For Toyota, launching the third-generation 2010 Toyota Prius must feel a little like being the crew of Apollo 12. Quick…what are their names? Don’t know? Didn’t think so. It’s not because their mission was less important (it wasn’t) or because they were less capable than Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins (they weren’t), but because Apollo 11 was an impossibly tough act to follow. That’s where Toyota finds itself with the new Prius, but with a wrinkle even Conrad, Gordon and Bean didn’t face: Now the Russians are on the moon, too.

OK, enough with the moonshot analogy, and enough of the teasers. The question is: What is the new Prius like to drive?

The 2010 Toyota Prius is a great car in many ways. It improves on the second-generation Prius with more power, better styling, and more technology than you can imagine. Toyota nailed all of the high points it needed to, and the Prius will probably continue to sell extremely well, thanks to its built-in fan base and well-deserved reputation as the leading eco-car.

The problem is that even with all the improvements, it’s still not a driver’s car. For that, there’s the 2010 Honda Insight. Sure, the 2010 Insight isn’t as thrifty as the 2010 Prius, and maybe it doesn’t have as many gizmos. So what? They both get amazing fuel economy, since Toyota will hold the line on Prius pricing the Insight will be cheaper by thousands of dollars, and the reality is that the money you save in gas costs with a Prius won’t even buy you an extra bag of groceries each month.

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