The pinched-down nose is helpful for knifing through the air with little resistance. The quarter panels and doors are sleek and clean. The sole character line is a tasteful indentation in the lower region of the doors, visually connecting the creases marking the lower limits of the working area of the front and rear bumpers.

The side view makes clear the stylists' devotion to aerodynamics. A steeply raked windshield carries the hood's acute angle rearward. An even more steeply raked backlight (rear windscreen) ends in a high spoiler that trips the air stream as it leaves the car, maximizing the aero advantage of the car's almost-vertical back end. Sleek rear quarter windows do more to visually enhance the aerodynamic look than they do for outward visibility.

The Prius looks under-tired, almost as if the tires were left out when the rest of the car was made larger. The narrow tires probably help fuel ecnomy, but they clash visually with the proportions.

The headlights and taillight clusters have been restyled for the 2006 models. The headlights are compound units that house the running lights, side marker lights and turn indicators. Vertically stacked, compound taillights wear modish clear lenses and bookend the lower section of the liftgate. Integrated into the liftgate, and running its width beneath the rear spoiler, is a strip of glass adding critical rearward visibility for the driver.

The first-generation 2001-03 Prius was classified as a compact by the EPA, but the current, second-generation Prius is considered a midsize car. Its wheelbase (the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels) is about 6 inches longer than before, yielding a more stable ride and more leg room inside.