Overview
It’s always been cool to avoid spending stacks of money on gas, but it hasn’t always looked it. The redesigned Toyota Prius makes a meaningful effort to change that. The new Prius comes with front-wheel drive and 194 horsepower. All-wheel drive is available, which comes with a tiny horsepower bump to 196. The 220-hp Prius Prime is the plug-in hybrid version, which we review separately. For the first time ever, the Prius is both stylish and reasonably fun to drive, and it does so while achieving better fuel economy than before, with an EPA-estimated 56 mpg highway rating. It has a jump on its compact competitors, which are slowly falling in line behind the Prius by adding hybrid powertrains, a group that includes the Hyundai Elantra hybrid and Toyota’s own Corolla hybrid—with a hybridized Honda Civic coming eventually. We can’t believe we’re saying it but the Prius is a fun—and cool—choice.
What’s New for 2024?
Toyota makes no significant equipment changes to the 2024 Toyota Prius following its complete redesign for the 2023 model year.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Known for its incredible fuel economy, the Toyota Prius delivers on its green promise. Its lineup of safety equipment and extra features is as strong as its disinclination to stop for gas. Base models come with 17-inch wheels, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and a not-so-outrageous starting price.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
One powertrain commands the Toyota Prius lineup. This is a 194-hp hybrid setup that uses a 2.0-liter hybrid inline-four gasoline engine borrowed from the Corolla Cross hybrid crossover and bolted to a continuously variable automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard. For all-wheel-drive Priuses, Toyota adds a high-output permanent magnet electric motor to the rear axle, bumping total powertrain output to 196 horsepower. The launch to 60 mph, which took last year’s Prius an exhausting 10.5 seconds to reach, now takes just 7.1 seconds according to our testing of a front-drive Limited model. That’s quicker than both the Camry Hybrid and Elantra Hybrid. Thanks to larger front and rear brakes, the new Prius stops sooner from 70 mph than its last iteration too, doing so in just 171 feet versus 194 feet from a previous test.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates the Prius is good for 57 mpg in the city and 56 mpg on the highway for the front-wheel drive model. That’s a 4- and 6-mpg improvement over the last-gen. But the all-wheel-drive LE variant makes the largest fuel-economy jump from the previous model, going from 49 to 54 mpg combined. We’ll update this space after we’ve collected data for the Prius from our 75-mph highway fuel economy test. For more information about the Prius’ fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
While the fifth-generation Prius took on a new—dare we say, sexy—shape, the interior played it conservatively, featuring a more traditional automotive cockpit. For the first time, the Prius now has a gauge cluster directly behind the steering wheel, but it’s location forces you to adjust the wheel far down in order to get a clear view to the guages. The, sleek exterior design creates a roofline that’s lower by 2.0 inches than before., cliping some headroom from the rear seat. Base models get a faux leather steering wheel, but upgrading to the XLE or higher trim will unlock heated front seats, more cup holders for rear passengers, and rear heated seats.
Infotainment and Connectivity
Both base and upper-level models get larger screens than the previous car had. An 8.0-inch infotainment screen comes standard on LE and XLE, and Toyota uses a massive 12.3-inch touchscreen for the Limited (or as optional equipment for the XLE). This system includes “Hey Toyota” voice control and updates its infotainment over the cloud thanks to over-the-air updates. The larger screen comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability and available Wi-Fi.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The Prius comes standard with driver-assistance technology that many competitors provide only via option packages and upper trim levels. For more information about its crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard automatic high-beams
- Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Toyota matches what its competitors offer, but it provides above-average coverage when it comes to included maintenance. Likewise, its hybrid-component warranty is an industry-standard.
- Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
- Hybrid components are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles
- Complimentary maintenance is covered for two years or 25,000 miles
Specifications
Specifications
2023 Toyota Prius Limited
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $35,560/$35,560
Options: none
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 150 hp, 139 lb-ft + 2 AC motors (combined output: 194 hp; 0.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack)
Transmission: continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 11.1-in vented disc/11.0-in disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy All Season
195/50R-19 88H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.3 in
Length: 181.1 in
Width: 70.2 in
Height: 56.3 in
Passenger Volume: 91 ft3
Cargo Volume: 20 ft3
Curb Weight: 3199 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.1 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.5 sec @ 92 mph
100 mph: 18.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.1 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.0 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 115 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 45 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 52/52/52 mpg
