The real justification to buy a Prius is its extremely low emissions. It produces almost no pollution and is one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles you can drive. The Prius is an excellent choice for buyers who want to reduce air pollution and America's dependence on oil. The Prius isn't cheap, but it's an amazing piece of engineering that achieves those goals.
It's important to understand that the Prius is not an electric car. You never plug it in. And there's no worry about driving beyond the range of the battery. A small, highly efficient four-cylinder gasoline engine charges the battery as you drive. No special knowledge is needed to drive this car. It works just like a regular car: You get in, you twist the key, you put the lever in Drive and you go. When it gets low on gas, you fill it up.
The Prius is the best-selling gas-electric hybrid in the United States and in the world and it's only gaining in popularity. When it debuted as a compact in 2001, Toyota sold just 5,600 in the U.S. By 2003, U.S. sales had expanded to nearly 25,000. For 2004, Toyota redesigned the Prius, turning it into midsize car and completely re-engineering its mechanical and electrical systems. It's now much more attractive to many more people. Toyota sold more than 50,000 Prius models in the U.S. in 2004. It was praised by the press and was named 2004 North American Car of the Year by a jury of 50 independent automotive journalists, including New Car Test Drive.
The Prius has been so popular that there's been a six-month waiting list to buy one. To address this, Toyota is expanding worldwide Prius production by 50 percent, from 10,000 per month to 15,000. Still, it seems that as Toyota builds more Prius hybrids, more people want them. And why not? The 2005 Toyota Prius is not only an impressive technological statement, it's a car that's easy to like and live with. Next Page