Toyota Prius: Best Engineered Vehicle for 2004

The second-generation gasoline/electric hybrid provides a larger and more versatile mid-size interior and significantly improves upon its pioneering predecessor in terms of performance, efficiency, emissions, and consumer appeal.

The name Prius comes from the Latin “to go before,” and the all-new 2004 model definitely is blazing new trails in hybrid passenger car technology and engineering. So much so that the readers and editors of Automotive Engineering International have voted the car Best Engineered Vehicle for 2004.

The new Prius features significantly more power and performance than the previous model, as well as best-in-class fuel economy and emissions. It introduces Toyota's second-generation gasoline/electric hybrid technology and is the first hybrid to provide the room, comfort, and features of a mid-size sedan. The full hybrid system is capable of operating in gasoline or electric modes, or a combination of both, and produces more power from both the gasoline engine and electric motor, giving the new model acceleration from 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in about 10 s (vs. 12.7 s for the previous model) and significantly improved passing performance. In addition, it yields even better fuel efficiency, with combined U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) highway/city mileage of 55 mpg, compared to 48 mpg for the previous generation. The car's body aids the powertrain in the search for ultimate efficiency with a drag coefficient, at 0.26, that is one of the lowest for a production vehicle sold in the U.S.