Toyota Prius Review

Repairs

The Prius has one of the strongest reliability records of any hybrid, but a few known issues are worth checking, especially on older high mileage cars:

• Hybrid battery cooling fan clogging on high mileage cars, especially those used as cabs

• Weak 12 volt batteries, causing warning lights or slow system start up

• Inverter coolant pump failures on older models (less common on newer generations)

• Suspension wear (drop links, bushes, top mounts) on high mileage examples

• Air conditioning issues, often due to condenser corrosion with age

Maintenance

• Annual oil and filter changes to protect the petrol engine and hybrid system

• Regular cleaning of the hybrid battery cooling fan, especially on cars used for taxi or rideshare work

• Hybrid system coolant changes at the recommended interval to protect the inverter

• Air conditioning servicing to prevent condenser issues

• Annual servicing typically falls in the £200–£350 range

• Brake wear is low due to regenerative braking

• Suspension parts are affordable and widely available

• High voltage battery ageing is usually slow, with many lasting well beyond 10 years

• Hybrid components such as the inverter and motors are extremely reliable

• Plug in Prius models have slightly larger batteries but show similar long term reliability

Is the Toyota Prius a reliable car?

The Toyota Prius is one of the most reliable and durable hybrid cars available. Many examples exceed 200k–300k miles with routine servicing.

How much does it cost?

Prices for the latest Prius start from £37,895 for the Design trim, rising to £39,995 for the top-spec Excel model. Although it’s a relatively new model, we still have many nearly new Prius examples around the £30,000 mark with low miles. There are also older used Prius models with around 10,000 miles priced between £24,000 and £28,000, making them a bargain.

Engine and performance

Overview

With the new Prius, there’s only one engine/electric-motor setup. It’s powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine that is linked to an electric motor and a 13.6kWh battery. The battery can charge on its own, and you can also plug it in. Once fully charged, the Prius can do up to 52.2 miles of electric-only driving. It takes 2.5 hours to fully charge using a dedicated 7kW home wall box and around 6 hours using a standard 3-pin wall socket.

Combined, the Prius develops a strong 223hp, with 0-62mph coming up in 6.8 seconds. Meanwhile, top speed is rated at 109mph.

Out on the road

There’s no doubt that Toyota has worked hard to make the new Prius drive well. It is the quickest Prius to date, and the driving experience is surprisingly pleasant. Off the line, the Prius is eager to get going, thanks to the electric power. Throttle response is instant, and the engine only kicks in when you accelerate really hard. If the speeds are low and with normal throttle inputs, the Prius functions entirely like an EV.

The transition from electric motor to engine is as seamless as one can imagine and there’s no dip in response or pulling power. It all feels extremely polished, with a certain deftness to the way the Prius drives. As the Prius features a CVT gearbox, once the engine kicks in, it does tend to make its presence felt, sounding a bit gruffier than we would’ve liked. But the progress is strong and there was not a moment where we felt the Prius could do with more poke.

There are different drive modes on offer: HV (drives as a hybrid and self-charges the battery), EV (drives only on electric power), Auto EV/HV, or Battery Charge mode (uses the engine as a generator to charge the battery). Drive the Prius as intended and its character starts to make more sense. It’s technologically superior, and there’s a lot of wizardry happening underneath you, predominantly to save the planet. But the Prius hides its intricacies exceptionally well, and the end result is an easy driving experience that is far more engaging than we would expect from such a car.

Ride and handling

The Prius we tested was the entry-level Design trim with 195/60 R17 tyres (the Excel dons 195/50 R19 tyres). Thanks to its cushion-like tyre sidewalls and finely tuned ride and handling, the ride quality is fantastic in the new Prius. It glides through every imperfection, and the ride gets more accomplished and sure-footed with speed. At motorway speeds, the Prius rides flat with a composure that inspires confidence.

Although these skinny tyres improve fuel efficiency, they do lack grip because of their narrower contact patch. So, it lacks outright grip and braking power, as the tyres give up quickly. However, once you steer the Prius, it’s evident the chassis and handling are capable of something more. The low seating position and Toyota’s effort to make it more enjoyable to drive shines through. The steering is satisfyingly direct, with the Prius exhibiting body control more akin to a performance car than a hybrid commuter. It flows through turns effortlessly and keeps the driver informed of what’s happening. Overall, the Prius feels light on its toes, and certainly drives well for something that’s obsessed with fuel economy.

It’s an easy car to live with every day, but a small downside to the sleek design is visibility. The sloping window line plus low seating position means the view out front is compromised, while the rear view is also hampered by some blind spots.

Interior and features

Interiors

The interior design looks partly conventional, especially as Toyota has chosen to retain physical controls for many key functions. The aircon controls are a breeze to use because of this, with toggles for everything. The central tunnel also hosts many buttons and drive modes along with the gearshift lever. The main 12-inch touchscreen is a vivid unit, and it also features a rotary knob for volume controls. Toyota has clearly thought this through, and it’s refreshing to see that the Prius cabin is ergonomically almost perfect.

Almost perfect, only because the 7-inch driver’s display will not be to everyone’s taste. Yes, it’s clear enough, but it can be intimidating as it often feels like information overload at first. The unit is also positioned in such a way that it sits above the small steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is a quirky unit, but it hosts many physical buttons and, in short, works as intended.

In terms of cabin quality, everything has a nice, solid feeling to it. But there are no plush-feeling materials anywhere. It certainly feels like it could last a while, but if a high-quality or premium-feeling cabin sways your buying decision, the new Toyota Prius might not be the car for you.

Boot space and practicality

That sloping roofline looks nice, but it does impact the rear-seat headroom. At the rear, legroom is adequate at best and you do sit with your legs perched up high due to the battery. Taller rear-seat passengers will likely struggle, especially with headroom. Up front, the space is more pleasant, with the seats offering ample support. The driver’s seating position can feel awkward at first because of the unusual steering wheel and instrument-cluster layout. It takes some time to get used to it, but it is nothing bothersome.

There are plenty of storage areas throughout the cabin to help keep things tidy. There are pockets and bins here and there, and a very large cubby under the central armrest. Some buyers might find the Prius’ 284-litre boot to be a bit on the smaller side. There’s marginally more boot space than the Golf Hybrid (273 litres), and it’s also easier to load into the Prius as it’s got no lip.

Features

As standard, with the Design trim, you get 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch driver’s display, a reversing camera, dual-zone air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, auto headlamps, a 6-speaker sound system, and a host of assist features such as blind-spot monitoring, lane trace/change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beam, and road sign assist.

With the top-spec Excel trim, you also get a powered tailgate, electrically adjustable, ventilated and heated seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, a digital rear-view mirror, auto wipers, leather seats, and more.

Trim and colour options

As mentioned, there are only two trim levels: Design and Excel. The colours on offer are Solid: Lunar Shadow Solid Paint; Metallic (£655): Silver Metallic, Ash, Galaxy Black, Mustard and Aura Black; and Premium (£950): Platinum White Pearl and Scarlet Flare.

Safety and reliability

The fifth-generation Toyota Prius has not been officially crash-tested by Euro NCAP. However, the previous generation scored 5 stars. The Prius is loaded with a host of driver assists. On our testing, we found that all the assists worked exceptionally well to point that we could trust the car. Even the adaptive cruise worked flawlessly and even performed well in tricky situations (like a car pulling into your lane abruptly).

MPG, emissions and tax

The plug-in hybrid system of the Prius is its biggest selling point. As mentioned, electric-only range stands at up to 52.2 miles, which is competitive rather than class-leading. However, in our real-world testing, we saw figures of up to 87mpg, which is truly class leading. If you’re looking for one of the most fuel-efficient cars out there, the Prius has to be at the top of your list. With PHEVs, fuel economy is at its best when you can plug them in. But Toyota has been doing hybrid systems for years and it shows. Even without plugging it in, the Prius returns a steady 65+mpg. We’ve also noticed that the powertrain is so well optimised that the Prius always has reserves of electric charge left, even long after the car says you’ve run out of charge.

CO2 emissions of 36-41g/km are still very low and will make the Prius attractive to business users. Expect a standard road-tax rate of £195, and given that the Prius starts from under £40,000, it won’t qualify for the Expensive Car Supplement, either.