2002 Toyota Prius

The 2001-2003 Toyota Prius is the first generation sold in North America and the car that introduced mass-market hybrid power to American buyers. It pairs a 1.5-liter 1NZ-FXE four-cylinder running an Atkinson cycle with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, sending power to the front wheels through a planetary power-split device that functions as a continuously variable transmission. The body style was a compact four-door sedan, with a single well-equipped trim level.

The first Prius was deliberately conservative in appearance, closer to an Echo than to the distinctive shape the model later adopted. Performance was modest and the car was sold in relatively small numbers, which makes surviving examples uncommon. The second generation that arrived for 2004 switched to the wedge-shaped liftback body and a substantially more powerful hybrid system.

For used buyers, a first-generation Prius is best understood as a historically interesting car rather than a practical purchase. The nickel-metal-hydride battery pack in these cars is now well beyond its design life, and replacement or refurbishment cost is a large fraction of the vehicle's value. Parts availability for hybrid-specific components is limited compared with later generations. The gasoline engine and mechanical systems themselves are durable, but the economics only work for buyers who want this specific car.