2015 Toyota Prius Reviews

By now, the 2015 Toyota Prius is both a familiar shape and a fairly well-known quantity among car buyers. Toyota is expected to unveil an all-new fourth-generation Prius in fall 2015, most likely to go on sale in early 2016. The mid-size five-door hatchback with the high tail and wedge shape is the most fuel-efficient car you can buy in the U.S. without a plug--and it's held that title since it was launched six years ago as a 2010 model.

When it involves hybrid cars, 2015 Toyota Prius remains as a crowd favorite. this will be attributed to its smartly designed gasoline engine, that offers wonderful fuel economy, regardless what proportion power one places on the throttle. though not the foremost pleasurable to drive in its category, the new Prius holds up well against the competition and continues to be a hybrid that's price considering if serving to the surroundings comes as a buying issue.

The name Prius now actually describes a range of four different vehicles. The base vehicle is now called the Prius Liftback, and there's a plug-in hybrid version of that car that looks all but identical.

NEW FOR THE 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS

Special Edition Persona Series trim level that comes with upgraded cosmetic features
Rearview camera is now standard to all trim levels

ON THE ROAD

Toyota has been hard at work on the fourth generation car, though its launch has reportedly been delayed until the end of 2015. As well as more fuel-efficient, executives have said that it will be sleeker, offer better roadholding and handling, and generally bring the Prius up to date. The target for EPA combined fuel economy of the upcoming model is said to be 55 mpg, possible with a more expensive version containing a different battery that hits 60 mpg.

With the engine’s focus on mileage, the new Prius does not necessarily excel in performance. There are four driving modes available–Normal, Eco, Power and EV–which allows the driver to pick the powertrain configuration that he or she deems suitable for certain conditions.

As for handling, steering and braking, all three can be described as safe and contribute to a comfortable ride. Effortless maneuvering is achieved in parking lots, but on the highway the Prius can be a bit rigid and noisy. Additionally, hitting bumps and potholes can be easily felt by the vehicle’s occupants.

In Eco mode, acceleration is leisurely, but more fuel is saved, as throttle input is automatically reduced and air conditioned is shut off when the vehicle is not moving. Switch to the EV mode, and the Prius will only run on the energy produced by the battery pack, but is limited to a maximum speed of 25 mph.

UNDER THE HOOD

It's all due to the Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which remains unchanged for 2015. Its total output is 134 horsepower, from the combination of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motor-generators. Toyota has more experience building hybrids than any other maker, and its blending of regenerative braking with the conventional friction brakes is excellent. They provide electric torque to supplement torque from the engine, recharge the battery during regenerative braking or engine overrun, and can power the car solely on electricity (at speeds up to 30 mph) if you have a light right foot.

The 2015 Toyota Prius nevertheless uses a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder fuel engine this is paired with electric powered motor-mills. The motor-turbines help recharge the battery for the duration of engine overrun or regenerative braking and allow the Prius to run on power.

A plug-in hybrid Prius is also available and comes with a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. When fully charged, the plug-in hybrid can go up to 11 miles in electric-only mode.

Behind the wheel, drivers will listen engine velocity growing and falling completely separate from something their ft do at the accelerator pedal. The Hybrid Synergy Drive gadget usually modulates between its electricity sources to maximize efficiency, recapturing the highest quantity of energy that would in any other case were wasted. First-time Prius drivers, even though, may additionally find the revel in disconcerting. As for handling and roadholding, the 2015 Prius stays as numb and hulking because it turned into whilst it launched--while mid-size sedan handling has progressed in such cars because the Ford Fusion Hybrid. There's 0 feel or feedback via the Prius electric powered energy steerage, although it corners and holds the street accurately when the driver operates the controls. But it is able to feel extra like using a video game than a car with any connection to the street. (Toyota promises to address this in the next Prius, whose dealing with it hopes to enhance significantly.)

The plug-in hybrid Prius swaps out the standard automobile's 1.3-kilowatt-hour nickel-metallic-hydride battery % for a 4.Three-kWh lithium-ion %, giving it a nominal eleven miles of electrical variety in EPA trying out. Even beneath the rather mild EPA test cycles, even though, the engine has to switch on as a minimum once to electricity the car despite the fact that there may be power left within the percent--so simplest 6 miles of that range is continuous. In practice, more than modest power demand--not to mention foot-to-the-floor acceleration into fast site visitors on, say, an uphill parkway on-ramp--will switch on the engine, though the Prius Plug-In in any other case remains extra in electric powered mode than the traditional Liftback hybrid version.

The EPA estimated fuel economy ratings for the Prius are 51/48 mpg for the hybrid and 51/49 mpg for the plug-in hybrid.

2015 TOYOTA PRIUS DESIGN

As a design, the Prius shape is by way of now nicely hooked up and immediately recognizable. The five-door hatchback has a high, vertical tail, a domed roof, and a clean front with a minimum air inlet. Its entire goal, besides containing four or 5 human beings and their items, is to aerodynamic drag to squeeze every remaining mile out of every gallon of fuel. The plug-in hybrid model seems same, keep for some trim differences and a price-port door on the right rear fender that you can without difficulty mistake for a gasoline door.

There's additionally a cluster of greater traditional gauges and displays in the back of the steerage wheel. Compared to the calm and clean-to-research complete-coloration displays of Ford's diverse hybrids, let alone the exquisite images of the Chevy Volt, the Prius setup now appears chaotic. The steering-wheel Touch Tracer controls are a pleasant contact, though. They let drivers navigate via menus on the information show without taking their fingers off the wheel, and the numerous alternatives seem within the cluster between massive gauges.

The 2015 Toyota Prius is offered in 4 trim levels, perplexing called Two, Three, Four, and Five--the stripped-down Prius One can simplest be ordered by means of fleet consumers. Choices encompass LED headlamps, faraway air con, Bluetooth, and a navigation device. Packages consist of the function-wealthy Technology Package, or the Solar Moonroof option that consists of a photovoltaic solar panel to cool the cockpit with the aid of powering a ventilation fan that switches on whilst the Prius is parking. Note that with the less-luxurious Prius C subcompact now inside the family, the charge of a Prius Liftback has risen to the factor in which the highest-priced Prius Four and Five models can now exceed $30,000 if the consumer has a heavy hand at the alternatives sheet.

Inside, the two-stage Prius dashboard format now seems dated--although the indoors layout seemed futuristic and really Space Age on its launch in 2009. With interior surfaces clad totally in hard plastics, of numerous textures and patterns, the primary aspect to capture your eye is a "flying buttress" console that sweeps down from the top of the sprint. While it's placing visually, in practice the garage area underneath it is essentially invisible and difficult to reach, and it's going to punish the kneecaps of taller drivers. Four adults will suit easily, 5 in a pinch, and the EPA defines the Prius as a mid-size automobile based on indoors volume. The seat padding is thin, even though.

The Prius has retained its Top Safety Pick+ score an excellent one indeed for a six year vintage version. It receives pinnacle scores in all IIHS checks besides the new Small-Overlap crash that has tripped up many older models; the Prius receives an "Acceptable" in that one. It comes fashionable with seven airbags and may be ordered with a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise manipulate, and lane-departure warning, along side an Intelligent Parking Assist characteristic (though we decide on Ford's similar gadget).

The most effective new alternative for 2015 is a Prius Special Edition model that adds a number of additional trim items to the Prius Three specification, complete with a badge to reveal it off. Those include a dark-steel end on 17-inch wheels, unique paint colorings (Absolutely Red and Blizzard Pearl), SofTex seats in black with dark grey accents stitching various trim gadgets completed in "Dark Chrome," turns alerts mounted on the door mirrors, and blue footwell lighting.