Toyota Prius i-Tech 2016 Long-term review - 4

Toyota Prius i-Tech
Long term road test (Update 3)

It's a given that when you drive, you should be using all your senses. Sight is the obvious one, closely followed by touch. Smell is important in case there's an engine fire and taste is handy for when you've just been through the Maccas drive-through.

The most important sense, however, when it comes to a Prius, is hearing.

Why? Because the sounds the Prius makes are likely to throw you off more than any obstacle the outside world has to offer.

When you hit the push-button start on the top-spec i-Tech for example, there's no satisfying engine grumble. Just a deep, unsettling silence. In fact, when the engine chooses to rev up, it's not usually in tandem with your foot pressing down on the accelerator. It's just whenever the car feels like it.

The mismatch between what you're doing and what you're hearing is an unsettling sensation capable of throwing off even the most experienced driver.

Once you're used to it, however, the Prius is a comfortable, economical and technological ride.

The version I drove, in a colour called Pearl White, had an uncanny resemblance to a Star Wars Stormtrooper. I'll be honest – it's not a particularly attractive car. There are lots of sharp ridges awkwardly cutting into its bulky shell. Apparently this is for aerodynamics. I'd prefer a bit less airflow in favour of something slightly sexier.

The clunky design of the exterior is easily forgotten once you get into the car, where leather-accented seats and a spaceship-like dashboard make the car feel expensive and modern. The old-school foot pedal parking brake, however, feels a little out of place.

In the front seat, the car is nice and spacious. A sloping roof will make the backseat feel a little cramped for taller individuals, while the boot could comfortably fit two medium suitcases. Split retractable rear seats boost this space even further.

Getting set up in the car can be a little daunting. The touch screen lacks a central control or menu button, making it a bit challenging to navigate. Thankfully, steering wheel controls minimise this issue whilst driving.

Phone pairing is great and – importantly – the phone ring tone is nice and not grating. Those with "Qi compatible" phones (Samsung, Nokia, Motorola) can charge their phones wirelessly through an induction pad near the gear stick. Sadly, iPhones don't charge like this. Get your act together, Apple.

There's also plenty of information at your disposal – almost too much. The Prius basically tells you how well you're driving, which can be intimidating. Are you braking smoothly? Are you accelerating evenly? Are you using eco-friendly climate control settings? Are you a good person? Just kidding about that last one but I wouldn't be surprised if it were in the next model.

The car feels stable on the road, absorbing the lumps and bumps of suburban streets. Steering is smooth and responsive. It's also nice and quiet aside from the aforementioned occasional, unpredictable engine noise.

I happened to drive the Prius during a week of torrential rain and icy temperatures in Melbourne. I was incredibly grateful for the front seat heaters, which did their job beautifully. Climate control is similarly excellent. However, I was frustrated by the limited rear windscreen wiper – which really only wipes half the back windscreen. Add to this the fact the rear windshield is split in half by an annoying structural bar and visibility can get quite limited.

The headlights are auto and so are the windscreen wipers, but they require some fairly heavy raindrops to coax them into action. The car also has automatic high beam headlights that switch to low beam when there's another car approaching.

There is also a handful of helpful additions to help you avoid running off the road, like blind-spot monitoring, where a light on your side mirrors lights up when a car is close to you in your blind-spot. The satellite navigation system also helpfully displays instructions at the top of your dashboard in your line of vision. A head-up display gives you your speed too.

The reverse camera is great but the noise it makes isn't. The minute you chuck the car into reverse it starts making a loud beeping sound like an oversized truck backing out. I like to be able to hear things while I reverse so this really irritated me.

The i-Tech variant is around $10,000 more expensive than the rest of its competitors, but offers a more compelling technology package. Petrol consumption for seven days of city driving came in at 4.7L/100km, so fuel economy is obviously a major draw card.

I was pretty charmed by the i-Tech. After all, it works very hard for your affection, like an over-eager teacher's pet looking to please.

Then, two days after I farewelled the Prius, a friend driving a six-month-old Tesla just happened to offer me a lift home. I only spent 10 minutes in the car but with its smooth, silent, elegant magic, it had a major impact on me. Simple but stunning.

So, on second thoughts, perhaps Toyota could take a leaf out of Elon Musk's book – without adding the $200,000 price tag. That's the dream.

Toyota Prius i-Tech pricing and specifications:
Price: $42,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 90kW/142Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 3.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 80g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Related reading:
Toyota Prius i-Tech Long-Term Test - Update 2
Toyota Prius i-Tech Long-Term Test - Update 1
Toyota Prius i-Tech Long-Term Test - Introduction
Also consider:
>> Nissan LEAF EV Hatch (from $39,990 plus ORCs)
>> Honda Civic Hybrid (from $33,990 plus ORCs)
>> Kia Cerato SLi (from $31,990 plus ORCs)