1. VALUE: PRIUS
At $20,875 for the bare bones Prius, it’s the most affordable – and most pure practical hybrid – available. Standard equipment includes fabric upholstery, along with power windows, door locks and heated outside mirrors.
It’s hard to beat the 2005 Toyota Prius for hybrid value. As a second-generation car with a powertrain planned for practically every Toyota vehicle, the Prius avoids carrying the full brunt of hybrid development cost. At $20,875 for the bare bones model, it’s the most affordable –- and most purely practical -- hybrid available. Standard equipment includes Toyota-grade fabric upholstery and automatic air conditioning with a micron filter, along with power windows, door locks and heated outside mirrors. Remote keyless entry, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, intermittent front and rear wipers, and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo are also standard. Options are available as packages. The least expensive, at $920, includes a security alarm, Homelink garage door opener, and a Smart Key keyless locking and ignition system. The $1,100 package couples the Smart Key System with a side airbag package. The $5,065 package includes the equipment listed above and adds GPS navigation with voice recognition, Bluetooth wireless communications capability, a nine-speaker JBL stereo with six-disc CD changer, electronic Vehicle Skid Control (VSC), fog lamps, and HID headlights. Must-have options are limited to the side airbag package with Smart Key system for $1,100, bringing the on-paper price of a Prius to just under $22,000. Pretty nice, considering that with the mid-sized hatch design of the Prius, cargo and passenger space is not much less than that of the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid and fuel tank capacity, at 11.9 gallons, is a mere three gallons less than the Ford Escape Hybrid. Fuel economy is significantly better than its competitors, and while there is nary a driving enthusiast out there who will smile at the performance, there are hordes of commuters who will fall in love with the Prius because it offers plenty of room, a quality finish, an adequate tank -- along with miles and miles of fuel savings. With gas approaching $3 a gallon in metro areas across the nation, that combination adds up to a great value. Now -- just try to find a dealership that has a Prius equipped like that selling for sticker. That’s a whole new twist on the meaning of value.
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