Review: 2012 Toyota Prius C

Twelve years ago, when Toyota introduced the first Prius hybrid to America with a 41 mpg combined mileage, gasoline ran $1.59 a gallon. Today it's over $4, with prices predicted to reach $5 per gallon by Memorial Day. If ever there was a time to introduce a smartly styled subcompact hybrid with terrific gas mileage, it’s now.

Toyota knows how to design, engineer and build hybrids; they invented the category and over one million Prius have been sold in the U.S. since its introduction. The new Prius C (which Toyota spells with a lowercase letter) is a 5-door hatchback subcompact sedan with a combined EPA rating of 50 mpg and a starting price of $18,950.