2010 Pruis

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