MotorMouths

Toyota’s Plug-In Hybrid Prius drives just like the regular car, except for a slightly stiffer ride due to firmer springs. Plugging in is a cinch, and if you forget or don’t care to, well, no big deal.

With the Toyota Prius, I am traveling in a space capsule rather than riding in a car. It is a reminder to potential buyers that it is something special and doesn’t look, touch, or feel like a traditional gas-powered car.

The Prius is all about fuel economy, and the fact is that the 2010 Toyota Prius not only gets better gas mileage than the old Prius (as well as every other new car on the market), but it makes it easier to hit those stellar numbers. So it should be a slam dunk for the Prius… except it isn’t.

For 2010, the Toyota Prius enters its third generation, with a thorough revamping that includes new styling inside and out, a larger, more powerful engine and, as expected, even better fuel economy.

The Toyota Prius is a car Ralph Nader could have designed, a vehicle for people who loathe automobiles. I would rather visit my dentist than drive the Prius again.