Hi,

I would recommend using the Wiki write up on the Prius for more details. The Prius came in three models:

• NHW10 - sold 1997-2000 in Japan, the first generation, everything is written in Japanese and the power was limited.
• NHW11 - sold 2001-2003 in Japan, North American and to a limited extent, other countries. It had more power and better fuel economy.
• NHW20 - sold 2004-current, has even more power and better fuel economy. One popular after-market product is a stiffening plate to improve handling (squishy body?)

Now for a Toyota 'sports' hybrid, you might check on the Lexus but they are pretty expensive and not what I'd really call sporty. You may want to ask the Honda Civic Hybrid folks what they think of their ride.

My understanding is the Nissan Altima hybrid is sportier with sharper handling. But this is based only upon commercial reviews and not personal experience.

Bob Wilson

 

Currently there are two Prius models in the US, the standard and the touring. The standard has 15" wheels. The touring has slightly stiffer suspension, 16" wheels, and a larger rear spoiler. The overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo is the same on both models. The power train is also the same. The standard model gets slightly better mileage than the touring. The touring has a slightly shorter braking distance, due to slightly wider/better quality tires. You can get this by changing out the 15" standard model tires for Nokian ones, keeping the mileage but getting shorter stopping distances (the Nokians seem to get about 5% better mileage compared to the standard models stock Goodyear Integrity tire).

The Nissan Altima Hybrid is almost identical spec wise to the Toyota Camry Hybrid. They are nice cars, but get poorer mileage compared to a Prius. Prius is at the top of the mileage chart.

You can also get Lexus Hybrids, but again, they get poorer mileage compared to the Prius. In fact, they are tuned for extra oomf in hybrid form, not much greater mileage. They -are- fun though.

 

So, as a noob about this I have a question for you. It sounds like a used Prius still has the warranty on the battery in california for me as a second owner, correct? It also sounds like its a good idea to get a 2004 or newer car. ...

 

My understanding is the California warranty was 150,000 miles and 10 years and all others have a 100,000 mile / 8 years. Perhaps you might offer some more details? A good place is to update your user profile using "user CP".

BTW, welcome to GreenHybrid.com

Bob Wilson