2023 Toyota Prius Prime Hatchback

　　

2023 Toyota Prius Prime Review

byJared GallCorrespondent

　　Jared Gall started his career in the auto industry in 2001 with an internship at Car and Driver. He has written and edited many thousands of car reviews, technological deep-dives, industry analyses, and personality profiles. He is a correspondent at zzdcar and still has the 1969 Chevrolet C20 he dragged out of his parents' barn and drove until Car and Driver started giving him cars to evaluate.

　　, rating written byJared GallSenior Reviews Editor

　　Brian Wong has worked in the automotive industry since 2010, writing over 1,000 car-related articles and testing and reviewing hundreds of vehicles over the course of career. Brian is a senior reviews editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Cars.com, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports. Brian has also been featured on MotorWeek as an expert for several car comparisons. He loves convertibles (the smaller the better) and hates paying for parking, so Los Angeles is both the right and wrong city for him.

　　The Toyota Prius is fully redesigned for 2023, including the Prime plug-in hybrid version. A new, more powerful gas engine headlines powertrain improvements that nearly double the power of the outgoing car. The impact on fuel efficiency is minimal, but the improvement to drivability is tremendous.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Toyota Prius Prime PHEV Insights

Trim:Prius Prime SE

　　SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) - $32,350 MSRPXSE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) (Most Popular) - $35,600 MSRPXSE Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) - $39,170 MSRP

　　

All Electric Range

　　45 miles

　　EPA Estimated Electric Range

　　The Prius Prime will automatically switch to gas when the electric battery is low.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

Hybrid Parts Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesHybrid batteries are federally mandated to carry at least 8 years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Batteries that lose capacity more rapidly than expected should be eligible for replacement under warranty. Coverage of additional hybrid components beyond the battery itself will vary by automaker.

　　

Charging at Home

　　4 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　See All PHEV incentives

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$63/mo

　　Prius Prime

　　vs

　　$165/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　See All PHEV Insights

　　The 2023 Prime shares the basic Prius' gas engine, but it increases electric-motor output and battery capacity to enable an EV mode that will keep the engine off — even with the accelerator floored — until the battery is fully depleted. Quickness is not the Prius' mission, but the more potent output means it no longer strains to safely merge on the highway or keep up with traffic. This latest Prius is also more enjoyable to drive thanks to improved handling that doesn't sacrifice ride quality and comfort.

　　Altogether, the 2023 Prius Prime looks and feels a lot more like a gas-powered car than its predecessor and retains the fuel economy that has long made it a standout among the growing class of hybrid cars. For a thorough analysis of the Prime, read our test team's Expert Rating below.

　　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.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the Prius Prime drive? The Prius Prime at times feels more like an EV than a traditional hybrid, especially during city driving where that instant torque makes the car feel responsive and agile. It's also capable of getting on the highway without the gas engine. While in EV mode, you can floor the accelerator and the gas engine won't turn on.

　　But we did find that the Prius Prime is noticeably quicker with both the engine and electric motor working in conjunction. At the zzdcar test track, our test vehicle sprinted from 0 to 60 mph time in a quick 6.9 seconds. A regular Prius is slower at 7.7 seconds to 60 mph. Structural updates and new suspension components in several areas have also improved the Prius Prime composure on the road. The steering is numb, but it feels precise with sharp turn-in and tracks straight on the highway with no effort.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Prius Prime? The Prius Prime's front seats offer enough support to be comfortable for longer stints. The rear seats are also comfortable. We like how the car rides smoothly over bumps and broken pavement. However, excessive tire, wind and engine noise under acceleration holds the Prius Prime back from being a fully relaxing car to drive. There's only a single climate zone, and the latest Prius Prime has lost some of its finer climate controls that previous models had, such as the ability to shut off the fans to all seats but the driver to enhance efficiency.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below