At first glance, the Prius's interior looks high-tech. A small touch-panel display monitor in the center of the dashboard shows the energy flow between the gas engine and electric motor. At first, it can be somewhat distracting, as you constantly glance down to see whether the gas engine is kicking in; but it can be shut off entirely. The touch-panel monitor also allows setting radio stations and other audio controls.A pod above the touch screen displays a digital speedometer, fuel gauge, turn signal indicator, and various warning lights. It's not in the driver's immediate field of vision, though, and its central location may require two glances for information traditionally displayed in front of the driver. The oddest interior feature is the dashboard-mounted gear selector for the automatic transmission. Instead of attaching it to the steering column or mounting it in between the front seats, Toyota seems to have taken a page out of the old taxi cab school of design: The Prius's transmission shifter operates much like the lever a cabbie yanks as soon as the ride begins and he starts the meter. With the Prius, you must push a button mounted at the end of the stalk and then move the lever down to engage a gear. It takes a little getting used to because it's unlike other gear selectors. The downside to this design is that when the lever is in drive, the end of the stalk blocks access to the volume control knob for the stereo system. The trunk accommodates nearly 12 cubic feet of stuff. In everyday language, that translates to a trunk big enough to hold a folding baby stroller with room left over.
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