The Toyota Prius has been the go-to for buying a hybrid seemingly since it was introduced in 1997. Since then, however, many more hybrids have entered the market--many even breaking away from the recognizable egg shape as sedans, hatchbacks and even SUVs. With all the competition the Prius has on the market, does it still hold up as the best choice for hybrid buyers?
Introduced in 2016, the Prius Prime is Toyota's answer to the growing demand of plug-in hybrids. With a claimed electric-only range of 25 miles, it might not be enough to get you to work and back, but it is enough to get you to the 7-Eleven down the street using only electricity.
The Prime is the plug-in hybrid model in Toyota’s Prius lineup, with a full charge netting up to 25 miles of all-electric operation. It’s not a lot by Chevy Volt or Honda Clarity standards, but it’s better than a sharp stick in the eye I suppose.
Ultimately the Prius Prime lives or dies by its technology. The interior looks like something straight out of “I, Robot,” in that it’s kind of the 2004 version of the future where everything is white and rounded and looks like a third generation iMac. I’m not saying that’s bad, though. I quite like the look of the interior and the gigantor center mounted DIC and touchscreen interface. It’s attractive in a clinical, efficient way that will probably age well aesthetically.
I can’t say as much for much of the actual interface, though. Like, you shouldn’t have to travel three levels deep in the menus to bring up a complete list of satellite radio channels. Some basic controls are hardwired into the dash and don’t require touchscreen operation, but the general feel of the interface is that it’s traded cool looks for actual function. For example, I know that the Prius Prime delivers around 25 miles from a full charge before the gas motor kicks in, but I know that from the Toyota literature, and from watching the odometer. I never did find a function that actually displays the remaining battery-only range. I did find about six different animations for viewing in real time how the electrons are flowing and what is being powered by the combustion engine and what is running from battery, but I really didn’t need any more than, oh, say, one.
At $35,000 and change, though, the Prius Prime is right in the wheelhouse for good plug-in hybrid compacts these days. Yeah there’s some weirdness that will take some getting used to in some of the interfaces, but the car part itself is darn good. The low-rolling-resistance tires don’t turn it into a wander machine on the freeway the way some factory hypermilers do, and although you’d never mistake it for a sport sedan, the ergonomics are typical toyota excellent, and make driving the Prius Prime fairly rewarding.
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