The 2010 Toyota Prius represents the third-generation version of the car that has come to symbolise eco-friendly motoring. The Japanese firm’s petrol-electric hybrid was the first car of its type to be mass-produced, paving the way for the push towards electrification that’s been slowly happening ever since. The third-gen Prius used a 1.8-litre petrol engine combined with an electric motor to deliver a total of 134bhp, returning an official fuel economy of 72mpg and CO2 emissions of 89g/km. These numbers seem quite tame by the standards of today’s plug-in hybrids, but for the day, they were game-changing.

Strengths:

Spacious and comfortable cabin
Hugely reliable
Economical around town

Weaknesses:

Not so economical on the motorway
Noisy when accelerating hard
Could ride more comfortably

Is the 2010 Toyota Prius better than the 2010 Honda Insight?

While the first-generation Insight was a modern classic in the making thanks to its wind-cheating shape, two-seater layout and cool demeanour, the second-gen Insight, introduced in 2009, was not. Here was a much more conventional car with five doors and five seats, making it a far more direct rival for the Prius, but one with very little joy attached to it. And more importantly, of course, the Prius of the day just generally did most things just a little bit better.