2010 Toyota Prius

Prius packs in pups for high mileage ride

Sun, Dec 6th 2009

I had my doubts about the Toyota Prius as a dog car, but like the magical Weasley tent in the Harry Potter series, it has a more spacious interior than its compact appearance suggests.

Indeed, my long, tall neighbor fit comfortably in the driver’s seat, much to his surprise, and two small dog crates sat side by side with room to spare in the cargo area without the need to push down the rear passenger seats.

A medium-size crate slid in sideways. And a dog the size of a Lab could ride comfortably and safely if he were cross-tied or sitting on the passenger seat restrained by a canine seat belt. The rear passenger seats fold down easily if you need more cargo space or would like to fit in another Lab.

That said, the Prius is not especially designed with dog owners in mind.

The cargo area has two tiedowns but no power outlets for running a crate fan, for instance, and on hot, sunny days the large rear window would focus a lot of heat on canine passengers.

Human passengers, however, will find amenities such as cupholders for the rear seats, dual temperature controls for driver and front-seat passenger, and a power outlet in the front seat area. I especially liked the open storage space beneath the front-seat cupholder, which was large enough to hold my purse, a mid-size pouch-shaped bag.

Other storage includes two glove boxes and a center console with a sliding armrest and center storage area.

The shifter is unusual, to say the least. Move it to the left /and down/ to put it in drive. Then watch it spring back to its original position, leaving you wondering if you are actually in the proper gear. You are, but it takes a little getting used to.

It was easy to see everything at a glance on the long digital dashboard. I can’t say the same for what was behind me. The sightline out the rear window is poor. The ride was generally comfortable, but braking isn’t especially smooth, and the car seemed to take a long time to slow down.

Of course, what this hybrid car is really known for is fuel economy. Toyota says the expected range for most drivers is 43 to 59 mpg in the city and 40 to 56 on the highway. The EPA estimates 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway.

It’s probably not the right choice for people who show or compete in sports with their small dogs, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Prius for city-driving dog owners who are concerned about getting good mileage and cutting down on emissions and want a vehicle capable of hauling their dogs to the vet or bringing home large bags of food.

The MSRP is $27,270. As equipped—automatic transmission, leather seats and steering wheel, 6-disk CD changer and satellite radio with mp3 jack and Bluetooth wireless, steering wheel with controls, and backup camera—it runs $33,079.

-- Kim Campbell-Thornton

Carguy Comments: Now in it's third generation, the Toyota Prius continues to be the trailblazer for hybrid technology. The engine is a combination of a four-cylinder, 16-valve gasoline-powered motor producing 134 horsepower and a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor with 80 horsepower and 60 kW output.

The battery pack is nickel-metal hydride producing 650 volts maximum. Passenger volume is 93.7 cubic feet and cargo volume is 21.6 cu. ft. A much-publicized solar roof package is available, featuring a solar roof that powers the air conditioning system.

-- Keith Turner Green Family Car

Barking lot banter: The 2010 Toyota Prius comfortably holds a maximum of four people and one or two small or medium-size dogs or — minus two people — up to two large dogs with the seats folded down.