The original American hybrid, the 2026 Toyota Prius still has some life to it, but admittedly, it has lost some of its original luster.
You can get this year’s Prius as either a standard hybrid, where you don’t need to do anything other than drive it (my preference because I am a lazy arse) or you can get it as a plug-in hybrid, or PHEV (which is just shorthand for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle – who knew?).
Technically, the 2026 Prius is a hatchback that seats five adults who eat plenty of vegetables and proteins and are cool with the concept of personal space. Again, I am exaggerating a bit here but know that this is indeed a small car.
If your family is more than you and your partner and a Pekingese or a tabby, you may want to consider Lexus RX or TX hybrids, which are much, much bigger vehicles.
The Prius has come a long way from its early 21st Century roots, when, for example, it struggled to climb six-percent mountain grades (I live in Colorado) or perform motoring tasks more challenging than merging onto a highway. I am exaggerating a bit here as well, but the concept of a car that was half battery / half gasoline was so new at the time that often, we didn’t really know what to think.
Driving around town recently was quite pleasant in the 2026 Prius. Handling is smooth although it can be a bit stilted in stop-and-go traffic IMHO. Once you are on the highway, however, you can sail along with ease.
One of the best standard safety packages in the industry is Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0, which is loaded with necessary safety features like pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, radar cruise control and rear cross-traffic alerts, to name a few.
The key selling points (to me) for the 2026 Toyota Prius are two items: 1) its fuel economy, and 2) its compactness. If driving right (whatever that means) you can get almost 60 miles per gallon from this compact little gem on both the highway and the streets.
But know upfront that the backseats of this vehicle are more than a little tight, and that’s putting it mildly. There are so many more hybrids on the market now: here’s how U.S. News and World Report (my go to source for accurate and reliable car information) ranks hybrid cars for 2026.
When it comes to what to have in a car, I always encourage people to simply make a list of what you want in a car and be completely honest about your feelings.
I am truly all for saving the planet and it needs to be a priority for everyone. HOWEVER, if you are a renter or do not have a private dedicated garage space where you can safely charge your electric vehicle every night, I would very much recommend that you not buy an EV.
There are other ways you can help save the planet. Many of you do volunteer work. Many of you (with or without children) take care of parents. That selfless act alone is considered saving the planet IMHO.
In medicine, a main mantra is ‘Do No Harm’. As LGBT2SQIA+++, even if we are not able to volunteer every month, we never do any harm. That right there means that we are saving the planet.
I would like to be the first to say to you today: Thank You for Your Service!
As a Veteran, countless people have said that to me, and it feels great to hear it.
You deserve to hear it too. You have served your whole life, sometimes just by surviving. And when we get attacked, often, what is our first instinct? Service.
So on behalf of myself and gaywheels.com, Thank You for Your Service.
