Still the Hybrid King? | 2025 Toyota Prius Review
the Toyota Prius. It’s the hybrid that started
the entire hybrid movement and has brought us to the EV movement that we’re in now or maybe shying
away from. That’s because cars like this deliver 50 m to the gallon, can accelerate quickly, look
really good, and don’t cost a whole lot of money. For 2025, there’s a few new features, mainly this
yellow paint on the Nightshade edition. and I’m going to take you for a ride inside and out so you
can truly see why this car in its fifth generation is still a great buy. New for 2023 and in its
fifth generation, the Prius has become normalized. It’s no longer the pop icon it was of the green
movement. Blame Toyota for that. The success has been so good that not only Toyota, but so many
other manufacturers have made hybrids mainstream. The Prius, though, has a lot to offer still as the
original hybrid. New for 2025 is the Nightshade edition. Now, it’s painted in a shade of New York
City taxi cab, but that is exclusive to this new basically appearance package. It blackens the
door handles, Porsche style, black 19-in rims, black badging, and black bumpers. Very different
here, and I like it. It’s below the limited. So, if you want all the luxury trims that come inside,
all the nice features like the JBL stereo, you’re going to have to upgrade from the Nightshade. But,
I really like the way this looks. Yellow might not be your cup of tea, but in autumn in New England,
this Prius fits in very nicely. The silhouette is also extremely rakish, a very large raed
windshield, steeper than any Prius before that. It looks, and I’ve said it before, semi-exotic
when you actually look at it up close. Up front, it’s got C-shaped LEDs, multiple stacking effects
going on here. Very bright, and it also echoes what other Toyotas are looking like across
this lineup. It’s sharp looking. In the back, there’s no rear door handles. It has that coupe
looking effect. The whole Prius is more refined than it ever was. You cannot make fun of this car
anymore. That was the thing to do for decades. Not now. And I like the yellow. I just do. To get
that pretty and aerodynamic shape on the outside, Toyota had to cut headroom on the inside.
Right here, you’re going to have to duck your head a lot to get in and out of this car
comfortably. Once you get used to it though, the seats are quite comfortable and the driving
position is generally good. The instrument panel is partially blocked by the top of the steering
wheel if you have it set that high. And I do, so it clears my knees cuz there’s not a ton of
room inside the Prius. However, the fact that there are analog climate controls and easy to use
touchscreen, enough physical switches, and good quality materials everywhere that I’m looking
and touching, that is a big plus these days. The lack of headroom does extend to the
rear seats. I don’t know really what the dimensions are versus previous generations, but
it definitely feels tighter right here. However, the fact that you have an adjustable shade here
with your own sunroof. There’s some USBC ports. No air vents on this night shade trim. But this
back seat actually is comfortable and there’s decent leg room. The Prius has 20 cubic feet of
space behind the seats. Slightly more with those seats folded. There’s no official figure. It’s a
good amount of space, but it’s still pretty small. [Music] The Prius is noisy, but it’s actually quick.
Since this car came out for 2023, there’s been actual power, which means that the numbers on the
speedometer don’t tick up like they do tick down on your microwave when you’re heating up some
coffee. This actually moves like a real car. We’re talking 11 seconds to 60. And basically
every generation of Prius until now. This one with all-wheel drive, Toyota says 7 seconds.
Every single Prius comes with a 2 L inline 4. It’s running on the Atkinson cycle for max
efficiency. It’s paired with an electric motor or two an electric motor on the rear such as this
car for a combined 196 horsepower. Total battery size is under a kilowatt hour in keeping with the
Prius tradition of just having a small battery. It’s lithium ion, which means over the life of
this car, the service cost, even after you’ve had the federal or the California emissions warranty
that covers the battery, the replacement cost is going to be quite low. Now, it’s running through
a continuously variable transmission as before. And while the engine is noisy and you always
are aware of it, it’s just nice to feel that you can move with traffic. And that’s what this
Prius does. And it does not compromise either on fuel efficiency. On this trim, you’re talking 49
city and 50 highway. That’s incredible. And that’s not even the best one. A lot of the Prius models
with front-wheel drive are 52 across the board. And the base LE in front-wheel drive trim is
getting as high as 57. And if you want more fuel economy and more electric only driving, which this
Prius as a whole doesn’t really do, it’ll shut off the engine at moderate speeds and at higher speeds
when you’re at really low load. If you want that electric only experience, there’s the Prius
Plug-in Hybrid. It was formerly known as the Prius Prime, which we’ve reviewed separately. And
we also review the current Prius plug-in hybrid separately. So go to cargurus.com and check that
out. This Prius generation has a sport mode and it can be felt and heard mostly felt keeps the engine
running for longer and if you do press the EV mode button doesn’t work at speeds really higher than
25. It’s really meant for city driving and the Prius has never really had extensive electric only
mode. It’s the way it’s been able to balance the two powertrains, electric and gas, so perfectly
for decades that that’s why it’s been able to hit 40, 50 or more MPG. But these days, fuel economy
is less of a prize. It really is because even a regular Camry, which Toyota has across its lineup,
all hybrid, that’s what you get on every single Camry, is hitting the mid40s, even the low50s
without a problem. So, the Prius and its main reasons for being efficiency, it’s not what it
was. And that’s not really the fault of this car. It’s just that everything else in the market has
gotten so much better. and Toyota’s hybrid system, which it now makes two of systems like this,
and then I Force Max, which is in the trucks like you’ll find of the Tacoma, for example.
Everywhere you look, you’re seeing hybrids. So, it’s ubiquitous because of this car. What’s nice,
though, is that after all these years, I can get in a Prius and actually have a good time driving,
not be annoyed by how much of a snail it is. really. It handles well. It doesn’t feel really
too weird at all either when you’re driving. The visibility out the front is great. I would say
the visibility at this instrument panel though a lot less so. The steering wheel does block some
of the view. So, the placement isn’t very good. I had that similar same issue really in Toyota’s
BZ4X. So, that’s an ergonomic quibble. But the car is comfortable, especially in city driving.
It’s quiet. And like every single Toyota, it handles well. It steers well. The brake regen is
perfect. It’s just that now if you want a hybrid, you can pick so many different body styles. What
look do you want? The Prius is no longer the only game in town. The Prius really has come a long
way and you can enjoy yourself behind the wheel. Really just feel good. It’s just never something
that I ever experienced in Priuses prior. Brakes are soft, but you know what this is? The brake
regen is non adjustable, but it feels good. And really, I compare this to the very first 2009
Prius that I tested. Man, it’s worlds apart. This 12.3 inch display is optional on every Prius trim
except the Limited. I think it’s worthwhile to have. Navigation though is only standard for a few
months to a year depending on what you have. After that, you got to pay for it. It’s called cloud
navigation and really not too much customization here. A few things here and there. The menus are
pretty accessible. Tight faces are good. Climate controls are all separate thankfully. The cameras
really nothing to brag about. The Prius keeps things simple and yeah, there’s wireless Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto, all that good stuff. There’s only a six- speakeraker stereo on this
trim. You got to get the Limited to get the JBL, which only has a couple more speakers. So, in
terms of technology, not much happening here. Now, the instrument panel is nice and simple. However,
when I actually adjust the steering wheel where it’s comfortable, it blocks half of the view. Not
a good way to actually use it. When you actually do, you’ll find that it’s quite old. Now, aside
from lane departure alert, which is spelled out, you get BSM, PCS, PDA, parking assist, that’s
spelled out. A lot of these things, you have no idea what it is they do. And coming in here, I
mean, it’s just an old old way to do things here, which really should be on the main touchcreen
because you’re not going to go into this type of system very often. But the information is there,
and like I said, most of it’s blocked. The Toyota Prius starts at $28,000. There are four trims,
each of which has all-wheel drive as an option. As tested, the Nightshade Edition with all-wheel
drive, $36,000. The competitors include the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, the Honda Civic hatchback, and the
rest of the compact sedan and hatchback segment, which mostly are not hybrids. With all of the
improvements in this fifth generation Prius, you’d be hardpressed not to consider it. Except there’s
hybrid powertrains in every vehicle category that you can find. Now, the Prius really did this to
itself. Even in the Toyota showrooms, you’ll see Corolla hybrids, Camry hybrids. It’s everywhere.
But that does not take away the fact that this car is actually performing the way it should have
always done. And now with all-wheel drive, all of this style, and a whole lot more value, including
a plug-in hybrid if you want it, this car remains the benchmark for hybrid performance. What do
you think? And what hybrid or compact car would you choose? Go to cargurus.com, subscribe to the
YouTube channel, and we will see you next time.
Shop for a new Toyota Prius on CarGurus: https://cargur.us/_lbw6
The Toyota Prius remains one of the most influential vehicles of the past two decades, setting the benchmark for hybrid efficiency and helping shape the transition toward electrified driving. Even today, its blend of real-world fuel economy, accessible performance, and approachable pricing keeps it relevant. For 2025, the range gains a few updates, including a new Nightshade edition highlighted by a distinctive yellow finish. In this review, we’ll take a closer look inside and out to see how the latest Prius continues to make its case in its fifth generation, long after hybrid technology has become mainstream.
For more information on the Prius, read Chris Wardlaw’s review: https://cargur.us/1jqfK8
Sell your car 100% online. Get the best offer instantly from thousands of dealers: https://cargur.us/PBmK_
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Presenter: Clifford Atiyeh
Cinematography: www.VennCreativeMedia.com
#toyota #prius #toyotaprius
———
0:00 The Toyota Prius
0:31 Exterior
2:04 Interior
2:42 Rear Seats
3:01 Cargo Space
3:14 Powertrain
4:38 Fuel Efficiency
5:28 Driving Impressions
8:22 Infotainment
9:43 Pricing and Verdict
