2016 Toyota Prius | Why Buy?

— Detroit, Michigan

 The words “hybrid” and “Prius” are pretty much synonymous these days. Ever since its launch around the turn of the millennium, the Prius has made a massive splash, and arguably kicked off the entire mainstream gasoline-electric segment as we know it.

Here in the year 2016, the Prius is entering its fourth generation, with its most controversial (though Toyota would probably call it “emotive”) styling yet. But look past the angular headlights and weird taillights, and you’ve got the same, ultra-efficient, immensely functional Prius as before. It’s hard to argue with a car that gets a combined fuel economy rating of 52 miles per gallon.

No, the Prius isn’t a fun car to drive – enthusiasts like me actually kind of despise the thing, most of the time. But for commuters and city-dwellers, it’s hard to argue against the Prius’ excellent blend of utility and economy in a relatively small package. There are plenty of reasons why people gobble these hybrids up month after month, and we explain many of the hatchback’s good (and not so good) attributes in our latest Why Buy? video, above.