[Editor’s Note: Since we believe in very full disclosure, I’ll let you in on a secret: Toyota forgot to invite us to the new Prius launch until it was almost too late, so we had to find someone local the day before. Luckily, Emily, a science writer for Cal Tech and avid builder of contraptions, was close by! You may remember Emily from her story about 3-D printing a side marker lamp for her rare Toyota truck, and this is her first go at a car review. I’m delighted to hear her perspective of a gearhead not yet jaded by press cars and inexhaustible supplies of shrimp. – JT]
[Full disclosure: Toyota put me up in a hotel by the sea and fed me food and cocktails and lots of coffee in exchange for writing about the new Prius. Another full disclosure: This is my first car review and this was my first time attending an automotive press event. I was just minding my own business one afternoon when Jason messaged me an odd request. Several hours later I found myself checking into a fancy hotel by the sea that Toyota had paid for. Toyota’s largesse extended to food (steak and lobster??) drinks (cocktails and fine wines) and even room service. This assignment included a lot of firsts for me: It was my first time having my keys taken by a valet at a hotel entrance. It was my first time staying in lodging fancier than a Motel 6 or a Best Western. And it was definitely my first time being called “madam” by someone bringing a fancy-ass plate of bagel and lox to my room for breakfast. As a person of generally modest means who won’t even buy ground beef if it’s more than $3.99 a pound, it was all pretty disorienting, even if it was exciting.]
Not As Quirky Outside, But It Does Look Good
The most obvious difference between the incoming Prius, shown above, and its predecessors is its outward appearance, so we might as well start there. Since the second-generation models rolled off factory lines in 2003, Priuses have always looked distinctively Prius-y, which is to say, like a dorky turtle. Don’t believe me? Here’s the whole line of previous Priuses:
The 2023 model still has plenty of styling cues that let you know what it is, but it’s got an aggressive look now that, at least in the gray paint I ended up with, made me think of a manta ray, or a shark, or some other sleek underwater predator.
Its wheels are big, and its tires are low-profile; worth noting: Lead engineer Satoki Oya made a point of saying they kept the wheels narrow for lower rolling resistance and better efficiency.
At the back of the car is another big styling difference. The rear hatch has lost the two-piece glass treatment that the previous models had. That’s probably not something that most people who buy this car will care about, but it made me a little sad to see it gone. It was one of those Prius details you didn’t really see anywhere else, save for the second-generation Honda CRX.
[Editor’s Note: I think it’s worth pointing out that the new Prius design, which I feel is vastly, vastly better than previous generations, retains this awkward and puzzling solution to front license plate mounting as I saw at the LA Auto Show, and discussed in this video. I’m talking about this block:
Is this really the best design Toyota could think of for front license plate mounting? Front plates are required in 31 states, leaving 19 states that just have to live with this big-ass block that breaks the sleek lines of the front end? I don’t get why they were okay with this. – JT]
Not As Weird Inside
The interior of the Prius feels, well, aggressively normal, with basically all of the amenities being exactly where you expect them to be. This is another departure from previous Prii. Whereas driving the fourth-gen Prius felt a little like a space pod inside, its replacement feels just like a more typical car. The shifter, which has been part of the dashboard for three generations now, has been moved down to the center console in the same place you would find it in just about any other modern vehicle.
The center console has two modestly sized cupholders that hold a small cup of coffee just fine, but were unable to handle the water bottle I brought along for the ride. Fortunately, there’s a large tray just forward of the cupholders and my bottle sat there more or less happily.
The Toyota folks seemed quite proud to show off a slot in the center console where you can keep your phone while you drive. But it’s not just a cubby—it also wirelessly charges your phone. It’s neat, but if I had one of these Priuses as my daily driver, that slot would end up filled with old receipts, hair ties, loose change, and a few melted chapsticks in about a month.
Despite the general ordinariness of the car’s interior, one thing that stood out to me was how comfortable it was to sit in. I am 6-foot-4-inches and my primary car is a Honda Fit, so 95 percent of my driving experience involves me feeling cramped.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the leg room was more than ample once I scooted the seat back, and I could sit all the way straight up without bumping my head into the roof. And to really test the car’s leg room, I left the front seat in that position and climbed in the back sea behind it. It was a little snug, but I didn’t have to turn my legs sideways to fit. If I had three clones of my large self, we could all four ride in this car in comfort.
Less Rear Cargo Space
Maybe I’m biased because I drive a Fit, or maybe because I’m hoarder and serial hobbyist, but I expect a hatchback to have a lot of room for my junk in its trunk. This is one place where the new Prius seems to miss the mark. Its trunk is small. Apparently the cargo volume of this new Prius is a whole 3.5 cubic feet less than what the previous model had. Lead engineer Oya told those of us who came to the press event that smaller trunk was due to style considerations rather than any kind of engineering decision.
The small cargo area means someone could fit a few suitcases back there for a weekend trip, but I’m not sure I could carry around a 3D printer, a bicycle, a milk crate of camping supplies, and some cool flower pots I found on the side of the road, even with the rear seats folded down. That’s kind of a bummer.
Side note: One thing I thought odd about the trunk was that when I lifted the floor mat, I found myself faced with an expanse of Styrofoam. The material was more like the polystyrene foam used in bicycle helmets than something you would find in a shipping box, but with all the cubbies and recesses molded into it, it reminded me of a convenience-store ice chest. (Maybe it will come in handy for someone who forgets to bring a cooler with them on their fly-fishing trip.) I asked the Toyota folks what the Styrofoam is for, and their answer was simple: For making the trunk floor flat. Apparently this is common in newer cars, though, they admitted they didn’t know why the foam is white instead of the black color that’s more typical. The fellow I spoke with said he asked the Toyota engineers, and they gave him an answer he didn’t understand about “static dissipation.” This is an interesting little detail that I would like to investigate further.
Not As Weird To Drive
As I mentioned above, my daily driver is a Honda Fit. It’s from 2010 and it was the most base model I could find (I wanted a stickshift, ok? It’s not just that I’m cheap). That Fit is just the latest in a long series of dumpy little cars I’ve purchased more for utility and fuel efficiency than anything else. Driving the 2023 Prius is nothing like driving any of those cars I’ve owned. Whereas my cars have all been slow and loud, the Prius is quick and quiet. Road noise is minimal, unlike in my Honda where the sounds of the freeway regularly drown out the radio. The Prius makes sure you don’t feel potholes as much more than a little jiggle in your seat. In my Rabbit, they threatened to yank the steering wheel from my hands.
The Toyota team was very excited to tell us about the lane assist and active braking features they included in this car, and despite being kind of a luddite about those things, I have to admit I didn’t hate them. The active braking surprised me a little a few times as I approached cars stopped for a red light ahead, but I never felt like it was taking control away from me. The same goes for the lane assist. In the Prius, I barely noticed it, and when I did, it was more like a polite suggestion than an order. The car also comes with a feature that can be best described as a “Stop looking at your phone. The light turned green,” idiot light.
If the car in front of you starts driving, and you don’t, it gently flashes a thin strip that runs across the bottom of the dashboard at you. I tested it. It works. That’s kind of neat.
So far, I’ve mostly compared how the new Prius drives to how my econoboxes drive, and while those are useful(ish) data points, they’re probably not entirely fair comparisons. So, how does it drive compared to another Prius? Short answer: very differently. In the fourth-generation Prius, you feel like you are driving a hybrid car. You can hear the soft whir of the electric motor when you press the accelerator or when you slow down. When you come to a stop, there’s a mysterious little buzz that says there’s something going on under the hood besides just a gas engine.
In contrast, the new Prius just drives like a car. If you press the gas pedal, it goes. If you press the brakes, it slows down. If you really press the gas pedal, the gas engine gets noisy. If I were to have sat down in it without knowing it was a Prius, and without seeing the telltale kilowatt-hours number on its heads-up display, I think it would have taken me a while to realize I was driving a hybrid. The older Prius reminded me of driving a robot, who was also your friend. The new Prius might as well have been my grandparents’ Camry.
More Power, Upgraded Batteries
The new Prius is built on Toyota’s TNGA-C (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, which also underpins the Corolla, the CH-HR, and the Lexus UX. The overarching theme of technical changes to the car is More. Its 2.0L gas engine has more horsepower (150 vs. 96 before). It has more magnets in the electric motor, which apparently makes the car more efficient. Together, the gas and electric motors give the Prius 196 hp, allowing the AWD version to get up to 60mph in seven seconds. The front-drive car, which has 194 hp, version does it in 7.2.
Toyota has squeezed 14 percent more battery capacity into the car by finally ditching nickel metal hydride (NIMH) technology in favor of lithium ion (li-ion) batteries. Priuses always came with NIMH batteries right up to 2021, when they were outfitted with both NIMH and li-ion batteries. Now the last vestiges of that older technology are gone. Since li-ion batteries are more energy dense than NIMH batteries, the company can pack more electrons into the same amount of space (that space being under the back seat).
It’s Actually Less Aerodynamic
The new Prius goes more miles on a gallon of gas—up to 57 miles per gallon in the FWD LE trim level.. If you get an AWD model in either the XLE and Limited trim levels, the fuel economy drops quite a bit to 49 mpg. The car is one inch wider and one inch longer. The wheelbase is about 2 inches longer (50 mm). It has more drag, which is to say, it’s a little bit less aerodynamic. According to Oya, this increase in drag is primarily because the company moved the peak of the roof further back for style purposes. The AWD option, which is new for the Prius, seems like a big deal and will probably be a welcome addition for people who live in places with weather more inclement than anything I would ever see in the San Diego neighborhoods where I test drove the car. I mentioned this detail to a friend who lives near Denver and he said “TBH I’d consider an AWD Prius. I feel like most manufacturers have decided if you want AWD, you get a largish SUV.” (He alternates between driving a Subaru Outback and a Triumph Spitfire to work right now.)
The Prius Is Going To Make Lots Of People Happy
The new Prius is a capable, comfortable car with excellent fuel economy and modern, aggressive styling. For people who want to save money on gas while getting to places without a lot of fuss, this car is going to be a great option. Compared to the outgoing car, the new Prius is a very normal car now, offering a very normal driving experience and normal styling, and that’s going to make a lot of people very happy, even if it makes me a little bit sad.
The general solution of a plastic molded bracket added to the front for the plate is not a very robust setup. The entire mount (with plate) is easily separated from the car – usually without the driver even knowing. Check out a snow pile in a large parking lot as it melts in the spring, and you will likely find a handful of front brackets and plates. They also come off pretty easily in urban areas where drivers park ‘by feel.’
They’re probably avoiding complaints about missing plate mounts without paying much of a price because the Prius has probably not been selling on its looks.
However, the Prius has better aero than the Corolla (and better efficiency as a result – 53/46 for the base 2023 Corolla Hybrid vs. 57/56 for the base 2023 Prius), seems to be positioned upmarket of the Corolla, and also has a PHEV option that the Corolla doesn’t have.
(If the link is permitted)
There’s a Verge article written by Patrick George (who also writes here) that Lexus may be working on a simulated manual experience for an EV.
But otherwise…I’ve grown so used to always being in the powerband in my own ’12 Prius v that I imagine someone who likes manuals would like it less than a manual, but more than a typical automatic?
Keep the good work
They sold about 59k Prii last year, so that 35k could probably cover the demand until the 2024’s arrive.
I’m really only interested in the Prime, which won’t be out for a while anyway. I guess I’ll hope to be able to buy one in 2024 if I’m still interested.
Apparently there are a lot of other Prius fans and prior owners who got there first. I was told I’d be waiting at least until August because they’ve already taken more deposits on the new one than Priuses they sold this whole year.
For those who can get one, it looks like an excellent car.
Great job on your first review! It might as well have been your hundredth based upon the quality.
So I’m curious if that means anything.
As per the Prius, I’ll be waiting on pricing and impressions on the PHEV. Could be a potential cheaper replacement for our XC60 T8 (which is an overkill for our needs)… except that I’m concerned about the trunk space. Once they’re at the dealers we’ll go visit baby gear in tow to test it I guess.
I wish they had leaned into the weirdness of the early third-gen styling more. It could have been cool if they had given that weirdo spaceship some performance chops.
This is like a smooth pebble with SF90 headlamps. I’m glad the Prius finally has some oomph, but I’m not feeling it as much. Bring back weirdness.
As for the car – I’m glad I’m not the only one not pissing my pants over how “amazing looking” this new Prius is. For a while I felt like a weirdo even in this community of (lovable) weirdos.
IMO, yes, you can still very much tell it’s a Prius, just a yassified/Teslafied-looking one, which takes away from its quirky charm (that I reckon the XW30 had the most of…) and makes it look like yet another modern blob. It’s a good car and a good-looking one, just astoundingly overhyped.
The takeaway for me is Autopian could use some variety in their viewpoints. Hearing the hot take on something new from someone who hasn’t driven a hundred press vehicles is refreshing as hell.
Nice job, Emily.
Things I don’t like: it’s ugly, it feels kinda cheap, the brakes feel weird.
Seems like this car solves my complaints in exchange for some of the features I love.
So in my view, even though the trunk is smaller on this new Prius, it’s still acceptable.
It should also be noted that the 3rd gen Honda Fit that went on sale in 2015 also had a big drop in trunk space… dropped to 16.6 cu ft… which was disappointing.
But yeah… it’s annoying how car makers keep making the trunks in cars smaller and smaller. The worst of the worst was the Chevy Volt… only 10.6 cu ft in both 1st gen and 2nd gen model… substantially smaller than even the Chevy Bolt which had 16.9 cu ft… more than the later Honda Fits!
