TEST DRIVE: Inhabitat Takes the Roomier Toyota Prius v for a Spin

At Inhabitat, we've been working our way through the latest editions of the <a title="Toyota Prius Hybrid" href="http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/" target="_blank">Toyota Prius</a>, including the <a title="TEST DRIVE: Inhabitat Takes the Plug-in Prius for an Extended Drive" href="http://inhabitat.com/test-drive-inhabitat-takes-the-plug-in-prius-for-an-extended-drive/" target="_blank">plug-in version</a> and the small <a title="Inhabitat: Prius c at the Detroit Auto Show" href="http://inhabitat.com/toyota-officially-unveils-its-prius-c-hybrid-car-at-the-detroit-auto-show/" target="_blank">Prius c</a>. This month we had a chance to try the larger <a title="Toyota Prius v" href="http://www.toyota.com/priusv/" target="_blank">Prius v</a>, which is the same shape as a standard Prius but about the size of a family wagon. We found that the interior was a little nicer than the other Priuses we had tested - heated leather seats and a double sunroof made it feel much more upmarket than most other cars in this vehicle line and we also enjoyed great legroom in front and back, plus a large hatchback trunk for gear. Toyota claims that by flattening part of the second row, you can fit 98 bags of stuff in there. That sounds breathlessly optimistic to us, but there is plenty of storage, so if you've been jonesing for a Prius but need more room, the v may be your ride.

If you drive a Prius v around town, chances are you can get away with all-season tires, but we found it slipping a bit on muddy dirt roads or snow.

We took our Prius tester to a local park, where spring was already springing in February--not typical weather for the Detroit area. The Prius v got the opportunity to drive in snow as well as mud, and managed both decently well.

The Prius v looks almost identical to the regular Prius in many ways, but the headlights and fog lights seem a little sportier somehow.

Note the typical Prius-shaped headlight here. The shape of the front end bulges a bit more, though, giving the v a slightly sportier stance.

Same mirrors as the smaller Prius.

The emblem on the front in particular sticks out more than on other Priuses.

The raked windshield still necessitates an extra panel of glass ahead of the side mirrors.

The hatch is less raked on the Prius v, which means more storage and less reflection off the rear window.

The Prius v is noticeably bigger from the rear. Not that sexy, but it's practical.

It's not every hybrid that has this much space in back.

Toyota promises 98 bags of groceries fit back here when you flatten the larger seat back. Maybe your giant stuffed panda from the state fair would have some legroom?

A storage compartment that would work well for keeping emergency roadside supplies out of the way.

This cover keeps your 98 bags of oranges from leaping out of the back and attacking you when you drive over bumpy roads.

The driver door has power controls and a quality feel to it. Nothing luxurious, but solid.

Power mirrors, power windows, power over the kidlets in the back, which is what buyers of this car really want.

Lots of black plastic, but the fit and finish in the Prius v seems a little better than the other Priuses we have driven. Is the Prius growing up?

The instrument cluster is all digital and tells you the charge level of the battery, among other things. No plugging this one in: regenerative braking recharges the battery and powers the motor.

More buttons on the steering wheel.

A button for starting it, too.

A button for putting the car in park, too.

Digital gear shifter, which is fun.

And more buttons, for navigation, HVAC, audio, and vehicle controls.

Most automakers now have a handle on how to build a decent navigation system, so you'll never get lost on your way to your destination--you just won't get there very fast in this car.

Digital HVAC. The knob can be flicked right or left to change which function it performs: mode, temperature, fan speed, and so on.

The center console is solid and useful, except for those odd vehicle mode buttons....

Why offer the driver buttons to switch between EV, hybrid, and power modes when the car won't let you switch to EV or power except when it already is doing it for you automatically?

Two glove boxes for extra storage. They might as well have called this the Prius Storage and made things clearer for everyone.

Again, solid Toyota build quality, but nothing exciting.

Ah, there's the jewel in the crown: a double sunroof that opens at the touch of--yeah, another button.