Nerve Endings Firing Away

The prima donna of all hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius has released its 2010 edition and by all accounts has delivered its most perfect model so far. The most significant change is the enlarged and more powerful 1.8-liter gas engine that has tested to be more efficient than the old 1.5-liter one and has also improved acceleration. But couple of innovative optional (and expensive) packages caught my attention:

Two more option packages set the Prius apart from more common economy cars and aim to establish its wired reputation. First is the $3,600 solar roof package, which includes a solar panel that powers a cabin ventilation fan to keep the interior cooler when the car is parked. It also includes a remotely activated electric air conditioner the driver can use to pre-chill the interior for as much as three minutes before entering the car.

I find that a perfect merger of its perceived environmental image and consumer comfort. But I am somewhat skeptical of a ‘green car’ running a remote-controlled AC with no one in the car. The mileage has also increased to an astounding EPA mileage ratings of 51 mpg city and 48 mpg on the highway, compared to 48 and 45 mpg for the old car. However, the temptation to add more and more features for ever-demanding consumers has also proved to be too great:

It only gets worse in the winter, because the available leather-wrapped seats now boast electric seat heaters. These devices, among my favorite options in most new cars, are a contradiction in the Prius because the heating coils amount to a near-dead short in the electrical system that heats the wires built into the seat bottoms. It’s possibly the most profligate possible use of electricity, though one which I regularly enjoy in various test cars. This single feature probably draws more electricity than anything on the car save the electric motor, and it seems completely out of place on a Prius. And this doesn’t even address the matter having of leather seats in the car voted “Most likely to haunt the parking lots outside vegan markets.”

I guess environment-friendliness can be taxing and some people rather buy the Prius as an advertisement of their environmental beliefs rather than actually act on them. But still, the Toyota Prius is still a far superior hybrid vehicle than its counterparts. Pending some personal and professional decisions, I might be in the car market for a car soon and the temptation to get a hybrid is strong. However, the wallet will definitely rule supreme.