Not too long ago having a 2023 Toyota Prius for every week, for up-close scrutiny and drive time, jogged my memory of the large Hollywood film franchises that assist maintain us entertained throughout many years and generations.
Similar to all the films to return from Star Wars, James Bond, Marvel, or Quick and Livid, there could also be contemporary faces, a futuristic new look, some new twists. However beneath all of it it is a recognized amount, and it’s on a well-recognized trajectory. Whether or not we’re speaking about “Iron Man” or “Black Panther”—or right here, the Prius— the cues and precisely the place that is going; and you’ll virtually spell out what it’s going to ship whenever you step again and marvel on the backside line.
My first half-hour with the brand new Prius, with its jaw-dropping beauty yielding shortly to pragmatism, jogged my memory a lot of these big-screen consolation views. The Prius is iconic and it’s a recognized amount. With the 2023 mannequin harking again, virtually nostalgically, to the wildly profitable 2004 mannequin that Hollywood’s elite needed to be seen in, it attracts individuals in.
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
Very like these film franchises, the Prius has wandered off for a bit. It actually misplaced its method round 2012 or so—when Toyota noticed it as a complete household and sub-brand of very appliance-like automobiles. Since then it’s returned to its senses, as a substitute going about spreading hybrid tech to all of the fashions within the lineup.
In opposition to these odds it’s discovered a spot for the Prius, as a standalone hybrid, in 2023. It seems to be nice, and appears to point out an astounding stage of consciousness and perspective from Toyota in what it must be—with one large asterisk: It’s not far more electrical than the hybrids earlier than it.
With my evaluation of the 2022 Toyota Prius Nightshade from November contemporary in thoughts, let me supply this: The outgoing Prius might need morphed into one thing extra inspiring to drive, however it’s the fabulous outer shell of this new 2023 Prius that can enable extra individuals to find that.
2023 Toyota Prius
It’s lovely and polarizing and quicker-accelerating with out shedding official mpg—the right Prius for some, a decade too late for others.
Does the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime and its 44-mile EPA all-electric vary hit a candy spot? We’ll should reply that afterward with testing that really lets us stay with the Prime for some days. However within the meantime, right here’s a roundup of this yin and yang, the professionals and cons that I felt whereas driving the Prius hybrid—represented in what I see as a complete set of hits and misses.
2023 Toyota Prius
Professional: Head-turning Prius styling
The brand new Prius has jaw-dropping beauty that maintain good-looking from about any angle. From the profile to the main points, it tends to embody influences from the second-generation (2004-2009) Prius however with racy, curvaceous coupe-like splendor that carries properly past its sub-$40,000 sticker worth, even in absolutely loaded kind as examined. In my time with the Prius round Portland, I bought stopped 4 instances (truly flagged down, in a single case) by drivers who needed to find out about it. None of those individuals have been presently in a Prius—one was in a Tesla Mannequin 3, the opposite in a Polestar 2.
Con: It’s not a Prius EV
Cue the just about unanimous disappointment. Whereas these curious drivers have been excited to see the Prius identify on this eye-catching automobile, all however one have been stunned this wasn’t an EV. That basically reinforces my preliminary intestine feeling about this design: It’s a misplaced alternative, and this stunner of a design may have been the delineation between Prius the hybrid and Prius the electrical car.
2023 Toyota Prius
Professional: Makes its Prius household proud on mpg
The Prius has all the time impressed in fuel mileage, and from what I may inform, this newest iteration isn’t any exception. Simply don’t count on this newest Prius to return increased mileage than the one you’re buying and selling in.
My check Prius Restricted got here with a 52-mpg EPA mixed (52 metropolis, 52 freeway) score, whereas different fashions within the lineup get a 57-mpg mixed score. With climate within the mid-40s to low 50s over the 5 days I had with the Prius, I averaged greater than 49 mpg in a 112-mile driving combine that included some light metropolis driving, some easygoing suburban journey, a number of miles on a favourite backroad with Sport mode engaged, and about 30 miles of cruising at 70-75 mph.
Individually, I switched the Prius to Eco mode and ran it on my 53-mile hybrid loop that actually tends to carry out one of the best in hybrids and contains about 700 ft of elevation acquire and loss plus a mixture of under-65-mph freeway driving, suburban boulevards, and rolling-hill backroads. The Prius completed that check indicating a 57-mpg common.
Whereas these outcomes are nice, they fell greater than 10% brief on each counts versus the 2022 Prius, which underneath just about the identical situations and drive routes returned 55 mpg in mixed driving and 65 mpg on my hybrid loop. I checked the odometer for accuracy.
What’s the reason for the decrease quantity? The scales could also be a part of it; the loaded Prius Restricted, with its glass roof, weighs 3,219 kilos, in keeping with Toyota—up about 150 kilos versus the outgoing mannequin. Regardless of my care to drive evenly on the effectivity loop, the temptation to benefit from this new mannequin’s peppier acceleration could also be a part of it too.
2023 Toyota Prius
Con: The infotainment is a mishmash
Again within the day, the Prius bought its personal particular interface geared towards those that needed to geek out over their vehicles a bit bit. Even within the final technology, an excellent, 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen made its debut on the Prime and filtered down via the hybrid lineup. That show, with its shiny distinction, clean movement, and layers, at the moment seems to be a step higher than what you get within the new 2023 Prius—which responds inconsistently and appears like a beta try, software-wise.
Criticisms deserve particulars, and past menu objects that aren’t as flat as they could possibly be or as logical as customers would possibly guess, it comes right down to sensible use of the area. Few objects match on the display screen at a time as you scroll up and down—whether or not that be potential locations or satellite tv for pc radio channels, lists or icons—and which means you must maintain your eyes on the display screen and away from the street for longer treasured milliseconds. Voice instructions should be saved very primary and don’t depart a whole lot of room for syntax or pure language; it wouldn’t perceive “tune satellite tv for pc radio channel 25” for example, and I lastly discovered I wanted to name out the supply as SiriusXM and use the verb “play.” There’s no dwelling display screen that may show maps and radio data without delay. And what seems to be a Toyota app is the one technique to exit CarPlay—to return and browse radio stations, for instance. It’s clumsy.
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
My complaints in regards to the interface transcend the middle display screen, to the gauge cluster, which is borrowed from the bZ4X. As a taller driver, simply as in bZ4X, I’m left questioning whether or not I’m purported to have the steering wheel adjusted to look simply over the steering wheel rim or inside it. In what I might decide to be my most pure driving place, the higher portion of the rim is true smack in entrance of the gauge cluster.
2023 Toyota Prius
Professional: This Prius performs!
Though it might need been exhausting to maintain sight of on account of its styling, the earlier Prius was a vastly higher automobile to drive versus earlier variations of the effectivity icon. With sporty, refined manners, it took on curvy backroads with relative ease—though it was in no way taut, and its mucky, sluggish powertrain couldn’t ship sufficient for the chassis.
Within the 2023 model, it’s all so completely different. The marginally decrease trip top makes it really feel racier, placing you nearer to the street. Additional, its 194-hp (mixed) hybrid system makes 60% greater than final yr’s mannequin; it quantities to 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.2 seconds, and fairly the distinction in pep at American boulevard speeds. It nonetheless isn’t tuned for fast takeoffs like Hyundai’s system is within the Elantra Hybrid, however it strikes like no different Prius but.
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
Con: It lacks some end and poise
For all the fashionable exterior shell offers in a primary impression, and the efficiency it delivers, the 2023 Toyota Prius doesn’t carry itself alongside the street with much more sophistication or poise. It feels engineered to a worth, and noise, vibration, and harshness are what give.
The brand new Prius booms with the feel of the street at freeway speeds, and in comparison with the outgoing model it doesn’t monitor markedly higher than the outgoing model regardless of feeling choppier on the pavement. The steering tends to require frequent small changes at freeway speeds, simply as I famous within the outgoing model. And I anticipated there to be virtually no wind noise given the glossy profile however there’s a good quantity of it across the entrance pillars at 70 mph.
The mixture I had, with 195/50R19 Michelin Primacy tires on some sharp-looking alloys, truly rode worse than the 2022 Prius Nightshade I drove some variety of weeks earlier. I took it on the identical stretch of curvy street, and energy apart, the brand new automobile didn’t really feel any extra nimble in tight curves—though there was positively extra harshness transmitted into the cabin.
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
2023 Toyota Prius
Professional: Usable again seat
I used to be ready to face troublesome entry and exit, a scarcity of headroom, and restricted rear visibility because of the slope of the roofline. Whereas the visibility is difficult, rear headroom is simply effective, and this lanky 6-foot-6 matches OK offered it’s not behind somebody as tall. Sure, duck your head when getting out and in, however should you’ve been within the newest Toyota Corolla—or perhaps a Hyundai Elantra or Sonata—it’s actually not a lot completely different. I stepped out a number of instances in disbelief and see some genius-level work with cushion positioning and contouring; it’s fairly a feat to design a again seat—and respectable cargo area—round that roofline.
2023 Toyota Prius
Con: Underwhelming entrance seats
For all of the packaging surprise of the again seat, the entrance seats—and actually, the entire front-seat space—left me underwhelmed. The seats don’t supply up a lot assist to thighs or again, and people in my top-trim Restricted felt no higher than these from a Corolla. And anybody over common top had higher watch out getting in; the steep entrance pillar invitations you to face again getting in and the door cuts are unusually brief, leaving even these of common top to thoughts their tailbones.
2023 Toyota Prius
Professional: This Prius’s worth is true
The 2023 Prius hybrid begins at $28,545, together with the $1,095 vacation spot price. Sure, that’s 1000’s greater than a Corolla, however the design makes all of the distinction.
The highest Restricted mannequin I examined will get all of the active-safety items, a hard and fast glass roof, heated and cooled vinyl seats, an influence driver’s seat, a heated steering wheel, bi-LED headlamps, an influence hatch, wi-fi smartphone charging, and digital key functionality. My check automobile added a digital rearview mirror, a sophisticated parking system, a panoramic rearview monitor, and heated rear seats, bringing the full to $37,494 with vacation spot.
2023 Toyota Prius
Con: Lacks sensible energy fundamentals
As a lot as I count on electrified undertones, the Prius can’t appear to flee its gasoline-fueled overtones, and oddly this electrified trendsetter comes up lacking on a few of the ancillary items that make hybrids—and by extension, plug-in automobiles—thrilling. I am not speaking wi-fi smartphone charging; it has that. Particularly, it’s lacking any type of 120-volt port or energy takeoff which may enable house owners to energy instruments, tenting tools, and even only a cellular workspace. There’s no wink-and-nod to the rising consideration to photo voltaic both (simply have a look at the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid for the best way to try this). If something, it feels a bit like complacency shining via—that Toyota is okay letting in those that see this as horny and pushing the geeky, electro-smart prospects who used to flock to the Prius out the door.
2023 Toyota Prius
Takeaway: A special Prius, if solely on the skin
Generally seems to be go a good distance, and I lastly got here to phrases with why, regardless of its lackluster good points in lots of respects, I nonetheless actually like this Prius. In all, it doesn’t carry out, trip, drive, or sip gasoline at a lot of a special charge than its predecessor. However it seems to be fully completely different inside and outside—and that goes an extended technique to colour in how you find yourself feeling in regards to the automobile.
