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| Click here to watch the complete review of the 2016 Prius Four from Bumper2Bumpertv |
1. DESIGN & PET ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES:
The car has excellent
seat legroom in the front 43.2", and sufficient legroom in the rear, 33.4".
Both are enough to fit a small pet carrier on the floor. The car sill is 5.1”
from the ground which makes is easy for small pets to climb in and out of the
car. There are sufficient a/c vents to keep the cabin temperature steady so
that pets in the rear seats or cargo area do not overheat.
2. PET CABIN CAPACITY:
A medium size dog can rest comfortably in the rear seats, and the cargo
capacity behind the rear seats is 27.4 cu. ft. However, for additional room,
you can fold the 60/40 rear seats down to increase the cargo space to a total
of 65.5 cu. ft.
3. HAIR/STAIN REMOVAL & SCRATCH RESISTANCE:
The Prius Four Touring model has SofTex seat
coverings. SofTex is an
environmentally friendly synthetic leather that does not include any
animal-based material and is designed for wear, easy cleaning, and resisting
spills.
4. HANDLING & SAFETY FEATURES:
It is a compact car with
improved handling from the previous model and comes equipped with safety
features like the lane keeping aid and pre-collision breaking system which can
be beneficial for avoiding collisions with stray animals and wildlife.
5. PERFORMANCE & TOWING CAPABILITIES:
The car has a 1.8L 4 cylinder engine combined with 3.6 Amper Lithium ion
battery; 121 HP; 105 lb-ft. Because of the engine performance the car is not
recommended for towing. However, on the bright side, because this is a hybrid,
the increased fuel efficiency allows for an average fuel consumption of 52 mpg for
city and highway driving combined.
The perfect paws on wheels rating is 25 out of 25. Overall the 2016 Prius Four received a score of 18/25 which results in a 4 Paw-Friendly rating
1. The
Prius Four is a hatchback and built for practicality and efficiency for people
and packages, but not for pets. Although it has a stylish and modern design,
the functionality is restricted in certain areas which is why we deducted 1 Paw
from the Design & Pet Accessibility Features category.
2. Secondly,
the cargo space has the capacity to increase from 27.4 to 65.5 cu. ft, however,
the sloping roof decreases the headroom and therefore tall items like pet
carriers may not fit all in one piece. Therefore medium sized pets are better
situated in the rear seat area only, which is why we deducted 2 Paws from the
Pet Cabin Capacity category.
3. Thirdly,
although the SofTex seat coverings are good for wear and spills, it is unclear
how scratch resistant the material may be for cat or dog claws. This is why we
deducted 1 Paw from the Hair/Stain Removal, & Scratch Resistance Category.
4. Fourthly,
the car handles well and is comfortable for long drives, but is best suited for
city driving because of the hybrid powertrain. This is why we deducted 1 Paw
from the Handling & Safety Features Category.
5. Finally,
as noted, the Prius is built for efficiency for people and packages, but not
for power. And while the engine is compatible with the car, it is not
sufficient for towing which is why we deducted 2 Paws from the Performance
& Towing Capabilities category.
Final score of 18/25 results in a 4 Paw-Friendly rating
According to Bumper2Bumpertv, the Prius Four has
a lot more to offer than what you might think at first glance, which is why
they decided to take a second look. The newly designed Hybrid is a stylish
hatchback suitable for the city and small pets.
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