Summary

The Toyota Prius sets the standard for environmentally friendly transportation. It also delivers extremely good fuel efficiency for a four-seat car with an automatic transmission. Just ignore those EPA numbers. Buyers can expect to average something north of 45 mpg. Toyota is clearly the leader in hybrid technology. The Prius is an amazing piece of engineering yet driving one and owning one is not much different from a conventional car. That's impressive.

New Car Test Drive correspondent Tom Lankard is based in Northern California.

Model Line OverviewModel lineup:Toyota Prius ($20,875)

Engines:76-hp 1.5-liter dohc 16-valve inline-4, plus a 50-kw (67 hp), 500-volt permanent magnet electric motor

Transmissions:continuously variable (CVT) automatic

Safety equipment (standard):dual front airbags; anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints in all five seating positions with force-limiting pretensioners in front and height-adjustable front shoulder belt anchors; ISO child seat tether anchors

Safety equipment (optional):driver and front passenger seat-mounted side impact airbags; front and rear side curtain airbags

Basic warranty:3 years/36,000 miles

Assembled in:Tsutsumi (Toyota City), Japan