In April 2008 Toyota announced
that sales of their dominating hybrid, the Prius, had reached the 1 million
mark; 1,028,000 to be exact, with the vast majority of sales being conducted in
North America and Japan.
According to Toyota, the 1 million
Prius (yes, Prius is the plural form) contributed to 4.5 million tons LESS in
carbon dioxide pollution. With a satisfaction rate of 98% by users, there's no
wonder that the Prius reached the 1 million mark but why the Prius, why are so
many individuals racing to Toyota dealerships and offering anything to join the
ever growing population of hybrid owners?

First, what exactly makes a Toyota Prius Hybrid go? It uses a dual system of
both an electric mode (for lower speeds) and a gas-electric mode (for those
lead foot users or at higher speeds). A respectable 0-60 in 10.2 seconds is
just another added plus to this wonder car.

But why is it selling? With a base MSRP of $21,500, a city MPG of 48, and a
highway MPG of 45, who would pass this offer up? Making it such a hit among
buyers is its exterior and interior options. 

Exterior
If you have never seen a Prius, think of a futuristic
space ship, something from the Jetsons. And there you have it, the Toyota
Prius. Known for its distinct space-age shape it has received many mixed reviews
about its exterior. Users claim that by having this "ugly" car, they
are taking a stand. A stand that goes against the beauty of the Hummers,
Escalades, and Suburbans of the world.

Interior
For starters, it fits 5 adults comfortably in its
sedan shell. With the option to fold down the rear seats, more cargo room is
revealed. And everyone has the one friend that towers over everyone else. For
them, the Prius offers 2 1/2 more inches of leg room over the Honda Civic
hybrid.

Special features and advantages are what separate every traditional hybrid
from the leader. The Prius offers the "Power" push-button—rather than
the traditional key to turn—and the shifter bounces back in place after
selecting “D” to drive. These features are spontaneous and partly contribute to
the enjoyment of driving the Prius. Toyota
also built in the large dashboard Energy Monitor, which shows the power flow
between the hybrid battery pack, electric motor and gasoline engine.

The major advantage to owning a Prius is the fuel economy. With gas prices
at the 4 dollar mark and on the rise, driving confidently in a car who’s MPG is
48 for the city versus the 40 for the Honda Civic Hybrid puts a driver's mind
at ease. And who doesn't love the 4 cup holders to the 2 offered by the Civic
hybrid. Can't beat that!

But with every great thing, there are issues. The current problem that Toyota
is facing is known simply as "The Prius Waiting List". No one
predicted gas would be at 4 dollars by the end of June, so now Toyota
faces the problem of meeting the high demand for hybrid cars. "A year ago,
our [vehicle] supplies were at record level in Prius," Bob Carter, head of
Toyota’s U.S operations told the
trade journal Automotive News. "Now we're in catch-up mode."
Toyota can’t ramp up battery
production fast enough to build enough Prius to meet demand, Carter said.
"We're pushing for every bit of production we can get; we're working very
closely with our suppliers to increase that capacity." Dealerships are
feeling the heat from demanding consumers who want their car now and don't want
to wait the allotted time period on the waiting list. "Unless Toyota
sends a lot more cars, we're going to see Prius wait lists spin out again to
about 6 months," Toby Parks, the sales manager at Toyota of Berkeley
recently told HybridCars.com. Some dealerships have a wait list that spans the
course of 3 months and some are dealing with issues of to deal with the demand
for the Prius. Dealerships are either keeping a list of prospective owners,
working on a first-come first-serve basis, or are asking for down payments in
advanced. Each dealership is handling the best that they can until the supply
is filled by Toyota.

Even used Prius are seeing an increase in price. “In the last month or two,
we’ve seen values go up, ballpark, from around $15,000 for a 2005 model year
Prius to around $17,000. That’s pretty significant for a used car price to
increase that much in a short time." said James Clark, editorial director
at Automotive Leasing Guide, in an interview with HybridCars.com.

The outcome from these issues is that 1) consumers are finally becoming
aware that their gas-guzzling SUVs are consuming way to much gas and in return
polluting the earth everyday, and 2) they are finally researching hybrid cars
that have been developed to help cut back on the carbon dioxide that is abundantly
polluting the air we breath. The Prius, who’s MPG, may be the greatest selling
factor at this time, will continue to grow in sales as will other competitive
hybrids. The future looks filled with "ugly" space-age shaped hybrid
cars contributing 4.5 million tons less of carbon dioxide pollution.

Source:http://www.hybridcars.com/compacts-sedans/toyota-prius-overview.html

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