Toyota Prius

Our verdict

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,0-62mph 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. And unlike some other tax-dodgers, you don't have to plug it in at night.

Running costs

If you can get the tax breaks, this is cheaper than comparable diesel hatchbacks. Otherwise, probably not, simply because fuel isn't the main cost of running a car, and the depreciation on a Prius is nothing special.