Toyota unveiled the new 2010 Prius.
What’s new? A lot of little things, but nothing major.
Standard:
* slightly (4 mpg) better gas mileage
* higher horsepower
* slightly redesigned exterior (a little more angular)
* redesigned dash
* slightly larger cargo area (0.4″ longer, 2.2″ wider)
* more airbags (one for the driver’s knees)
* different brakes (4 disc brakes vs. the old front disc, rear drum)
* 3 drive modes: electric-only, eco (better gas mileage), power (more horsepower)
Optional:
* backup cam (has been available since 2007 I think, but not back in 2004)
* moonroof
* solar panel (can power A/C while the car is off, to keep it cool in the hot sun)
* “Safety Connect” (Toyota’s OnStar)
* LED headlights
* radar system (aids cruise control, hits brakes when crash is unavoidable)
So overall, some nice enhancements, but nothing as dramatic as the 2003-2004 redesign.
Seeing as I have my 2004 paid off, I think I’ll stick with that for a while.
I currently have almost 80,000 miles on my Prius and have had very few issues, I figure it’s good for quite a while longer.
Maybe one of these days I’ll install a backup cam kit. Marco had a cool option on his Toyota minivan, side cams that allowed him to see around corners. Europe gets all the cool options. =)
Here’s a breakdown of all the updates on Jalopnik:
http://jalopnik.com/5128101/2010-toyota-prius-design-dissected
The old 2002 has 180K on it and going strong. We’re going to drive that baby into the ground, so I’m guessing the 2010 won’t be for us. Maybe the 2013, it’s a lucky number. Plus 2000.