Trim levels: base

MSRP: $19,995

Notes: Only the second hybrid vehicle sold in the United States (the first being Honda's Insight), the Prius was a rather more conventional approach. A high-stance sedan, Prius was powered by both a rather conventional twincam straight-four and a nickel-hydride battery-powered electrical motor. Toyota's Hybrid System is a parallel hybrid: the system was able to operate on the gasoline engine, the electrical motor, or both. During braking, the electrical motor reverts to a generator, recharging the batteries. Because of this MO, the Prius was more efficient in city driving than on the highway (at some stopping points, the gasoline engine was deactivated entirely). This contrasts Honda's Insight, which used the electric motor primarily as a "booster" engine. The engines are linked to the front wheels via a continuously-variable transmission, which lacks set gear ratios and is therefore more flexible than any automatic or manual transmission. The Prius was also efficient enough to return SULEV (super-ultra-low-emissions-vehicle) standards in government tests; it did not qualify as a partial-zero-emissions vehicle, however. To demonstrate its faith in the hybrid system, Toyota offered an 8-year warranty on hybrid components. Unfortunately, the Prius took a major design step backward with its rigid rear axle, incorporated as a cost-cutting measure.

Series: 2001-2003