This made it difficult to modulate braking. The Prius uses regenerative braking to capture excess energy as the car brakes, so the electric motor turns into a generator at this time to recharge the batteries. This does affect the braking sensation. Toyota advertises the Prius as a five-passenger car, but the back seat would be a tight squeeze for three adults. Two sit back there just fine as do three children, though the flat, bench-like seat has an inexpensive, foam cushion feel.
All riders sit a bit higher than they do in a traditional car.
This, and a low-positioned dashboard and very short hood, help give the Prius driver good visibility. But gauges aren't in front of the driver. They're in the middle of the dashboard, up by the windshield, as they are in another Toyota car, the Echo. Toyota claims this positioning causes less strain on drivers' eyes as they shift focus from the road to the gauges and back again. Trunk space in the Prius is a competitive 11.8 cubic feet.