Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius (its name comes from Latin and means "to go before") exists as a partial solution to the automobile's problem of tailpipe emissions. The Prius, like other hybrid vehicles, has a special powertrain that combines a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine with an electric motor. This powertrain, along with other advanced features, allows the Prius to deliver higher fuel economy and lower emissions compared to regular cars.

The 2011 Toyota Prius ranks 3 out of 19 Affordable Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 28 published reviews and test drives of the Toyota Prius, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The 2011 Toyota Prius isn’t the most comfortable or fastest car on the market, but the Prius makes up for these faults with its stellar fuel economy ratings of 51/48 mpg city/highway, the highest on the market

Shifting a company’s customer base from early adopters to mass market consumers is one of the key challenges facing green marketers.  Few green companies have been able to expand their niche beyond a core set of customers.  One of the primary reasons is that consumers tend to not like paying price premiums for green products.  Another reason is simply that consumers have not traditionally prioritized “green” as a deciding attribute when making purchase decisions. 

Yet, certain green brands like the Toyota Prius seem to be crossing this “chasm” into the mass market.  Though still in the early stages of their adoption, hybrids have already generated broad appeal with mainstream consumers