Toyota has gotten lots of mileage, literally, out of its popular Prius hybrid for more than a decade and steps up the car’s good neighbor, environment-friendly image another notch or two with its next offering in the line, the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in.
The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in recharges in relatively short order and offers basically the same outstanding fuel mileage of the regular Prius, but whether the Plug-in is worth the added upfront investment seems very much open to debate, at best, among reviewers.
A drawback to the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in is its limited range. The EPA pegs its range at 11 miles under all-electric power. That figure falls far short of the 40 miles or more registered by the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car.
It’s not often, though, that the Prius Plug-in relies solely on electric power. The Prius Plug-in differs from the Volt in that its electric range may not be continuous. The engine on the Prius Plug-in will switch on and engage when it needs more power than the batteries can provide.
A 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine teams with a pair of electric motors to produce 134 horsepower and power the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in through its continuously variable transmission. The EPA estimates fuel mileage for the Plug-in at 50 mpg.
The battery pack in the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in checks in at 4.4 kilowatt hours, which is about 3 times larger than the unit in the regular Prius hybrid, but a fair amount smaller than those of extended range-vehicles such as the Volt and Nissan Leaf. The Prius Plug-in can be recharged in about 3 hours on 120-volt household power, using a cord that is provided. That charge time can be cut in approximately half by using 240 volts from separate Level 2 charging hardware, which runs around $1,000.
In most ways other than its electrical capabilities, the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in is much like a traditional Prius. It drives the same and looks much the same. It offers decent acceleration, nice interior space, legroom and comfort, but will not be mistaken for a sports car in the way it handles. But it does boast that impressive Prius mileage.
Some reviewers find fault with the quality of the materials in the cabin of the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in, which they say are harder and cheaper plastic than other cars in its price range. At the same time, they give the Prius Plug-in props for its “greenness” here, too, because the plastic material is plant derived, and less petroleum was used to produce it.
The Base 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in starts around $33,000, and an Advanced version is also available. Toyota packs even the Base trim with plenty of goodies, including heated front seats, Bluetooth connectivity, a back-up camera, navigation system, voice recognition and a 6-speaker sound system featuring a touchscreen display.
The Advanced adds upgraded upholstery, adaptive cruise control, an 8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar, unique exterior styling, enhanced Toyota Entune smartphone capabilities and an 8-speaker JBL sound system with a larger touchscreen display.
The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in features antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, a full array of airbags, hill start assist and a tire pressure monitoring system. A rear-view camera, lane- departure warning system and a “Safety Connect” system, which contacts authorities in case of emergency, are all available.
After my car went in for 2 weeks and over $9,000 in front end body work, mostly cosmetic and some frame straightening after I hit a piece of a truck's tire on the highway at 70 mph, my battery capacity almost doubled to 14 or even 15 miles. It's been approx. 8 miles when fully charged steadily for the past 50,000 miles. HOW is this possible?
I am looking for to buy used Prius 2010 or 2011 or 2012! Let me know price range.
I will not be plugging in for around 6 months, will this cause any battery problems?
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · USB auxiliary audio input · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · HD radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 6
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Braking assist: hill start assist · Front brake diameter: 10.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.2 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Armrests: rear center with cupholders
Convenience Features
Assist handle: rear · Center console: front console with armrest and storage · Cupholders: front · Multi-function remote: trunk release · Power outlet(s): 12V · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: voice recognition controls · Storage: front seatback · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Driver Seat
Manual adjustments: 6
Engine
EV battery capacity: 4.5 kWh · Electric Charge Cord: 120 volt · Electric Motor Battery Type: lithium ion · Electric Motor HP: 80 · Electric Motor Power Output (Kilowatts): 60 · Electric Motor Torque: 153 · Electric motor charger connector: SAE J1772 · Electric motor charging time: 1.5 hours · Electric motor miles per charge: 11 · Hybrid Gas Engine HP: 98 · Hybrid Gas Engine HP@RPM: 5200 · Hybrid Gas Engine Torque: 105 · Hybrid gas Engine Torque@RPM: 4000
Exterior Features
Door handle color: chrome · Front bumper color: chrome accents · Grille color: chrome · Mirror color: body-color · Paint: special factory paint · Rear bumper color: chrome accents · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate
Headrests
Adjustable rear headrests: foldable · Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
In Car Entertainment
Infotainment screen size: 6.1 in.
Instrumentation
Fuel economy display: range
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps · Headlights: Halogen · Tail and brake lights: LED
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: manual folding
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: front · Rearview monitor: in dash
Seatbelts
Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Seatbelt warning sensor: driver and passenger · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Upholstery: cloth
Security
Power door locks: anti-lockout
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Navigation system: with voice recognition · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Wheels
Wheel spokes: 10
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: with safety reverse · Rear wiper: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: element · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: JBL · HD radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 8
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Braking assist: hill start assist · Front brake diameter: 10.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.2 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Armrests: rear center with cupholders
Convenience Features
Assist handle: front · Center console: front console with armrest and storage · Cupholders: rear · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: trunk release · Power outlet(s): 12V · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio · Storage: door pockets · Universal garage door opener: Homelink · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Driver Seat
Adjustable lumbar support: power · Power adjustments: 8
Engine
EV battery capacity: 4.5 kWh · Electric Charge Cord: 120 volt · Electric Motor Battery Type: lithium ion · Electric Motor HP: 80 · Electric Motor Power Output (Kilowatts): 60 · Electric Motor Torque: 153 · Electric motor charger connector: SAE J1772 · Electric motor charging time: 1.5 hours · Electric motor miles per charge: 11 · Hybrid Gas Engine HP: 98 · Hybrid Gas Engine HP@RPM: 5200 · Hybrid Gas Engine Torque: 105 · Hybrid gas Engine Torque@RPM: 4000
Exterior Features
Door handle color: chrome · Front bumper color: chrome accents · Grille color: chrome · Mirror color: body-color · Paint: special factory paint · Rear bumper color: chrome accents · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate
Headrests
Adjustable rear headrests: foldable · Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
In Car Entertainment
Infotainment: Entune · Infotainment screen size: 7 in.
Instrumentation
Fuel economy display: range
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps · Headlights: Auto on/off · Tail and brake lights: LED
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: manual folding
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear · Pre-Collision Warning System: audible warning · Rearview monitor: in dash
Seatbelts
Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Seatbelt warning sensor: driver and passenger · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Upholstery: leatherette
Security
Power door locks: anti-lockout
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Navigation system: hard drive navigation system · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Wheels
Wheel spokes: 10
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: with safety reverse · Rear wiper: intermittent