The best selling and most popular hybrid car in the world right now is once again the Toyota Prius. When the Prius was released back in 1997 it pioneered the trend towards hybrid vehicles.

The Prius sold very poorly at first, but sales picked up when new models came on the market. In 2003 Toyota came out with their second generation hybrid vehicle making it car of the year according to Motor Trend.

People are buying hybrid cars not just for environmental and health issues, but also because of soaring gas prices. Prius is the number 1 choice due to its simplicity and price, there are many hybrid cars to choose from.

Many improvements have been made to the latest hybrid vehicles. The first generation Toyota Prius was fuel efficient but it only had the additional option of air-conditioning. The second generation vehicle improved on the first in aesthetics, speed, and size. Of the midsize hatchback sedans in the marketplace, it’s the first one to have won multiple awards.

This hybrid car uses the Synergy hybrid system which is used by all hybrid vehicles that Toyota manufactures. It uses a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engines features intelligent valve timing and an AC synchronous, permanent magnet motor. It has 110 horsepower (combining electric power with gas power) and 46 mpg fuel economy (shared city and highway ranking by EPA).

It has an electronically controlled continuous variable transmission, anti-lock system and regenerative breaking. It has up to 89 % less emissions and grants the owner a tax credit upon purchase.

The standard features of the second generation Toyota Prius are power windows, cloth seating, micron filter air-conditioning, electric door locks, cruise control and remote keyless entry. The climate, radio, and cruise control can be adjusted remotely though switches on the steering wheel.

The Bluetooth Navigational system is one of the options customers have when buying the vehicle. What makes it different from any other hybrids on the market is that it uses a power button to start the ingition rather than a key. On the dashboard is an energy motor that monitors the power that flows through the battery pack, engine and electric motor.

While the second-generation Toyota Prius isn’t the most stylish of the available hybrids, its low price, high miles per gallon, and environmentally minded features combine to make it extremely attractive. The practical alternative choice is the pioneer.