2009 Toyota Prius Touring

Pros

Quiet, Fantastic Mileage (44mpg everywhere)

Cons

Rear vision could be better.

Purchased As New

I wish I had looked at this car earlier. This car is way ahead of most competitors. With the key in your pocket, the door unlocks when you approach. When you get in you find a car well thought out and roomy (yes roomy). I tried the back seat and found it is one of the easiest to enter/exit and again spacious) You start the car with the push of a button (the key stays in your pocket). When the car is started there is dead silence. The car starts in electric mode. As you pull away you will hear the gasoline motor start running. Switching between gas and electric is seamless and automatic. The only time you hear the gasoline engine is on hard acceleration. anytime you let up the accelerator or stop the gas motor stops. The electric motor captures the energy created when you step on the brake and charges a battery. That energy is reused when you take off (electric mode). The transmission dosen't shift. It has a variable speed transmission that again is seemless. At 75 to 80 mph the mileage dropped to 42 mpg. The mileage around town has been 44mpg. I have 3000 miles on it so far. The touring edition has a built in GPS (Global Positioning Service) that will guide you on a trip with a map and voice commands. The car also comes with a backup camera that turns on anytime you put the car in reverse. This a car you simply have to take for a test drive to see what I am talking about.