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The Toyota Prius is the original hybrid car. Created as a bespoke model to promote the fuel-saving benefits of hybrid engine technology, it caused a stir when launched back in the 1990s. The Toyota Prius went on to become the world’s best-selling hybrid car by far.
Toyota Prius rivals include the Lexus CT, the excellent Hyundai Ioniq, and the practical Kia Niro in a fashionable SUV form.
There have been several generations and the most recent one is the best of the lot. Compared to the boxy original, it looks futuristic, and has a sophisticated interior that’s far roomier than its ancestor.
The Toyota Prius is certainly a well-known hybrid model. Just as the Volkswagen Golf is the archetypal family hatchback, so the Toyota Prius is the first car you think of when asked to name a hybrid. It has brilliant brand currency that helps ensure it remains a popular used car choice.
Toyota say sthe Prius has ‘self-charging’ hybrid tech, as it doesn’t need to be plugged in. The compact battery is recharged by reusing energy normally lost during braking. The system is able to deliver a certain amount of pure electric running, with the engine cutting in and out automatically. You don’t have to try very hard in order to get more than 50mpg from a Toyota Prius.
The Toyota Prius makes a great second-hand buy, with a winning combination of fuel economy, decent specification and that famous Toyota reliability.
There will always remain strong demand for the Toyota Prius, which is proving to be a very long-lived car even in its earliest guise. If you want one of the most well-rounded and efficient hybrid cars of recent years, the Toyota Prius is still worth a look.
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There’s only one engine choice - the 1.8-litre petrol with an electric motor providing hybrid assistance to it. There is the option of an all-wheel drive system, but we can’t imagine too many buyers wanting, or needing, the extra traction it brings. Toyota offers the Prius in four trim levels, Active being the entry point into the range, it followed by the Business Edition, Business Edition Plus and Excel.
All are very well specified, though the Toyota Prius Active does lose a couple of things we’d want with our Prius, so we’d opt for the Business Edition trim. Over the Active, The Business Edition has a head-up display, auto dimming rear-view mirror, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert – the latter two useful as the view out the back of the Prius isn’t exactly panoramic – and a wireless charging area for your phone. Business Edition models and up also get the plusher soft-touch material on the dashboard and door trims.
Toyota offers just a single 1.8-litre hybrid petrol engine with the Toyota Prius. Like all the company’s hybrids, it is paired with a CVT automatic transmission.
Toyota offers a clear four-level trim structure for the Toyota Prius, all with generous equipment. The specs make it easy to shop the classifieds and find out what you’ll get as standard.
The Toyota Prius’s exterior dimensions are:
The Toyota Prius’s boot space is:
Find an early Toyota Prius of this generation that was introduced in 2016 and you could pay zero for annual road tax. That applies to the two-wheel drive registered up until 1 April 2017, while the all-wheel drive version of the same age will pay £20 per year. Any Toyota Prius registered after 1 April 2017 will pay the standard rate of £180 per year for road tax.
The Toyota Prius is surprisingly affordable to insure. Entry grades have a group 13 (out of 50) insurance rating, with better-equipped versions only rising to group 14. This means it undercuts family hatchbacks such as the Vauxhall Astra, adding further to its cost-saving credentials. It’s also potentially more affordable to insure than a Toyota Corolla.
Read our full Toyota Prius review