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2001
Toyota Prius

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$19,995
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2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius 2001 Toyota Prius

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Expert 2001 Toyota Prius review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By Jim Mateja
Full article
our expert's take

What does Toyota do for an encore after the Prius?

Many consumers fell in love with the subcompact gas/electric hybrid, a romance begun at just about the same time gasoline prices reached $2 a gallon.

“Will we do another hybrid? I certainly think so. Don’t know when, but I’d like it to be a minivan or sport-utility hybrid this time,” said Don Esmond, vice president and general manager of Toyota during a chat at the unveiling of the ’02 Camry.

While Camry outsells Prius by roughly 390,000 units, the little hybrid is a vital member of the Toyota team, Esmond insisted, saying it is only the first of others to come and served the purpose of getting consumers to understand the advantages of a hybrid.

“Prius was just the first step at Toyota. We weren’t just launching a new car, we were launching a new technology at a time when our worst enemy was the reputation of the battery-powered electric cars in the market,” he said.

And the reputation was that with battery-only cars, the motorist had to stop for a lengthy battery recharge, which turned many consumers off to a pure electric and turned them on to the merits of a gas/electric, such as Prius, that recharges the batteries as it is driven.

The beauty of Prius is that batteries start the car and get it in motion, the times when gas engines burn the most fuel. Once moving, gas takes over, but if you need a power boost to pass, the batteries come into play again. Maximum mileage and minimum emissions.

“We’ll do about 12,000 to 13,000 Prius this year and hope to get about 15,000 to 16,000 of them next year. The public is now convinced this is the direction to go with hybrids,” Esmond said.

However, Esmond admitted that if he had his choice, Prius probably wouldn’t be in the Toyota stable right now.

“I wouldn’t have picked a subcompact car as my first hybrid. I would have gone with a van or SUV first. But the car was developed in Japan, and in Japan the small car is the vehicle of choice, not the van or SUV,” he said.

“The hybrid is the bridge until we get to fuel cells,” he added, referring to the technology that uses hydrogen to generate electricity to power a vehicle. “But fuel cells [are] still a long way off.” Esmond noted that while the industry keeps working on hydrogen-powered vehicles, there is no infrastructure to service the cars.

In other words there’s no place to pull into to holler, “Fill ‘er up.”

Though the preview was held to unveil the Camry, Esmond ventured opinions on a variety of topics.

For example, what about a truck/sport-ute derivative of the Toyota Tundra pickup like Chevy has done with its Avalanche and Lincoln with its Blackwood?

“We’re happy where we are,” Esmond said. “But while practical has been our forte, we don’t just want to be known as the Maytag repairman of the industry,” he said, hinting that it would be best to stay tuned.

And as long as Toyota broug ht out a new and larger Camry, why a Camry sporting all-wheel-drive?

“We don’t have it now, but we need to look at it. All-wheel- or four-wheel-drive is what made people shift out of cars and into sport-utility vehicles, so if we want to shift people back into cars we need to consider it in our cars. However, I suspect we would consider it for our Lexus [luxury] brand first,” he said.

And what about OnStar, the emergency communications system from General Motors that Lexus offers in its cars under the Lexus Link name?

“We’ve looked at which Toyota [model] to put that system in, but there are no plans for it in any vehicle now,” Esmond said.

There are those who said the addition of the Highlander sport-ute to the Toyota lineup would spell the end of the 4Runner.

Esmond said Toyota will continue offering the 4Runner SUV and will bring out a new design for ’03.

Also on tap, a major redesign as well as a larger orolla coming out in January a n ’03; the debut of the Toyota Matrix in February as an ’03 model, the new front-wheel-drive or AWD compact being built with GM (Pontiac Vibe) at the joint-venture plant in Fremont, Calif.; a major redesign of the subcompact Echo for ’03; and a redesigned and larger Sienna minivan in mid-’03 for the ’04 model year.

As for that redesigned and larger ’02 Toyota Camry, it comes with cupholders designed to handle everything from the smallest Dixie Cup to the largest Supersized container Mickey D’s offers, but boasts a special feature of which Esmond says he is especially proud that caters to credit-card users.

“If your credit card slips into the holder and you can’t retrieve it, you only have to close the lid and the holder is designed to shove the card back up out of the holder,” Esmond said.

We can all rest a bit easier tonight.

2001 Toyota Prius review: Our expert's take
By Jim Mateja

What does Toyota do for an encore after the Prius?

Many consumers fell in love with the subcompact gas/electric hybrid, a romance begun at just about the same time gasoline prices reached $2 a gallon.

“Will we do another hybrid? I certainly think so. Don’t know when, but I’d like it to be a minivan or sport-utility hybrid this time,” said Don Esmond, vice president and general manager of Toyota during a chat at the unveiling of the ’02 Camry.

While Camry outsells Prius by roughly 390,000 units, the little hybrid is a vital member of the Toyota team, Esmond insisted, saying it is only the first of others to come and served the purpose of getting consumers to understand the advantages of a hybrid.

“Prius was just the first step at Toyota. We weren’t just launching a new car, we were launching a new technology at a time when our worst enemy was the reputation of the battery-powered electric cars in the market,” he said.

And the reputation was that with battery-only cars, the motorist had to stop for a lengthy battery recharge, which turned many consumers off to a pure electric and turned them on to the merits of a gas/electric, such as Prius, that recharges the batteries as it is driven.

The beauty of Prius is that batteries start the car and get it in motion, the times when gas engines burn the most fuel. Once moving, gas takes over, but if you need a power boost to pass, the batteries come into play again. Maximum mileage and minimum emissions.

“We’ll do about 12,000 to 13,000 Prius this year and hope to get about 15,000 to 16,000 of them next year. The public is now convinced this is the direction to go with hybrids,” Esmond said.

However, Esmond admitted that if he had his choice, Prius probably wouldn’t be in the Toyota stable right now.

“I wouldn’t have picked a subcompact car as my first hybrid. I would have gone with a van or SUV first. But the car was developed in Japan, and in Japan the small car is the vehicle of choice, not the van or SUV,” he said.

“The hybrid is the bridge until we get to fuel cells,” he added, referring to the technology that uses hydrogen to generate electricity to power a vehicle. “But fuel cells [are] still a long way off.” Esmond noted that while the industry keeps working on hydrogen-powered vehicles, there is no infrastructure to service the cars.

In other words there’s no place to pull into to holler, “Fill ‘er up.”

Though the preview was held to unveil the Camry, Esmond ventured opinions on a variety of topics.

For example, what about a truck/sport-ute derivative of the Toyota Tundra pickup like Chevy has done with its Avalanche and Lincoln with its Blackwood?

“We’re happy where we are,” Esmond said. “But while practical has been our forte, we don’t just want to be known as the Maytag repairman of the industry,” he said, hinting that it would be best to stay tuned.

And as long as Toyota broug ht out a new and larger Camry, why a Camry sporting all-wheel-drive?

“We don’t have it now, but we need to look at it. All-wheel- or four-wheel-drive is what made people shift out of cars and into sport-utility vehicles, so if we want to shift people back into cars we need to consider it in our cars. However, I suspect we would consider it for our Lexus [luxury] brand first,” he said.

And what about OnStar, the emergency communications system from General Motors that Lexus offers in its cars under the Lexus Link name?

“We’ve looked at which Toyota [model] to put that system in, but there are no plans for it in any vehicle now,” Esmond said.

There are those who said the addition of the Highlander sport-ute to the Toyota lineup would spell the end of the 4Runner.

Esmond said Toyota will continue offering the 4Runner SUV and will bring out a new design for ’03.

Also on tap, a major redesign as well as a larger orolla coming out in January a n ’03; the debut of the Toyota Matrix in February as an ’03 model, the new front-wheel-drive or AWD compact being built with GM (Pontiac Vibe) at the joint-venture plant in Fremont, Calif.; a major redesign of the subcompact Echo for ’03; and a redesigned and larger Sienna minivan in mid-’03 for the ’04 model year.

As for that redesigned and larger ’02 Toyota Camry, it comes with cupholders designed to handle everything from the smallest Dixie Cup to the largest Supersized container Mickey D’s offers, but boasts a special feature of which Esmond says he is especially proud that caters to credit-card users.

“If your credit card slips into the holder and you can’t retrieve it, you only have to close the lid and the holder is designed to shove the card back up out of the holder,” Esmond said.

We can all rest a bit easier tonight.

Available cars near you

Safety review

Based on the 2001 Toyota Prius base trim
NHTSA crash test and rollover ratings, scored out of 5.
Frontal driver
3/5
Frontal passenger
4/5

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
5 years
Powertrain
5 years / 60,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
7 years / less than 85,000 miles
Basic
12 months / 12, 000 miles
Dealer certification
160- or 174-point inspections

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Consumer reviews

4.3 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.4
Interior 4.1
Performance 4.0
Value 4.3
Exterior 3.7
Reliability 4.4

Most recent

  • Can't beat 40 mpg in this economy

    Love the Prius. Travel more now than ever before on the same money. Seats 5 and has all the power we need. Plenty of cabin and trunk space. Awesome.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    3 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Great MPG and Money Saver

    My 200,000 mile Prius has an average of 31 MPG over the 200+ I have driven. Can easily get 50 MPG on the highway. Tip: Avoid buying new hybrid batteries from a dealership. Refurbished are cheaper and can have a 3 year warranty (longer than a new batt). The hole I care about it isn't in the ozone, it's in my wallet.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    4 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Great car. Excellent overall value

    Purchased an 01 in Jun of 09 with 86K miles. I was initially concerned about that but, after two years of driving it with virtually no issues, I have grown to respect the reliability and unique value these cars provide. Avg fuel economy is about 40 mpg in all types of driving. It is amazingly easy to service. Highly recommended.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    3 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Great car, I've gone through one battery

    Performance, reliability, and driving are excellent. I have a cute spoiler and a couple small racing stripes that make the car look sporty. It's a quiet car. I love it! Of note: I experienced battery failure at 79,600 miles and after about 8 years of driving in Mesa, Arizona. The car began to lose power and the brake would come on automatically and at random times while I drove. I'd have to pull over, turn the car off, and then on for the auto brake to shut off and allow me to drive again. I took my car into the local toyota dealer and they said my battery was dying. Fortunately the battery was replaced under warranty (warranty was up at 80,000 miles or 8 year so I barely was under warranty) without cost to me. The car is running in excellent condition once again. I average 50 miles to the gallon. It lacks power up steep hills and accelerating onto the freeway, but I don't mind, it's saving me money in gas. Also, it takes a little while to get used to the brakes, just stop a little before you should brake until you are used to them. When I drive this car I feel safe and know that it will be reliable. I would highly recommend this car to anyone. One word of advice: save up enough money to replace a battery (if needed) in advance and enjoy the ride.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • A dependable automobile

    This generation Prius established the hybrid as a dependable automobile. Toyota, and its dealers in general, provided excellent service throughout the warranty period. While other auto manufacturers are finially building hybrids, Toyota now has a 10-year headstart.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 2.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • nothin but trouble

    i bought this car brand new and it was a great car for about 2 yeaars. Once it hit the two year mark i have had nothing but trouble with the brakes, alighnment, tires not lasting long, enigine trouble twice now, and well just the overall fell of a good rreliable toyota.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 2.0
    Value 2.0
    Exterior 1.0
    Reliability 1.0
    0 people out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • I love my Prius

    I bought a 2001 Prius in April 2001 when my Saab 900s blew a headgasket. The Prius has great headroom, is comfortable, and has great visibility. It took a while to get used to not having a big engine stretching out ahead of me, but now I'm ok with that. In 2001 there was no cruise control factory option, although there is now. That was the only feature I wanted that wasn't available. I had wanted a fuel cell car, but nothing was available then. Oh, wait, there's STILL nothing like that available. (&$*!) Fit and finish are excellent (that ruled out the PT Cruiser). I bought the extended warranty although that goes against my cardinal rule about wasting money, but it supported another cardinal rule about not buying the first production or introduction year of ANYTHING. Pleased to say the warranty was not needed. The big battery has never been a problem. No real problems with the car. After a year or two I bought a new set of tires and immediately thereafter got a recall notice from Toyota on the tires. They replaced all 4 and repaid me for what I had spent on the new tires. I thought that was admirable. So, FYI, Toyota feels strongly about the tires you use with the Prius. Only use of the extended warranty was due to a torrentially raining day, parked in a deep puddle in restaurant parking lot and shorted the 12 volt battery. Toyota replaced it, otherwise it would have been $212 for a 12 V battery !!! (By the way, Uncle Pete's Hickory Ribs in Revere... pulled pork to die for.) My dealer has slimy sales people but an excellent service department, so I still use them. At 90K miles I'm getting about 45 mpg on mostly highway driving. I take good care of it, but my only add-on to the car was some matching-color, vertical, door side guards. Only got white because it was available immediately, otherwise would prefer the metallic light green. The brakes and acceleration are a bit funky, but I'm used to it and it's ok with my driving style. Love the car. Highly recommended. Will probably buy a new Prius if a fuel cell car isn't available when this one dies.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • very good car no major problems in 130,000+ miles,

    Bought new in 2001 and no problems with any part of vehicle. Seems to be hard on tires as I am on my 4th set in 130,000+ miles. I am still geting good milelage 45 to 52mpg consistingly.I am still on the same set of brakes and the original 12v battery. Have not had any problems with the hybrid batteries or system. I will definitely buy another one if this one wears out.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No

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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 2001 Toyota Prius?

The 2001 Toyota Prius is available in 1 trim level:

  • (1 style)

What is the MPG of the 2001 Toyota Prius?

The 2001 Toyota Prius offers up to 52 MPG in city driving and 45 MPG on the highway. These figures are based on EPA mileage ratings and are for comparison purposes only. The actual mileage will vary depending on vehicle options, trim level, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and other factors.

What are some similar vehicles and competitors of the 2001 Toyota Prius?

The 2001 Toyota Prius compares to and/or competes against the following vehicles:

Is the 2001 Toyota Prius reliable?

The 2001 Toyota Prius has an average reliability rating of 4.4 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 2001 Toyota Prius owners.

Is the 2001 Toyota Prius a good Sedan?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 2001 Toyota Prius. 87.5% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

4.3 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.4
  • Interior: 4.1
  • Performance: 4.0
  • Value: 4.3
  • Exterior: 3.7
  • Reliability: 4.4

Toyota Prius history

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