Toyota’s third best-selling car.

With visions of 55 mile-to-the-gallon fuel economy dancing in their heads, consumers have been lining up at Toyota dealerships, anxious to step into the much talked about Prius hybrid. Prius is Toyota’s third best-selling car in the U.S. (behind Camry and Corolla), and as gas prices rise, so do Prius sales. Through May 2005, Toyota has sold 43,686 Priuses. That’s a nearly 153 percent sales increase over the same period in 2004. And despite a computer problem that is rumored to cause the gas engine to stall at driving speeds, the trend is expected to continue. Glitches such as these rarely affect consumer demand unless and until a serious accident occurs. And with only 33 reported incidents, and a recall having already been issued to affected Prius owners, that is unlikely to occur.

I spent a week in the four-door hatchback Prius, available in only one well-appointed trim level with one engine/transmission pairing. Net horsepower from the gas/electric engine is just about 110, and while the Prius doesn’t exactly tear up the road, its performance is more than adequate for everyday driving. The transition from gas to electric to combo driving is, for the most part, seamless, although I did feel a stalling sensation when the vehicle switched to electric only mode.

Standard equipment is plentiful, and includes front dual-stage airbags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, remote keyless entry, tilt steering wheel with redundant audio and climate controls, power windows and locks, and cruise control. Six option packages are available, ranging in price from $650 for a side airbag package to $5065 for a package that includes stability control, high-density headlamps and an excellent voice-activated DVD navigation system. Maxed out with the best option package, plus floor mats ($186) and a glass breakage sensor ($165), my tester still resided well south of the $30,000 mark. In government crash tests, the Prius received a second-best four-star rating in front passenger and front and rear side crash tests, and five stars in driver side front crash tests.

Sliding into the cockpit the first time, I felt a little disoriented by the lack of instrumentation on the dash immediately in front of me. The navigation/fuel-consumption monitor screen is located on the center console to the right of the steering wheel, while the speedometer resides in a digital strip that spans the center of the dash. Starting the vehicle is a push-button operation that takes some getting used to, as does the odd shifting mechanism located just to the right and below the steering wheel. Unlike the systems in other hybrids, the Prius’ climate-control runs entirely on electricity, which means the cabin stays cool (or warm) even when the gasoline engine isn’t running. Definitely a plus for Arizona drivers. My only real complaint is with the published fuel economy levels. Listed at an average of 55 miles per gallon with a combination of city and highway driving, I actually achieved between 45 and 48 miles per gallon — still excellent, but well below what is advertised.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Prius. Its 16 cubic feet of cargo room nearly matches that of the Camry, and it carries four quite comfortably. Power is adequate for everyday driving, while styling and build quality measure up to Toyota’s typically high standards. And, if you can find one at or near list price, the Prius is truly a bargain.

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