ARB On The Cover Review: 2010 Toyota Prius

For a long time, many people considered the Toyota Prius to be a 50-mpg geekmobile, chosen by holier-than-thou environmental whack jobs. Then we had a $5.00/gallon gasoline scare, the economy went into the dumper and the frugalness of the Prius Hybrid started to look better to "normal" people. Problem is, these so-called "normal" people wanted a better driving experience than the Prius had to offer. Sure, people want to be responsible citizens, but not at the expense of personal comfort and satisfaction. Enter the 2010 Prius. It's a little bigger, drives a little better and has a little more power than the outgoing model. It's an easier pill to swallow for someone abandoning a vehicle they actually wanted for a vehicle they think they should have. Yeah, it still looks like a geekmobile, but it's finished off nicer and looks slightly more mainstream. If you squint. It's also more fun to drive. Not really fun in the normal sense, but better than it was. Still, the worse things get for people overall, the more appealing a car like this is to people that can afford to buy something. The Prius is socially acceptable, and that may be it's greatest strength.