Toyota Prius

There are some blindingly clever technologies in the Toyota Prius, but the overall result is intriguing not game-changing. And we have no great desire to be thus intrigued.

• Comfort

  The Prius is far more roomy than other eco-cars, and if you keep economy in mind and drive gently it's also very quiet, especially in town where competing diesels rattle and vibrate.

  

• Performance

  Better than it seems, but you don't really have any impression of acceleration because engine speed is unrelated to road speed. That makes overtaking very hard to judge. For the record, 0-100km/h takes 10.9 seconds.

  

• Cool

  Only among a know-nothing section of the metropolitan chattering class.

  

• Quality

  There are some cheap plastics on the dash and the seat material is a bit fuzzy, but you've got to respect the engineering. Even in a car as complicated as this, there have been very few breakdowns.

  

• Handling

  The Prius's electric power steering feels very detached from the action, even though general grip isn't bad. But what really kills the fun is that the rubber-band effect of the CVT transmission means you tend to lurch and pitch uneasily.

  

• Practicality

  This is a fairly practical proposition, as it's a decent-sized five-door hatchback.

  

• Running costs

  This isn't really cheaper than comparable diesel hatchbacks simply because fuel isn't the main cost of running a car, and the depreciation on a Prius is nothing special.