Click here to write a Review about the Toyota Prius
|
|
Improved 2012 Toyota Prius hybrid |
It’s said that you get what you
pay for, but where Toyota’s new full hybrid
Prius is
concerned, customers enjoy great deal more for
the just the same price they would pay for the
current model.
Pricing for the all-new third-generation Prius has been carried over unchanged from the current model for the T3 and T Spirit versions, while the cost of the T4 model has risen by just £835.
Much more equipment, much the same price
New Prius equipment specifications have been substantially increased across the board.
For example, the entry-level T3 grade gains: -
- A new head-up display, projecting key vehicle data on to the windscreen in the driver’s eyeline
- Toyota’s new Touch Tracer multi-function control on the steering wheel
- Smart Entry & Start (driver’s door unlocking)
- Driver’s knee airbag
- Heated door mirrors
- Front fog lamps.
Features new to T4 grade models, in addition to the extra T3 specification above, include: -
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Bluetooth
- Eight-speaker audio system
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Smart Entry & Start (all-door unlocking)
T Spirit owners will also get much more for their money, with the same additional features as T4 models, plus:
- HDD (hard disk drive) navigation system and music library facility
- Improved Intelligent Park Assist with rear parking camera
Advances in Powertrain, Technology and Packaging
New Prius’s advances in powertrain performance, technology and packaging also put its headline pricing into perspective.
The latest development of Toyota’s multi-award-winning Hybrid Synergy Drive full hybrid system delivers 24 per cent more power, yet is more compact and lighter than before, making Prius fleeter by half a second in nought to 62mph acceleration. At the same time, CO2 emissions have been slashed to a market-best 89g/km and fuel consumption has improved by 10 per cent to 72.4mpg – better-than-A-segment figures from a full-sized family car.
New Prius is also the most technically advanced family car you can buy, not simply thanks to its full hybrid powertrain, but also for features such as the standard head-up display, Touch Tracer control, Eco Drive Monitor and LED lighting.
Furthermore, same or similar pricing also buys you more in terms of space, both in the cabin where, in particular, rear head and kneeroom and have been improved, and in the boot where a more compact hybrid battery unit has helped created useful extra load space.
New Prius Total Economy
The competitive pricing is another dimension of new Prius’s Total Economy profile, adding to the ownership benefits of its market-leading 89g/km CO2 emissions and 72.4mpg combined cycle fuel economy. Its impressive environmental performance yields more savings through a zero VED road fund licence charge; lowest-rate 10 per cent benefit-in-kind company car tax; 100 per cent first-year corporation tax write-down allowance; and exemption from the central London congestion charge.
New Toyota Prius prices
|
MODEL |
OTR PRICE |
| Prius T3 |
£18,370 |
| Prius T4 |
£19,990 |
| Prius T Spirit |
£21,210 |
Review by Don Davidson from Manchester, UK on 22 June 2011
Toyota Prius 1.8 vvt-i T4:
Please note this is a company car! Previous car
was a Vauxhall Astra 1.8 Turbo Diesel and
managed to get 50.4MPG if I drove very
carefully. This meant not going over 65 to 70mph
on the motorways and sticking to the speed limit
elsewhere of course! I decided to go for a Prius
in April 2011 and have now driven for 2 months
and have seen MPG figures such as 63MPG, 65MPG,
70MPg and during one trip 73MPG.
The T4 has cruise control which I use whenever
possible. This includes 30mph roads etc. On the
motorway, I drive no faster than 65mph, only
rarely do I put my foot down to overtake slow
HGV's or slower drivers than myself! yes, they
do exist!
If you want to get high MPG out of your Prius
then you HAVE to change your driving habits! If
you don't then do not blame the car for poor MPG
figures, blame yourself!
Ease off the accellerator when approaching
queues of traffic, try and coast to the back of
the queue and keep the car rolling at all times,
a feather touch on the accellerator is all that
is required!
Use a similar procedure when coming off an
inclined slip road on motorways, let gravity do
the work, ease on the brakes only and brake
harder if and when required.
Keep the car empty of any rubbish, don't hoard
loads of useless junk in the boot or interior!
Keep the weight down!
Use the Power mode sparingly, only use if
climbing an incline or overtaking for example,
and then ease back to a nice steady speed.
No need to keep the petrol tank full, keep
topped up to about half way. Again, this keeps
weight down. Only fill the whole tank up on very
long journeys.
Don't use the air conditioning! Why has the car
got windows? Use them instead! If you get too
hot, use the air con for short periods only and
then open the windows as things start to warm up
again.
The Prius is looked upon by most people as a
milk float! Driving one is a pleasurable
experience as long as you drive how the car
expects you to drive! Use the power mode and it
becomes a different beast! But use sparingly or
expect your MPG to be no better than any other
car on the road! Love the heads up display, and
the dash looks like an airplane dash and you
soon get used to it!
Bluetooth for the mobile phone is easy to use so
all in all I am a happy bunny!
Personal costs only:
Astra weekly petrol was = £30 to £50
Prius weekly petrol is = £15 to £30
Depending on mileage/trip of course!
Plus...
Pay less personal tax because it's a hybrid,
only taxed on 10% of the car value if it's a
company car
No road tax
And no London Congestion Charge, well £10 per
year to register the Prius!
Review by Andrew Hudson from Leeds on 21 April 2011
New shape prius T3 (10 reg): Took delivery of the
above a couple of weeks ago and have now done
approx 1600 mainly motorway miles. Economy
varies between 60 - 65 mpg and this is driving
at an indicated 70 - 75mph
Acceleration is surprisingly good - a nice
surprise! The car is smooth and just quiet
enough. Gearbox is excellent and transition
between petrol / electric modes almost
imperceptible.
Build quality though is just not good enough on
a car costing this much - my previous car (the
current shape Mondeo TDCI) remained rattle free
until I got rid of it after 80k miles - the
Prius has rattles already.
Interior trim quality is poor and the driving
position is also poor compared to the mondeo.
Toyota needs to do better!
