Toyota sells 1 millionth Prius in the U.S.

After 11 years on the market, Toyota has sold 1 million Prius hybrids in the United States. This from a car that at first few thought would succeed. It was just too small, expensive, high-tech, and downright weird, many pundits said.

But the Prius attracted a dedicated following for its impressive fuel economy, and it proved to have outstanding reliability and low cost of ownership. In fact, the current Prius gets the best fuel economy of any car we've tested that's currently for sale.

We recently tested two older Priuses that had gone more than 200,000 miles each. They both got about the same overall gas mileage that our Prius test cars had when new. And one had had no repairs beyond replacing a fan belt at 188,000 miles and a couple of taillight bulbs along the way. (Read: "The 200,000-mile question: How does the Toyota Prius hold up?")

Now the Prius has set the stage for a plethora of other hybrid models on the market, ranging from two-seat sporty cars to big SUVs. Despite the impressive milestone, selling a million cars over 11 years can't match the pace for the best-selling family sedans and SUVs, which may sell that many in four years. But it's a solid record and historically significant. In its 11 years on the market, the Prius has never failed to outsell all other hybrids combined.

Toyota claims that since its debut in 2000, the Prius has saved Americans 881 million gallons of gas.

As Toyota looks to expand the Prius line starting this year with the extra-cargo-toting Prius V and upcoming smaller Prius, it won't take another decade before the nameplate can log another 1 million hybrid owners served. Especially if gas prices remain at today's levels.

See our Toyota Prius road test, reliability, pricing, and other information. And see our guide to alternative-fuel vehicles and hybrids.

—Eric Evarts