Prius is a compact car, about the size of a Toyota Corolla, with a higher roof line and wider stance similar to the new Ford Echo. The hood is so short and drops off so quickly that the car has a snub-nosed appearance. It has a continuously variable transmission, which means it has no gears and does not have the subtle lunges that occur when conventional cars shifts gears. In the Prius, acceleration and deceleration happen in one smooth flow.

2001 Prius starting price is $20,450 US. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates Prius is capable of 52 mpg with city driving and 45 mpg with highway driving. Prius official site has more specifications and features.A site maintain by US EPA has a comparision between HEV Prius and Insight.

Mark Isaacs, a Louisville architect who owns a new Toyota'S Prius, talked about his new ride. He said it has sprightly performance, it is comfortable, and when he pulls up to a stoplight, ''it's so quiet it's almost like it gives you a moment of meditation.'' On highway, the ride was quiet and smooth, with plenty of acceleration. The interior was surprisingly roomy for a compact, and a digital speedometer not only gave speed but calculated fuel consumption. At any given moment, you could look at the display and see what kind of mileage the car was getting.

This feature, Isaacs said, ''starts to train you to be less lead-footed'' when you realize how much your fuel consumption goes up during heavy acceleration.

The transmission shift is a slightly odd feature because it sticks directly out of the dashboard. The Prius also has a feature called regenerative braking, which means it uses some of the energy of braking the car to recharge the electrical system.

Perhaps for this reason, Isaacs said, the brakes have ''a little bit of a tendency to grab'' compared with traditional brakes, but ''that hasn't been uncomfortable or hard to get used to.''