2021 Toyota Prius Prime Review

　　

2021 Toyota Prius Prime Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　Caution is a prudent approach to life, and sometimes it is better to dip your toes into the pool rather than to dive right in. If you've been thinking of giving an electric vehicle a try, a plug-in hybrid is a good way to find out if EV ownership could work for you. And the 2021 Toyota Prius Prime is one way to sample EV living without committing to it completely — or spending a bunch of money.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Toyota Prius Prime LE 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded and $0.17 per kWh for electricity in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$60/mo  for Prius Prime LE

　　Prius Prime LE

　　LE 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) - $28,200 MSRPXLE 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) (Most Popular) - $30,000 MSRPLimited 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) - $34,000 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　Distanced from the more popular Prius hybrid, the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid wears unique styling details but uses the same five-door hatchback body style that's characterized Toyota's fuel-sipper for nearly 20 years. The two cars share interiors and equipment, though only the standard Prius offers an electronic all-wheel-drive system as an upgrade from front-wheel drive.

　　The primary difference between a Prius and a Prius Prime is the powertrain. With the Prime, you get an estimated 25 miles of electric driving range at speeds up to 84 mph. This is good for shorter commutes and running errands near home, and, according to Toyota, you can easily recharge the battery in 5.5 hours using a standard household outlet. If you're out driving and the Prime uses all of its electric range, it automatically switches to gas-electric hybrid operation just like a standard Prius.

　　If you're wondering if you can live with an electric car, a Prius Prime is a good way to find out. But it's not the only affordable plug-in hybrid, and you might find some of the alternatives more appealing. Check out our Expert Rating below to get our in-depth take on the 2021 Prius Prime.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.2

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

6.5/10

　　How does the Prius Prime drive? You're not buying a Prius Prime for its performance. In zzdcar' testing, our Prius Prime Limited test car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 10.8 seconds, which is slow no matter how you look at it. Merging onto the highway or passing at higher speeds takes quite a bit of time, throttle and determination. We also tested its emergency braking performance. It stopped from 60 mph in 128 feet, which is slightly below average for a vehicle of this type. The Prime is also pretty tepid when it comes to agility and handling precision.

　　On the upside, the Prime has an easy-driving nature and smoothly transitions from EV mode to hybrid gasoline-engine power. And should you do most of your driving in EV mode, you'll find there's adequate acceleration for city traffic.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Prius Prime? The front seats are softly padded and should be comfortable for the long haul. Taller drivers, or those with long legs, might find the seat bottoms to be a few inches too short. The cabin is generally quiet unless you floor the gas pedal, at which point the underpowered engine gets rather raucous.

　　Another downside is the Prius' ride quality over broken pavement and concrete expansion joints. The impacts from these types of bumps can make the car feel jittery. Since the car is so quiet, this road noise is more noticeable than it would otherwise be in a non-hybrid. The climate control works well and has clever touches such as the ability to isolate the system in favor of the driver to aid in fuel efficiency.

　　

Interior

7.5/10

　　How’s the interior? The Prius is a fundamentally easy car to get into and drive. Aside from the puzzling shifter design, all other controls are immediately familiar. The driver's seat has a wide range of adjustability, but taller drivers will likely want a bit more range of adjustment from the steering wheel. Space up front is expansive. Tall rear passengers will feel a little more cramped because of the Prius' sloping roofline.

　　Visibility is a mixed bag. Forward visibility is excellent, but the view over your shoulder is hampered by the thick roof pillars. Some drivers might also not like the view out back because of the split rear window design. The instrument cluster is also quirky because it's mounted in the center of the dash rather than being right in front of you.

　　

Technology

6.5/10

　　How’s the tech? Our test Prius Prime had the upgraded 11.6-inch touchscreen display, which is a lot of screen real estate for a car in this price range. Unfortunately, it suffers from cluttered virtual buttons, unsophisticated graphics and clumsy menus — you'll be fine sticking with the base 7-inch screen. The native voice control system is unintuitive to use too.

　　On the upside, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is standard, and sound quality from the upgraded JBL audio system is better than average. The Prime comes standard with a full suite of advanced driving aids too. Most of them work well, but the adaptive cruise control is very conservative. It's both slow to accelerate and quick to brake for other vehicles.

　　

Storage

7.5/10

　　How’s the storage? The Prius Prime's cargo area is compromised due to the larger battery pack, which raises the floor and makes its 19.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats merely adequate. You can always fold the rear seats down if you need more cargo area; just be aware that the load floor isn't flat like it is in a standard Prius. Inside, there's enough in-cabin storage for the daily odds and ends. If you tend to fill your cupholders with personal items, you'll appreciate the large door pockets, which can double as water bottle holders.

　　Child safety seats are fairly easy to load in and out of the Prius Prime. LATCH points are easy to find, but the low rear roofline means you might have to stoop quite a bit to get seats and infants in and out.

　　

Fuel Economy

8.5/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The Prius is known for its frugality, and the Prime adds the ability to travel an estimated 25 miles on electric power alone. After the battery runs out, you can expect to get 54 mpg in combined city/highway driving. We took our Prius Prime on our standardized evaluation route and traveled 27 miles on electric power and then averaged 63.3 mpg over the remaining miles on the gasoline engine. Both results indicate that the EPA estimates are easily attainable.

　　

Value

7.5/10

　　Is the Prius Prime a good value? Our Limited trim test car stickered for around $35,000 and came with the larger touchscreen, a head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield), the upgraded audio system and a few additional driver aids. Overall, we think you get an appropriate number of features for your money.

　　Even though the Prius' interior feels well built, some cabin materials are a little too plasticky for its price. We're not particularly fond of the shiny plastic trim either — it tends to collect dirt, scuffs and fingerprints. As for warranties, Toyota gives you its regular coverage, which includes eight years/100,000 miles for the hybrid components. You also get Toyota's two free years of scheduled maintenance, and as a Prime owner, you get roadside assistance for three years.

　　

Wildcard

7.5/10

　　The Prius is not fun to drive, and it's doesn't feel particularly upscale. But it's easy to drive, practical, comfortable in the daily commute, and of course highly fuel-efficient. The Prius has become an icon representing an eco-conscious lifestyle and has defined what you should expect from a fuel-efficient car.

　　Should you find fuel economy data entertaining and want to turn the Prius into a first-person driving game to see if you can beat your driving efficiency score, you're likely to find the Prius Prime endlessly entertaining.

　　

Which Prius Prime does zzdcar recommend?

Within the Prius Prime lineup, we recommend the XLE trim level. For a modest bump in price over the base LE trim, the XLE installs synthetic leather seats, an upgraded infotainment system with an 11.6-inch display, and a navigation system. It also offers longer free trial periods to connected services and a driving coach that learns your habits and recommends ways to improve efficiency.

　　

2021 Toyota Prius Prime models

Toyota sells the Prius Prime in three trim levels: LE, XLE and Limited. Each version shares the same body style and powertrain, differing only in equipment. A 1.8-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine pairs with a plug-in hybrid system to make a total of 121 horsepower, but the electric drive motor supplies immediate torque to make the car feel lively as you accelerate from a stop.

　　LE

　　Highlights of the Prius Prime LE include:

　　15-inch alloy wheels with wheel covers LED headlights and taillights Heated outside mirrors Automatic climate control Cloth seats Heated front seats Hands-free keyless entry for the driver's door 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Amazon Alexa compatibility Satellite radio Toyota Connected Services (with free trial plan) Charging cable for a 120-volt power outletEvery Prius Prime also comes with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. This package of safety technology includes:

　　Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Prius Prime and the car in front) Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Lane departure mitigation (warns you of a lane departure when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position) Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)XLE

　　The Prius Prime XLE trim level adds several upgrades, such as:

　　Automatic-on headlights Synthetic leather seats Hands-free keyless entry for all four doors 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment display Navigation system Voice recognition technology Wireless smartphone charger Predictive Efficient Drive (driving coach to improve efficiency) Charging cable lockLimited

　　Choose the Prius Prime Limited for all of the extras, including:

　　Foglights Rain-sensing wipers Heated steering wheel 10-speaker premium sound system Head-up display Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing) Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking) Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)

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2021 Prius Prime Highlights

Trim: LEXLELimitedLE

　　

Base MSRP	$28,200
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$4,400
Engine Type	Plug-in hybrid
EPA Electric Range	25 miles
Combined MPGe (Electric + Gas)	133 MPGeMPGe is the official metric that the EPA uses to measure the efficiency of alternative-fuel (including electric) vehicles. Just like regular MPG shows how far a car will travel on one gallon of gas, MPGe shows how far a vehicle will drive on 33.7kWh of electricity - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Combined MPGe is the combined total of 45% city MPGe + 55% highway MPGe.
Cost to Drive	$60/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	2.0 hours
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	19.8 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles