Toyota Prius v appeals to the auto purchaser who wants high fuel economy ratings, a spacious trunk and roomy interior. If you want to save gas and need a versatile hatchback this car may be for you.
By Frank S. Washington
CHICAGO, IL — I drove a 2013 Toyota Prius v here and I was quite impressed with the hybrid.
The 134 horsepower engine and electric motor system responded well on the highway. Passing speed was adequate but I will admit that under hard acceleration I found the drone of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) a little unnerving.
The Prius v is the largest of the four Prius models. It has the silhouette of a small minivan but that’s where the similarity ends. The Prius v has hinged rear doors rather than sliding doors. But it does have a tailgate. Still, it is a compact car intended for young families with small children.
Before I left Detroit, I topped off the fuel tank and I was a little surprised that the range said I had about 340 miles. That is one of my complaints about all small cars. They get great gas mileage, the Prius v gets 44 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, but the fuel tank is so small you still end up at the gas station more than you would expect.
That leads me to my second quibble with the Prius v. The lever to unlatch the fuel door was the same color as the carpet on the side of the driver’s seat which made it hard to distinguish. I had to look at the owner’s manual to find it. However, it was in plain sight and that is something that I needed to do only once.
That I’m talking about a hard to find fuel lever, which was right where you’d expect, is an indication that this was a very livable compact car. The sight lines gave me unobstructed views all round and plenty of light got into the car, creating a bright ambience even in the gray of winter.
My Prius v test car had a high seating position and that tends to level the playing field for compact cars. When you are sitting higher you just don’t feel like you’re in a small vehicle when compared to other vehicles on the road.
The vehicle was easy to drive. By that I mean the Prius v stayed centered; I didn’t have to keep adjusting the steering wheel to keep the car in the center of the lanes. It didn’t take much effort on the steering wheel either in the turns or to change lanes on Interstate 94. Oh, I forgot another quibble: The Prius v did not have a lane change signal.
The backseat was pretty firm; thus, I am not sure how comfortable back seat passengers’ bottoms would have been for the four-hour drive here. But I could have carried four people without any of them feeling crowded or crimped. There was plenty of head and hip room. And there was ample legroom in the backseat.
My test car was loaded. It had satellite radio and Bluetooth for hands free phone operations. There was a navigation system, a backup camera and park assist, adaptable cruise control and my Prius v also had a fixed panoramic roof.
I was especially impressed with the adjustable back seat and the adaptable compass on the navigation system. The needle turned and told me what direction I was headed; I didn’t have to figure it out from the direction needle for the Prius v.
Still, the voice controls didn’t work well. Not once did the system understand or get right the name I was saying to call. That might have been because of the road and wind hum generated by Interstate speed, or, because when talking I sound like I’ve got marbles in my mouth.
It took a little more than one half a tank of fuel to get here; that was not bad. I gassed up and motored around the Windy City for two days and then returned to Detroit, after topping off the tank again. Once there I had half a tank of fuel left.
As with all hybrids, whenever I encountered a depression in the road that had the breadth and the depth to cause the car’s springs and shocks to compress that’s when I could feel the weight of the hybrid. That was due to the Nickel Hydride battery pack as well as the electric motors.
The Prius v recaptured energy when braking and used it to recharge the battery. The car shut off when stopped and it had the capability of running on just electric power for short distances.
My Prius v as tested was $36,330.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.
This was printed in the April 7, 2013 – April 20, 2013 Edition
