2011 Toyota Prius Hybrid

The 2011 Toyota Prius is offered in a total of five trim levels which are One, Two, Three, Four, and Five. The price of the base trim starts at $22,120 and offers a decent set of features. Being the basic trim it cannot be equipped with the optional packages and the powertrain along with the drivetrain layout remains the same for all the trims. Climbing up the trim ladder adds some premium features and the additional packages make things even better. There are two packages on offer, the Navigation Package, and the Advanced Technology Package. The features that come with the Navigation Package include a rearview camera, voice-activated touchscreen navigation, and an iPod/USB audio interface among other features. A Solar Roof Package can also be bundled with this package which adds a sunroof and a solar-powered ventilation system that helps to keep the car cool when parked out in the sun. The Advanced Technology package can only be had for the top-end Prius V trim and adds adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision alert system, and an automatic parking system among others.

We recommend

We would recommend the Prius Two for a decent experience. If you can stretch your budget a bit, opt for the Prius Three along with the Navigation Package and the Solar Roof Package can be a viable option.

The 2011 Toyota Prius is powered by a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. It comprises a 1.8-liter gasoline engine that generates a maximum of 98 horsepower. The motor is paired with two permanent-synchronous motors which generate another 34 horsepower. Together, the powertrain dishes out 134 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of maximum torque. For a hybrid vehicle, the power figures are decent and the Prius can be driven in a fully EV mode but unfortunately, up to a certain speed limit after which the gasoline motor kicks. The powertrain is mated to a specially designed CVT transmission that works in both EV mode and normal mode as well. The Prius takes a decent 10.1 seconds to complete the 0-60mph sprint and tops out at 103mph.

The 2011 Lexus CT200h shares the same powertrain as the Prius but makes more torque to justify the luxurious Lexus badge. The Honda Insight is a comparatively cheaper alternative to the Prius but has significantly lesser horsepower output. Surprisingly though, the Insight is less than a second slower than both the Prius and the CT200h.

Delivering excellent fuel economy is the fundamental reason for the existence of hybrid vehicles and the Prius is truly good at it. The 2011 Toyota Prius mpg figures are rated at 51mpg within the city, 48mpg out on the highways, and 50mpg of combined mileage. The car gets a rather small 11.9-gallon gas tank but delivers impressive driving range numbers owing to its high mileage ratings.

Even though the Lexus CT200h shares a similar powertrain with the Prius it fails to deliver the fuel efficiency to match up to its cheaper mechanical twin. The Honda Insight disappoints the most with its fuel economy numbers considering the fact that it puts out significantly lower power levels. It also fails to deliver the desired driving range owing to its rather small 10.6-gallon gas tank. The Lexus and Honda offerings average 42 and 41 MPG, respectively, and manage range under the 500-mile mark on the highway. 

The 2011 Toyota Prius interior is quite straightforward and functional. The design is bland, to say the least, and the gauge cluster looks extremely busy, not quite driver-friendly. The cabin materials are also not up to the mark and given the price tag, things could’ve been better. The cabin is quite spacious, however, with adequate headroom and legroom for both the front and rear passengers as well. The cabin can be extremely versatile when compared to its rivals and the hatchback-style liftgate allows easy access to the cargo area. Coming to the cargo area, the car offers a decent 21.6 cu-ft of cargo space and 39.6 cu-ft with the rear seats folded down, a decent space for the segment.

The Lexus CT200h falls short in front of the Prius when it comes to cabin space and has a cramped rear seat but is more luxurious than the latter since it carries the Lexus badge. It also offers an impressive 53 cu-ft of cargo space with the seats folded down but the space with the seats upright is not so impressive. The Honda Insight has a better and more user-friendly cabin than the Prius but is quite driver-focused since it has cramped rear seats. The cargo capacity of 31.5 cu.-ft is also on the lower side as opposed to the rivals here.

Some standout interior features:

• Height-adjustable driver seat 
• 60/40-split-folding rear seat.
• Keyless entry
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats

How intuitive is the 2011 Toyota Prius’s infotainment unit?

Disappointingly, the base trim of the Prius comes without an infotainment system. From the Two trim onwards the car is fitted with an infotainment system although it starts with very basic features such as a six-speaker stereo system, a CD player, an auxiliary audio input. Climbing up the trim ladder sees more enhanced infotainment features such as an eight-speaker JBL audio system with a 6-CD changer. The Navigation Package includes an iPod and USB audio interface along with Bluetooth music streaming capability.

Some infotainment features are:

• CD player 
• Auxiliary audio jack
• Eight-speaker JBL sound system
• Bluetooth connectivity 
• Six CD changer
• Voice-activated touch screen navigation system
• Rearview camera
• USB ports
• iPod audio interface 

From the second generation onward, the Prius became more appealing to the eyes but doesn’t have any flashy or sharp exterior design cues to justify its fuel-efficient image among the crowd. The overall design is smooth to reduce air resistance as much as possible which resulted in a reduced drag-coefficient as compared to the previous model. The headlamps do get a unique design and the sloping roofline at the rear gives it a coupe-like appearance from the side. The rear end gets clear-lens taillight units and a hatchback-style liftgate for easy access to the cargo area. The ground clearance is also decent at 6-inch.

The Lexus CT200h surely looks the part since it carries the Lexus badge but is less appealing than the rest of the vehicles from the brand. The car gets an aggressive front styling with an overall compact form factor, making it easy to maneuver in the city traffic. The Honda Insight gets the most simplistic design language here with a sedan-like design approach from the brand. It is the lightest one here and also has the most compact exterior dimensions as well. While ground clearance is similar for all three vehicles, the Toyota Prius’ wheelbase of 106 inches and the longer length of 176 inches does ensure higher space on the inside. It is also wider and taller than the rivals measuring 75 and 59 inches, respectively.

Some exterior features are:

• 15-inch steel wheels / 17-inch alloy wheels
• Fog lamps 
• Automatic LED headlamps
• Heated side mirrors
• Sunroof with a solar-powered ventilation system(optional)

The 2011 Toyota Prius brings excellent safety to the table with impressive crash test scores. The NHTSA gave it a perfect 5-star rating while the IIHS gave it the best possible “Good” rating in all testing parameters. Anti-lock disc brakes, stability control, traction control, and front side airbags with side curtain airbags are standard. 

Some standout safety techs include:

• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags 
• Driver knee airbag
• Pre-collision warning system (optional)
• Lane-departure warning system (optional)

Overall, the 2011 Toyota Prius is a strong contender in the hybrid vehicle segment. It does possess a strong set of points going for it such as an excellent fuel economy, superb reliability, excellent safety, and decent performance for the price. It might disappoint with its sub-par quality of cabin but the versatility and the decent comfort levels make up for it.