Dustin Hoffman, Larry David and other Hollywood celebrities tout the Toyota Prius as the real thing for the environmentally conscious.
They and many regular folks see the hybrid car as a step toward solving the problems of pollution and global warming. As a result, some go green with envy when a neighbor buys a Prius.

But is the Prius all it's cracked up to be? Let's take a look.

Toyota developed an innovative power train that combines an electric motor and a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine. This enables the Prius to provide lower emissions and higher fuel economy than regular cars. By Gene Koprowski