prius

Toyota starts a hybrid price war, new Camaro won't get a 4-cylinder or convertible, Twitter on OnStar and Opera browser on F-150's, plus a ride in the X5 xDrive35d.

• Prius vs. Insight price war

• EV start-up wants to merge with GM

• Nissan's electric car

• Mazda doesn't buy into all this hybrid stuff

• OnStar to support Twitter in dash?

In the battle of the ultimate hybrid, whose green will reign supreme? The new Prius and the Honda Insight go head-to-head in this Web video. The reviewers look at handling, design, miles per gallon, and overall value. Although the Insight has a lot of personality and is less expensive, the reviewers picked the Prius.

The most important thing to remember about the much-anticipated 2010 Prius model update is that Toyota is, at its heart, a conservative company. Add to that Toyota's desire not to spoil the continued success of the previous Prius model, and you get a new car that isn't radically changed from its predecessor.

The Prius still uses Toyota's Synergy hybrid system, a full hybrid system that propels the car under electric power at low speeds. It's still shaped like a speed bump, with a hatchback and a quick drop-off at the back. And the cabin tech still uses a DVD-based navigation system, and lacks a USB port or iPod integration for the audio system.

However, Toyota did give it a slightly bigger engine, a 1.8-liter four cylinder, increasing the power, and at the same time increasing the fuel economy. Some reshaping around the grille and hood brings in Toyota's new design language, while the roof peak has been moved back a bit to increase rear head room and create better aerodynamics. The cabin now includes a floating console and a shift lever with a more traditional layout than the previous one. And Toyota gives the Prius some new tech tricks, such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic parking.

We got our hands on the new Prius during a preview event, and found that it drives very similarly to the previous generation. The net horsepower from the new power train comes out to 134, over the older model's 110, which you can feel during hill climbs and acceleration at speed. Toyota claims a 0 to 60 mph time of 9.8 seconds for the new model. It's hardly a drastic change in power over the old car, but it is usable. … Read more

In this satire of a Nissan ad, starring Andy Richter and James Adomian, a Prius owner smugly extols the advantages the Prius has over his neighbor's car, a Hyundai Elantra, with a fatal result. Nissan denies any involvement with the production.

Probably the only race that Buick and Jaguar would finish in a tie is the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), but both are on the top of the leader board this week. Each rank highest in vehicle dependability in a tie. Buick improves from a sixth-place ranking in 2008, while Jaguar improves from 10th place. Following in the top-five rankings this year are Lexus, Toyota and Mercury.

Toyota garners five segment awards for the Highlander, Prius, Sequoia, Solara, and Tundra. Lexus follows with four segment awards for the ES 330 (in a tie with the … Read more

In addition to a host of debatably better chassis modifications, 2009 Formula 1 cars now have regenerative brakes.

But don't think these cars will be using the stored energy to improve gas mileage. Although officials have been paying lip service about improving the environmentally-friendliness of the sport, this expensive (and potentially dangerous) advancement will most likely improve audience appeal.… Read more

DETROIT -- Toyota Priuses with plug-in hybrid technology are averaging 65 mpg in combined gasoline and electric-mode testing.

"That is real-world driving," said Bill Reinert, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s national alternative-fuel vehicle manager. "I ask my guys to drive them as you drive your normal Prius."

By comparison, the redesigned 2010 Prius, a parallel hybrid with nickel-metal hydride batteries, will have an estimated 50 mpg rating.

U.S. sales of a Toyota plug-in hybrid will begin sometime after 2010.

"It would make sense that we would do it with a Prius, but … Read more

Toyota gives the third generation Prius a face-lift that even Joan Rivers would find daunting. This new model features larger dimensions, more fuel economy, and a few new safety and efficiency tricks, but did they get it right?

Given the grim financial condition of the auto industry, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week has been, by many accounts, a relatively somber affair.

At the same time, the industry appears to be on the brink of major technological change: many automakers this week announced plans to introduce electric cars of various types in the next two years.

Toyota plans to introduce an all-electric car in 2012, but it said its primary technology will be the gas-electric hybrid, used in the iconic Prius and now some Lexus models.

At the auto show, it introduced the next … Read more