In 2008, when the price of regular gas shot up to $3.97 a gallon in the Chattanooga area, Toyota Prius hybrid owners were suddenly the smartest people on the block. It’s a tribute to Toyota that even today — with regular gas back down to an average of $2.30 a gallon locally — Toyota of Cleveland has a waiting list of willing buyers for the popular gas/electric car. Rated at 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway, the third-generation 2010 Prius sets a new standard for fuel economy in a fully functional family sedan. “People are surprised that city mpg is actually higher than highway,” said Greg Pope, Internet director at Toyota of Cleveland. According to Toyota, an owner with average driving habits will spend only about $700 a year fueling the Prius.

Driving impressions: Jumping from a regular car to the whisper quiet Prius is like jumping off a freight train onto a golf cart. The keyless, push-button ignition ignites a cluster of dash gauges and head’s-up displays that let you know the Prius is reporting for duty. The Prius interior is a triumph of the “less is more” school of design. The dash and center stack are clean and elegant. Acceleration is adequate, if not overpowering, with the nickel-hydride batteries kicking in an 80 - horsepower boost to assist a small, 4-cylinder engine.

Styling: Our tester, a Prius IV, came with leather trimmed seats which we found sumptuous (but might be off-putting to some with true green sensibilities). Cloth seats are standard in lower trim levels. Also included in the Prius IV trim are LED tail lamps, 15-inch alloy wheels and six-disc CD changer. An optional tech package includes a lane-assist feature to protect against drowsy driving and a nifty intelligent parking system, a piece of Lexus magic that automatically parallel parks the car.

New sheet metal accents the slick exterior of the 2010 Prius, reducing drag to airplane wing thresholds. The signature, wind-slicing design of the Prius announces to the world that it’s an original green machine.

Bottom line: Would-be hybrid owners have more choices than in the early 2000s when the Prius climbed to the top of the heap. But Toyota has worked hard to retain the title of king of the hybrid hill. Prius owners are assured of world-class technology with a track-record for durability. The waiting list says it all.

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