2005 Toyota Prius Overview Change Vehicle

This 2005 Toyota Prius overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2005 Prius, and includes Toyota Prius safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

An all-new Prius debuted last year, so it comes as no surprise that changes for 2005 amount to nothing more than the addition of a standard rear wiper.

If there ever was a car for indecisive shoppers, it’d be the Toyota Prius. Granted, those folks would need to actually decide to purchase this hybrid model in the first place, but once that’s done there’s not much left to think about. Toyota sells the Prius as just, well, the Prius. You won’t find LEs or XLEs here. As a result, buyers can rest assured that every 2005 Prius they set their eyes on will be equipped with power operated door locks and windows, an automatic climate control system, remote keyless entry, and heated mirrors, among other niceties.

There is opportunity to personalize the Prius to a small degree, a feat that’s accomplished by selecting one of the few but noteworthy options, including a navigation unit, an upgraded sound system, additional airbags, and a push-button ignition system.

Fitted under the hood of the 2005 Toyota Prius is a gasoline-powered, 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. It’s just one part of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the others being a nickel-metal hydride battery and a pair of electric motors. This technology allows the Prius to be driven in electric, gas, or hybrid mode.

The gas and electric components that make up the hybrid system put out different levels of power, with the net result being 110 horses and 82 lb-ft of torque. That’s not exactly hot rod material, though it is impressive for a hybrid vehicle. A continuously variable transmission, better known as a CVT, transfers output to this front-drive model’s 15-inch alloy wheels. All hybrid-related components are covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Fuel economy ratings are rather optimistic. The EPA says you’ll get 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway, but these numbers are unlikely to materialize in the real world. Expect to average in the mid-40s.

Toyota’s funky hybrid – when equipped with available front-seat, side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags – has earned high marks as a result of crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Skip the side airbags and the rating sinks to Poor. Personally, we’d consider that reason enough to shell out a little extra dough when the time comes to select options. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration subjected the Prius to its own round of crash tests, ultimately giving the hybrid a top score for frontal-impact, driver-side protection, and slightly lower marks for front and rear passenger-side impact protection.

With or without the optional side airbags, the 2005 Toyota Prius is expected to deliver top-notch dependability. Consumer Reports ranks the car’s reliability as excellent, and J.D. Power and Associates has bestowed upon the popular hybrid with two awards, naming the Prius 2005’s Most Dependable Compact Car and the Highest Ranked Compact Car in Initial Quality.

The Toyota Prius makes a strong case for going green and parking a hybrid in your garage. No, real-world fuel economy doesn’t meet the EPA’s optimistic estimates, but drive a 2005 Prius and you’ll still travel farther on a gallon of gas than in any other commuter car, or at least the ones we’ve tested. If you can look past the styling, the Prius rewards with a combination of efficiency, versatility and reliability that’s hard to match.

By Thom Blackett