The Prius, even at a cheaper entry point, is a compelling choice for any driver
2024 Toyota Prius Prime SE review by The Road Beat
Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman
I asked my friends an unexpectedly tantalizing question: "If both this Prius and a base C8 Corvette were parked next to each other in downtown Carmel, which do you think will get more glances?" We didn't want to admit it, but we all chose the Prius. Nearly two years on, the Prius looks as fresh and bold as ever, with a borderline ridiculousness to even think that it bears the name Prius on its rump. In a monumental swing of fortune, Toyota went from making the ugliest new car on sale to one of the best looking, and the sales have shown this model to be a hit here in California with an abundance on our roads already. The last Prius Prime I tried was a top-end model, so how does this basic SE model fare? Rather well as it turns out.
Besides steering that is both too light for my own liking and slightly inferior gas mileage than prior Prius iterations, there isn't much to dislike about this car. Okay, the rear seats have somewhat limited headroom in return for that sexy and sloping roof line, but style over substance, right? And I guess the view out front is compromised by the long windshield, which makes you feel further away from the road while the resulting A pillars can impede vision, but I got used to it; Just takes some time for an adjustment period after some initial strangeness. Other than that, this is a real winner for Toyota.
Step inside, and even this entry SE has a decent enough interior that makes for a marked improvement over Toyotas of old. There isn't an ounce of luxury to be found here, and there are still hard plastics and cheap materials, but the important touch points are soft and feel substantial in a high quality way. In other words, this isn't a nice car, but it's also not a dark dungeon (which Corollas can easily impersonate), especially for the sub-$35,000 price. Comfort is generally great, and a four hour drive through heavy traffic on the way to Monterey proved mercifully easy. And by keeping the hatchback/rear liftgate design, storage is plentiful and easy to haul the goods. The cabin does receive a knock down after testing the new Civic Hybrid a short time after, which retails for a similar price while showcasing an impressively upscale interior of its own.
Performance impresses a year on, with the combined 220-horsepower plug-in hybrid powerplant trading its old character of sludgy molasses for proper punch. When I say proper punch, 0-60 MPH still necessitates seven seconds, but that's literally a full three seconds quicker than the old Prius; It's not just a little faster, but in another realm altogether. Fuel economy does suffer in exchange for this newfound speed, but my average MPG after a week of mixed driving still stood at 43 overall (driven purely as a hybrid with no battery charge), an otherwise excellent number. And because this is the plug-in Prime, you can choose to charge it when desired, and doing so will unlock you about 40 miles of pure electric range. I rather like the concept of plug-in hybrids because they do offer the best of both worlds for convenience, especially if you have short commutes with accessible and affordable charging (or even free at some businesses and workplaces). Toyota is also a continued master of hybrid powertrains when it comes to functionality, switching between gas and electric without hiccups nor jolts. The four-cylinder combustion engine is still a grainy and thrashy racket under throttle, but it's at least marginally better than past efforts.
I already stated my feeling towards the featherweight steering, forgoing resistance while providing zero feedback (this makes it feel a bit like a toy), but the actual handling and cornering capabilities can easily surprise both yourself and passengers. Grip is everyday abundant even on eco tires, and the front end is daringly committed to holding its line when driven at reasonably speedy paces through winding roads. Old Priuses would fall to the doom of understeer quite early and disastrously, pushing straight and head-on through the sound of squealing tires, but this new model has some spunk to its dynamics that are historically unbecoming of a Prius. In all honesty, it's not in any way superior compared to a Toyota Camry, another decently dynamic midsize sedan, but it is quite similar, and for a Prius to be considered comparable in this regard is a huge achievement as an entire proof of concept. This is very relative as I hope you understand, because this Prius is not close to a sports car in any way, but it's so much more engaging and capable than before, and that defiantly and definitely deserves a cheer. Before? Approach a hard corner at speed and you'll go head-first into and through a guard rail. Now? The Prius can actually hustle and bustle at fair speed. Bravo! Between the horsepower now on tap and the cornering grip, Priuses now have absolutely no excuse for holding up traffic on any road.
The Prius has lots going for it, and that's something I would never have dreamt of writing even four years ago. A transformation to shock both the faithful and doubters, Toyota has successfully taken the visual travesty that was the Prius and turned it into a sexy little commuter with enough performance to surprise. Because of its prowess on all fronts, I would never consider a Corolla Hybrid anymore, or even a Camry, just because the Prius is that much better looking and desirable. The only real alternative I'd say is the incoming Honda Civic Hybrid if you want something more luxurious and grownup. Yet it's the shape of the Prius that will be enough to sway many.
2024 Toyota Prius Prime SE
As-tested price: $34,434
Pros: Stupendous looks; Performance (for a Prius)
Cons: Rear headroom; New Civics have nicer interiors
Thank you for reading our review of the 2024 Toyota Prius Prime SE. All photos by Mitchell Weitzman and mitchellweitzmanphoto.com.