the usa?

According to me, the gear is situated next to the automatic climate control.
have a look

trumpcard · 27th January 2011, 20:16

Quote:

well the US interiors look much better.. but am i the only one who cant see the automatic gear lever in the US model? or have they put the gear on the steering(premier padmini style) like many automatic cars in the usa?

on the left of the AC controls with blue top for the gear shift lever

17th August 2010, 06:45	#1
jithesh Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Calicut Posts: 8 Thanked: 2 Times	Toyota Prius - test drive report Friends, Got a chance to drive the Toyota Hybrid Prius. When I got in to the car my mind was with full emotions as I was driving a hybrid for the first time and had lot of doubts as well. Believe me after the drive now I am so confident of the technology. This car is features packed and most of those are really new to me like head up display, hybrid monitoring systems, fuel economy monitoring system/graph, joy stick gear leaver, and even the opening and closing of the A/C vents are awesome. You feel like you are sitting in a captain seat of a latest air craft with the display around you. The car has a push button start and I didn't realize the car is started until the sales person told me so. There is no noise of the engine and later I got a clarification that the car is currently working on the electric motor. Wow...this is really great.. We started the drive and this was in Eco mode!! The pick up was not that high and as car reached a certain distance the 1.8 litter petrol engine started his action. The Car had caught its movement um and the steering was very light to handle on the same time it was giving me a feeling of driving a heavy car as well. Then the sales officer advised me to change the mode to power mode and this is a feather touch button. The power delivered by the car was really great and felt like driving a sports car. In the Ride & Handling department it was feeling good and the braking also perfect. As you put you feet on the brake pedal the regenerative braking system charges the battery and the same is displayed on the monitor. My biggest doubt was in the ground clearance and to my surprise it didn't touch any of those(we had 4 of those to cover). I think Toyota have really thought of this before introduction of Prius to India. The overall feel is very good... Cheers...
	(1) Thanks

22nd August 2010, 00:21	#2
Mevtec BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 210 Thanked: 143 Times	Hi jithesh thanks for the test drive report on Prius.Where did you drive the car?Please post some pictures.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 00:36	#3
anekho Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: . Posts: 1,995 Thanked: 684 Times	Nice one Jitesh! You're tempting me to put out an ownership report
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 10:48	#4
monkey_wrench BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 109 Thanked: 27 Times	Hey anekho, that would be a real useful report. A hybrid car is a real rare sight on Indian roads, and an ownership report will really help everyone understand what it's really all about! Hope you're tempted enough
	() Thanks

22nd August 2010, 18:52	#5
u_chill BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 100 Thanked: 2 Times	Nice review Jithesh. The Prius is indeed a very competent vehicle. I used a rental Prius in CA for about 2 months back in 2008. Easily one of the most well sorted out cars in the US market back then. The cockpit feels very different with the large center screen dominating other dials. A sophisticated mechanism helps you track exact fuel consumption, and how much of the electric drivetrain is powering your drive...techie delight! Very easy to drive, perfect for a daily runabout, though one felt the need for more grunt on the freeways. No wonder this has been a hot seller despite offering Corolla like dynamics and space at a premium in the U.S. Both Toyota and Honda do not seem to understand or worry about charging unreasonable premiums for their products in India. At a price point under Rs 20 lacs this would be a serious contender for the garage with bollywood types (it is a well known statement car in hollywood), corporate honchos and green enthusiasts alike.
	() Thanks

25th January 2011, 22:22	#6
DMehta BANNED Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 232 Thanked: 4 Times	Re: Toyota Prius - test drive report I agree with you Jithesh. For me, the toyota prius is the future of automobiles. I recently visited the mumbai international motor show and man, the prius was one car that blew my mind over. The looks are great and the interiors are the best. The overall feel of the car is just awesome. I would consider purchasing it in the near future, till then here are some pictures. Attached Thumbnails
	(1) Thanks

26th January 2011, 00:45	#7
vebmetal BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 798 Thanked: 21 Times	Re: Toyota Prius - test drive report ^ Definitely looks very smart! Somehow the Prius in the states does not look as nice, butI think it's just that we have a lot more bad looking cars in India. I wish they did not strip down the stereo systems etc. e.g. look at the 2010 Prius in the States and compare it with the picture above: Prius Dash in US or the newer dash that would be coming soon: All in all I too am glad that hybrids are at least somewhat on the scene now. I just wish that electric / hybrid cars become the mainstream, and we can say goodbye to petrol / diesel ones! Thanks jithesh for the test drive report! Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please note that it is now imperative for you to upload pictures directly to the Team-BHP Server. Click here (Uploading photographs directly to Team-BHP) to view our simple help article on uploading pictures. Last edited by Technocrat : 26th January 2011 at 02:27. Reason: Please read the note in your post veri carefully, thanks
	() Thanks

26th January 2011, 11:41	#8
Bhushanrulz BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 44 Thanked: 30 Times	Re: Toyota Prius - test drive report well the US interiors look much better.. but am i the only one who cant see the automatic gear lever in the US model? or have they put the gear on the steering(premier padmini style) like many automatic cars in the usa?
	() Thanks