Gettin' Jetson: 2010 Toyota Prius

Perhaps more than any other current production car, the 2010 Prius feels like the George Jetson ride we were all promised four decades and more ago. It’s thoroughly, conspicuously modern. Okay, it has a steering wheel and pedals, and it does ride on four wheels and not an anti-gravity pack or some such, but otherwise the Prius is one of the few vehicles on the road today that can truly claim to be a 21st Century machine. In comparison, 007’s Aston has more in common with Karl Benz’s Patent Motorwagen from 1885.I liked the previous Prius (I was one of the jurors who voted the second-gen car Motor Trend’s 2004 Car of the Year). But though it was a vast improvement over the original, I couldn’t help but feel that Prius v2.0 was still a bit of a science project. It was roomy enough, drove remarkably well, and unquestionably set a high standard for vehicular engineering, yet it still felt like only 80-percent of a real automobile. Steering was springy and occasionally weird. You could feel the light weight. A good hailstorm, you’d think while driving it, and this thing will look like half a waffle iron.The new Prius, however, is all-car. The increased size over its predecessor translates into huge gains in cabin room. You’ll “wow” passengers who open the rear doors or the rear hatch. More important, though, this Prius is all grown up. It’s a giant leap ahead in solidity and quiet; if it wore a Lexus label, no one would be surprised. It just feels way heftier and more robust—which makes the increases in mileage (to 51/48 city/highway mpg) all the more remarkable.I count myself as an ardent enthusiast, and naturally I gravitate toward machines that go vroom vroom and knock your insides about and all that. But I can’t help but grin with delight at the execution of this cutting-edge ride. The near-flat-bottom steering wheel, for instance. It just feels superb in your hands, and looks racy to boot. The seats (optional leather in the test car) support beautifully. Power is up over the old car, and you can tell. The 2010 Prius moves with more ease (new is an EV mode that does its best to hold the car in full-electric up to 25 mph for a half-mile). You don’t feel like you’re missing out on “real car” stuff, either. Standard are seven air bags (including a driver’s knee bag). Also on board is a new version of the self-parking system seen on the Lexus LS, plus radar-guided pre-collision with automated braking capability.

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