22-02-2025
Thinking about buying a Toyota Prius? Here are other top choices to consider
When the Toyota Prius was redesigned for 2023, it represented a dramatic change for the gas-electric hybrid. Until that point, Toyota CEO Akio Toyota considered the Prius little more than a commodity car, built to a price to minimize Japanese taxicab CO2 emissions rather than maximize thrills.
But when faced with producing a new model year, with most Toyota models having hybrid variants, Toyota designers pushed Akio to instill the Prius with a touch of sportiness, something it has never had.
The result is slick, sporty, and appealing while no longer possessing the design presence of an alien life form. With a lower center of gravity, a wider stance, and a two-inch lower roofline, it certainly has a sportier ambiance. This has thankfully not come at the expense of great fuel economy, although it has lost some rear-seat headroom.
Its four-cylinder gas engine and electric motors generate 194 horsepower with front-wheel drive or 196 horsepower with all-wheel drive. A continuously variable transmission (or CVT) is standard. Base LE models are EPA-rated at 57 mpg, while the XLE and Limited models return 52 mpg due to their bigger wheels and tires. All-wheel-drive models are rated at 54 mpg. All models run on 87-octane gasoline.
Overall, the new Prius is satisfyingly quick, with a planted feel and minimal body lean while cornering. It makes for a driving experience that's actually fun, but if you're stigmatized by the thought of driving a Prius, there are some alternatives you can has been making a Honda Civic Hybrid on and off since 2003 when it debuted with a five-speed manual transmission. The 2025 rendition only offers a direct-drive gearbox that funnels 200 horsepower to the front wheels, as much as the Civic Si, from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors.
Much of the hybrid driveline is located under the rear seat, so its 15 cubic-feet of cargo space is unchanged from conventional Civics. Mileage clocks in at 49 mpg, a little less than the Prius, but still impressive.
The Civic can be had as either a four-door sedan or hatchback, with enough rear seat space for adults. A 7-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard, but a 9-inch unit is optional.
As with its siblings, the Civic Hybrid's agility makes driving fun. It's a beautifully balanced compact car that proves that sportiness doesn't preclude epic fuel battle with hybrids from Honda and Toyota, the Elantra Hybrid sedan puts up a decent fight, although it's far from the most powerful. Combining a 1.6-liter four with an electric motor results in an unexciting 139 horsepower being sent to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and onto the front wheels.
It returns 50 mpg in standard form and 54 mpg in the Hybrid Blue trim. As its stats suggest, it's not an engaging machine to drive, much like the Corolla Hybrid, but its fuel economy is impressive, as is its list of comfort and convenience features.
Its design is the most visually arresting of the cars in its class, with a generously sized cabin and 14 cubic-foot trunk. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard, while a 10.25-inch unit is the Prius was too ugly to be seen in on a regular basis, the Corolla Hybrid seemed like a reasonable alternative despite returning lower mileage. Now that the Prius has shed its former hideousness, it's a far more attractive proposition, rendering the Corolla Hybrid largely unnecessary.
If the thought of driving anything named Prius makes you cringe, know that the Corolla Hybrid is available, but its meager 134 horsepower will sentence you to a lifetime in the right lane. That said, the Corolla Hybrid is about safe, sensible, dependable, unexciting transportation, which it delivers. The EPA rates the front-wheel-drive Corolla Hybrid at 47 mpg, but opting for all-wheel drive drops that to 44 mpg. The one advantage the Corolla holds over its rivals is its all-wheel drive option.
Passenger space is about what you'd expect, but cargo volume is a meager 13 cubic feet, the smallest here. The cabin is at least nicely trimmed for the price and includes an 8-inch infotainment screen.
Take the Prius and re-engineer its driveline to incorporate a plug-in hybrid, and voila, the Prius PHEV. Like other Prius models, it uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine and dual electric motors to produce 220 horsepower. Being a plug-in hybrid, it provides 45 miles of electric-only driving in the Prius PHEV SE and 40 miles in the Prius XSE and XSE for miles-per-gallon, the SE delivers 52 mpg while the XSE and XSE Premium drop to 48 mpg. Those figures are lower than the hybrid Prius, but its electric range ensures you'll be traveling on electrons as well as petrol. Otherwise, this is like all the other Prius models.
When it comes to compact hybrids, the Prius remains a formidable competitor, although the Honda Civic Hybrid is a bit sportier and lacks the stigma attached to its name. The Elantra and Corolla Hybrid are two peas in a pod: unexciting to drive but packaged like a conventional compact. That said, the Elantra beats the Corolla on fuel economy and design vitality.
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