Recent Reviews:

2004 Toyota Prius

Pat, Anne, & Little Lucy Brookover with Prius

A: It is a gas/electric system, but I would buy this car
even if it wasn't a hybrid. It's just a fun car.

Q: Why did you buy one?

A: As a family, we needed a reliable car that was safe. The 2004 full option package comes with front/side airbags, a great stereo, fold down seats, and a navigation system. It is also zero emissions and you can drive it on the high occupancy vehilce (HOV) lanes with only one person. 

But the primary reason was that it was the same cost as a Camry or Accord plus it gets great mileage. We were going to get one in 2004, but the federal tax credit drops from $2000 to $1500 in 2004, so it made sense to buy one in 2003.

Q: What are the best features? 

A: Blue Tooth hands free phone functions, keyless entry, and great mileage/low emissions.

Q: What is it like to drive?

A: Fun. It handles well. I am so spoiled driving it that it is hard to go back to a regular car. The steering is a lot different, much smoother. It has a lot of options that you only see on really expensive cars. There is no clunky shifting sound. It's very smooth and quiet.

Q: What are the downsides?

A: It takes time getting used to. Parking attendants have to be briefed. The total overall mileage is not as good as the test mileage. I would guess we average about 42 MPG in the city. I can hit in the 50s and 60's, but my wife is more in the high 30's. The car teaches you how to maximize your mileage, so it takes time to learn. There is a lot of technology to learn like the navigation system that takes time to learn.

Pat Brookover
Arlington, VA

2003 Honda Civic Hybrid

OK. I did it. I went out and bought a brand new 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid Car. I’ve had it since October, and put about 3,500 miles on it since then, so this is a set of first impressions, both positive and a few negative. 

I love the look and feel of the car. It handles great, and it looks, well, like a Honda Civic, which is a nice looking little car.  I also like that it is really equipped like a top of the line model.  Not only do you get an advanced technology hybrid engine that provides great gas mileage and 90% less tailpipe pollution than the average new car (rated as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle in California), but you also get anti-lock brakes, driver and passenger side air bags in addition to front airbags, and alloy wheels. Nice CD player too.  Air conditioning is also standard, of course. 

How good has the mileage been? I have a five-speed manual version of the Civic Hybrid which is rated at 45 mpg in the City and 51 Highway by the EPA. Now those numbers are, of course, a bit higher than what you get in the real world. I’m a bit of a lead-foot to begin with, and I’ve been getting about 39 or 40 mpg in the City, and probably about 45 or so on the Highway, driving mostly in the 75-80 mph range. That seems pretty good to me.   

One other thing everyone likes—it has a very cool dashboard array—less showy maybe than the video monitor like thing on the Prius, but in some ways more cool looking. It shows you when you are using the electric motor to supplement the power of the gas engine (and thus drawing down the power of the battery), and when, during slowing or stopping, your electric motor is running backwards and operating as a generator recharging the battery. It shows you the current state of charge in your battery, what your average mpg is over the lifetime of the car, and also exactly how good your mileage is at any one moment in time. The various displays are all illuminated in blue on the black background of the control panel.

OK, what are the shortcomings? Well, it is certainly not as powerful or peppy as the 6-cylinder 1990 Nissan Maxima I had been driving—but then that car only got about 20 miles per gallon, even on the Highway. I do miss the passing speed sometimes on the freeway though. And the trunk is just a little smaller than a standard civic, because part of it is taken up by the battery. It’s not much of a difference, but you notice it since it is a fairly small trunk on a civic to begin with. 

I really only have two other complaints. First, you have to be a little too careful not to deplete the battery charge whenever you are going up a long grade, like the grapevine (5 freeway) out of Los Angeles. If you are not careful, you will use the electric motor assist feature too much to keep your speed up on a long grade, and this will deplete your battery to a point that the electric motor assist won’t come on at all until you’ve reached the top of the grade and started to recharge your battery on the downslope. If you think this car is gutless to begin with, wait until you have to drive it up a hill with no charge left in the battery to provide extra power. Talk about being the slow guy in the slow lane. But as long as you are careful not to overdue it with the electric motor, this should hardly ever be a problem. 

My other complaint is really more of a worry than a complaint.  The battery is warranted for 10 years or 100,000 miles by Honda. I worry that if I want to sell my car when it is seven or eight years old, it is going to be really hard to get a good price for it, since any buyer will know they may have to replace the battery soon, a significant expense for a hybrid car. 

But in the meantime, I love the car. I love being able to drive from Oakland to Los Angeles on one tank of gas, I love the safety enhancements, I love the knowledge that I am helping the planet, and I only wish I could get my four year old boy, Harrison, to stop tracking in mud and dropping gummy worms in the back seat. 

Kevin Finney
Oakland, CA
* Kevin is the California Outreach Coordinator for the UCS Clean Vehicles Program. His review was a personal statement and does not represent a product endorsement on the part of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"We have been extremely happy with our new car. As my wife is from Japan and I have spent a good deal of time there, we have both been very eagerly awaiting the Prius's introduction in North America ever since it went on sale in Japan. As one might expect from the two-year time lag between the two rollouts, there have been a number of minor improvements since it was originally released. The most significant is apparently the use of a higher capacity battery that is also designed differently, allowing for more cargo space in the trunk of the North American version."

-- David Hajime Kornhauser

"I called Toyota yesterday and found that it employs 3 types of renewable energy. One is when coasting it recharges the battery, two when braking it engages the electric engine to recharge the battery, and three somehow it uses the brakes to regenerate electricity. I have done some calculations on my total personal CO2 emissions through driving, home heating, and electricity usage. I found that by buying a Prius in one fell swoop I reduced my emissions 20%!"

-- Ames Byrd

"We never started the engine. This is done automatically, and we couldn't tell when the engine started or was running. Amazing. Apparently, it runs on electricity up to 30 mph and then the engine comes on or goes off below 30 mph. The regenerative braking was very smooth. We couldn't tell when the braking was being done by the electric motor generating electricity for the battery, or by the brake pads themselves."

-- Richard Caputo (Toyota Prius)

1. Continuously variable automatic transmission that does not jump from gear to gear but smoothly adjusts for the optimum and most efficient gear ratio

2. Choice of decelerating with or without regenerative braking. Regenerative braking uses the electric motor as a generator to charge the batteries. Depressing the brake pedal always uses regenerative braking, but when decelerating, it is more efficient to not have the motor slow you down in situations where you can coast or in heavy traffic. When driving down hills, regenerative braking helps maintain speed without excessive use of the brakes.

3. Interior: low acoustic noise due to double weather stripping, heat absorption glass reduces heat buildup in hot weather, and relatively roomy space for the overall size of the vehicle.

4. Relatively fast acceleration at slow speeds. This is due to the use of an electric motor which has high starting torque.

5. Gasoline engine shuts down at stops, which reduces air and acoustic pollution.

-- Tony Ferro (Toyota Prius)

"I want to support environmentally friendly technology. I would be conserving resources by getting high mileage. The car features extremely low emissions. It would be economical to drive. I want to be first at my company and on my block with this great car. I like its looks. I need a new car."

-- Rich Reis (Toyota Prius)

"I chose the Prius because I wanted to cast my consumer vote for higher efficiency, lower emission vehicles. It's my hope that the Prius and Insight will sell well and that the US automotive industry will get the message that consumers will support innovation that lowers our dependency on foreign oil, benefits the environment, AND saves us money."

-- Jeff McConaughy (Toyota Prius)

"I do tons of work trying to get that power plant cleaned up. And one day a paid lobbyist asked me, 'Why aren't you doing something about those cars?' The power plant's emissions levels are equal to that of 186,000 cars. I'm not going to be able to get that many cars off the road. But this car is something I can do". "I do tons of work trying to get that power plant cleaned up. And one day a paid lobbyist asked me, 'Why aren't you doing something about those cars?' The power plant's emissions levels are equal to that of 186,000 cars. I'm not going to be able to get that many cars off the road. But this car is something I can do".

-- Lynn Nadeau (Honda Insight)

"It's just the car [my wife] was looking for. A two-seater that is easy to park and fun to drive. It doesn't hold a lot of shopping, but there is a little bin in the back that she can fill up with groceries. So far as she is concerned, it is just the car to drive in the city, where too many SUVs sit at stoplights guzzling gas. Her car shuts the engine off when she stops for a light!"

-- Doug and Rieke Dorman (Honda Insight)

"For pragmatic reasons, hybrid powered cars are likely to be the most effective approach to high fuel efficiency and clean environmental performance."

-- David Henry

"I am a commuter who drives alone. If I am driving, I want the best gas mileage possible. The Triangle, here in North Carolina, is becoming a badly polluted area and I feel much less guilty driving this car than my 14-year-old Toyota that runs fine, but burns oil. The Insight is a manual transmission and I feel I can maximize the mileage as well as an automatic transmission. Electric vehicles are not really available here. Though I think I could live with the limited range of electric vehicles, I do like the independence of the hybrid engine. A 2-seater car is enough for 95 percent of the travel that I do."

-- Bert Chessin, (Honda Insight)

What it's like to drive a hybrid:

"I knew it was a green car and it has gotten between 48 and 51 mpg in all kinds of driving. However, I was unprepared for the peppiness and excellent handling of the car. I didn't ask or look for it, but it really accelerates. Also, the twisty mountain roads around Julian, CA will test a driver and car to the extreme. The Prius maneuvering ability exceeds my MG roadster with considerably more comfort. Amazing car!"

-- Richard Caputo (Toyota Prius)

"The size is perfect. We feel safe, pollute a lot less than we used to, answer numerous questions from curious friends, family, and passersby, and have fun driving the vehicle. We recommend the Prius. It's smooth, cute, efficient, and it teaches as we drive."

-- Ruthanne Harstad & Patricia Headley (Toyota Prius)

"I did test drive it and it is pretty much like a normal car, but there will be some traffic danger at first as drivers stare at the compelling, continuously updated mileage statistics as they drive along."

-- Andrew Okum (Toyota Prius)

"After about two and a half months, I am enjoying the ride and the great mileage. I cannot park it anywhere without someone asking me about the car. I've also allowed several friends and colleagues test drive it so they can see that it handles very much like a normal 5-speed. The car is great so far in terms of performance and reliability. I'm finding that I have actually learned how to improve the mileage by using the good feedback from the instrument panel. Lately, I'm able to get between 70 and 75 mpg."

-- Philip Barbato (Honda Insight)

"I received delivery of my Prius last Tuesday afternoon. I will be carefully calculating the actual mpg rate. So far, at 175 miles into the process, the dash display is telling me that the vehicle has averaged 49.5 mpg over this distance."

-- David W. Bearg (Toyota Prius)

"I have owned a Toyota Prius for seven weeks and driven it almost 3,000 miles. Its performance is outstanding and my gas mileage is about 45 miles per gallon. It has excellent acceleration and handling in all types of traffic. The air conditioner and other accessories are of the highest quality and it seats four large adults comfortably. The demand for this car should be spectacular, especially at the price."

-- Marty Kanne (Toyota Prius)

"I drove the Insight the 25 miles to work Tuesday, with one stop for breakfast, and got 78 mpg door to door. Typically, passing other cars and driving around town, I get in the low 60s. And make no mistake, this car has plenty of pep (0 to 60 mph in 12 seconds), and it loves to zoom up mountains."

-- Bill van den Berg (Honda Insight)

"A friend bought a Honda Insight. She loves the car-performance, economy, etc. I have driven it and found it to be similar to the GM battery electric."

-- Dave Bruderly (Honda Insight)

"The Toyota Prius is everything I hoped it would be. Besides meeting the super ultra low emissions vehicle (SULEV) standard, it handles and operates just like comparable sized cars with good acceleration."

-- Tony Ferro (Toyota Prius)

And the alternatives:

"I didn't buy a hybrid electric, but I did just buy a full electric from Solelectric in Massachusetts. It is a small four-door sedan and turns out to be a much better car than I expected. It is great for a second car. I use it for almost everything from day to day. Quiet, easy, fun, handles well. I am exceedingly pleased with it. It doesn't have great power. I know there will be better batteries soon, but even with the present ones, it is a fine little car."

-- John Osborn

"I bought a Solectria Force two years ago and have been driving it for all my commuting and trips around Boston. It is a lead acid battery model and I haven't really pushed its range limits. I take another car if I anticipate a trip of over about 50 miles. I've driven it about 8,000 miles and have had no serious problems so far."

-- Jim Loehlin

"My bicycle is even better, environmentally -- motor vehicles are inherently bad. At 54 going on 55, I commute most days by bicycle anyway."

-- Richard Reis

"After reviewing my vehicle/commute needs I have pretty much decided that I would like to go fully electric. With help from the local chapter of the Electric Auto Association I am trying to track down the fully electric vehicle that is right for me. So far I have test driven a used Ford Escort body with a Jet Electria engine; the new Sparrow made by Corbin Motors; and the new Gizmo, currently on exhibit at the Metreon in San Francisco. Next week I will go to test drive a Solectria."

-- Constance Young

"I drive a pure electric, the Honda EV Plus. Although I am happy with the higher fuel efficiency of the hybrid, I would never own one. The main problem with them is that the only way to charge the batteries is by running the gas engine. This defeats the purpose by still requiring fossil fuels for transportation. An EV can be charged by 100% renewable energy and is truly the 'gold standard' for clean vehicle technology."

-- Jim Montgomery