PRIUS RELEASE ME; Our long-term Toyota lets us go-and lets us down.(News)

Byline: NATALIE NEFF

For most of us, the end couldn't come quickly enough. 16,056 miles and 12 months proved a bit too much and a little too long with the Toyota Prius.

We don't hate the little hybrid, mind you. But as we've said time and again, compromise requires some give and take, and with the Prius we simply didn't feel it gave quite enough.

As anyone can infer from the numbers, the Prius' last three months in our long-term fleet saw life spent in the green lane drop precipitously, with fewer than half the road miles clocked compared to the previous quarter (at 5269 miles). Blame can fall in part to the addition near the end of the Prius' stay of more practical and desirable-if less environmentally conscious-long-term cars such as the Volkswagen Phaeton and Dodge Magnum R/T. But in reality, most of us simply tired of the Toyota.

During the year we realized just 41.2 mpg with the Prius, far below the 52.61 mpg we managed in our previous hybrid long-termer, the Honda Insight, and significantly off its reported EPA combined 55.6 mpg. Now 41 mpg may sound like a nice, fat figure, but considering the premium one pays for all that fancy fuel-saving technology, it would take years to recoup the difference over a standard small car of "normal'' fuel efficiency.

For instance, our long-term 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 carried a sticker of just $14,290; today a comparable car would cost roughly $15,600, or $4,910 less than a base Prius and $7,349 less than the one we spec'd. At $2 per gallon, the fuel costs saved during a 15,000-mile year (we racked up just 14,401 on the Focus) would total $375.42; at $3 per gallon that figure jumps to $564.13. Even if gas prices stay that high and you opt for the strippo Prius, it would take 8.7 years to recoup the difference. And during those years, you would have to do without the Focus' superior power (0 to 60 mph in 8.52 seconds) and sprightlier handling (45.1-mph slalom, 0.81-g skidpad).

Did we mention the Focus is also available with a PZEV motor (in green states, at no extra cost)? That means it meets California's tough Super Ultra Low Emission vehicle standards-just like the Prius.