Wired.com has another piece on hybrids today. Here is what they say about the Prius:

The original Prius was ungainly and sacrificed a lot in performance and creature comforts. The second-gen US model is actually stylish, inside and out, with a sloped design that sets it apart from other cars. It's also a lot more fun to drive than the original, with a peppier (though still not exactly powerful) hybrid-electric power train that can operate in any of three modes: electric, gas-only, or gas-electric. We were mesmerized by the video display that showed, moment by moment, how much gas mileage we were getting - so much so that we nearly rammed the big truck stopped ahead of us. And with gas mileage as high as 60 city and 51 highway, it's one of 2005's high-mileage champs.

Wired: Options include a navigation system and JBL stereo.

Tired: Waiting lists and high dealer markups. Performance is adequate - if you don't care about performance.

$20,875, www.toyota.com

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.04/h...opic_set=(none)