2024 Toyota Prius Prime

It’s all wonderfully logical. Take a hybrid drivetrain, make sure the gasoline engine has some decent pep, then offset that with an energetic electric motor and a capacious battery. The result is ideal for gridlocked cities and rural routes alike. The Prius Prime is the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) counterpart to the regular Prius, the one that makes a gallon of gas go furthest.

Both cars saw new generations debut last year, both with the same sleek designs outside and in. For once, Toyota has made the Prius exciting. Or at least intriguing.

The regular Prius hybrid — is reviewed separately.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of hybrid cars, including the Toyota Prius Prime.

Following the launch of an all-new generation last year, there are no major changes for 2024.

The nearest rival is the Kia Niro PHEV, which also entered a new generation last year. It starts at $34,290. The regular Prius hybrid is priced in the high $20K range.

Before buying a new Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The Prius Prime has a track record of strong resale values, and we’re sure this latest generation will continue the tradition. Toyota won both our overall Best Resale Values and 5-Year Cost to Own awards last year, just as it did the year before.

The Prius Prime employs a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine along with an electric motor to produce a total of 220 horsepower — a respectable amount of muscle that goes solely to the front wheels.

The ability to sprint from standstill to 60 mph in six seconds translates to responsiveness in real-world driving. And we’ve found that it’s similarly lively using just the electric motor. So if drivers wanted to stay in EV mode as much as possible, the Prius Prime can still deliver an enjoyable experience. A button on the center console enables EV mode or an automatic mode that brings the combustion engine in or out as needed. It’s simple to use.

There’s comfort and composure in equal measure, and we like how the car feels nicely poised. We’d be happy to run commutes and longer trips alike in the Prius Prime. A more confident initial bite on the brake pedal would be welcome, though.

The cabin is mostly quiet, with just some tire noise coming up while driving over rough surfaces. That’s to be expected, since these are special tires with a low rolling resistance that helps contribute to overall fuel economy.

When checking the rearview mirror, the slope of the back window creates a small aperture, so outward vision isn’t great. The top XSE Premium trim offers the option of a digital rearview mirror for a much clearer and wider view behind. It’s a shame it’s not available with lower trims, but at least blind-spot monitoring is standard.

Fuel Economy

With a full charge, the Prius Prime is rated to travel up to 44 miles on battery power alone. When those ions are depleted, it operates like a traditional hybrid, returning up to 52 combined mpg (53 city, 52 highway).

Think about how far most of us drive on a typical day (around 35 miles, according to the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration), and there’s a good chance a Prius Prime owner could go to and from work (or college, or wherever), recharge the battery each night, and never use a drop of gasoline until a longer trip beckons.

Remember how Prius cars always had a driver information display above the center console and not in front of the driver? Thank goodness that’s gone.

This Prius Prime (along with its regular hybrid counterpart) has a digital instrument cluster right where it needs to be. And instead of sitting right behind the steering wheel, it’s just above — vital information can be viewed without taking your eyes too far from the road.

Elsewhere, there are clean lines and pleasing shapes. The whole thing looks and feels a cut above typical Toyotas. The infotainment touchscreen is a generous size, while the aerodynamic exterior results in low levels of wind noise in the cabin. The only real downside is an under-padded center armrest.

Rear passenger space in the 2024 Prius Prime remains the same as the regular Prius — a bit tight for average-sized adults, but not unbearable. The hatchback style is useful for carrying larger items, and there’s 20.3 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats. Easily enough for three sets of golf clubs.

If cargo-carrying is a serious consideration, check out the more SUV-like Kia Niro PHEV with 54.6 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded. The Prius Prime only has 26.7 cubic feet.

Even acknowledging that everyone’s tastes are different, Prius cars in the past haven’t been renowned for their good looks. Previous Primes took that, um, individuality in their own quirky direction.

With this latest generation, the Prius makes an entirely different statement. It’s really sleek, and seems as if it should hover just above the ground and hum quietly — as opposed to making any kind of typical engine noise. We think it’s cool.

Visual differences between the Prime plug-in hybrid and the regular Prius are much subtler this time around. That’s fine by us. Compared with the previous generation, the body is lower by a couple of inches, an inch wider and an inch longer.

Infotainment systems
Excellent tech throughout the Prius Prime lineup brings wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto as standard, six USB-C ports, and decent-sized touchscreens, plus the availability of voice control, wireless charging, and over-the-air updates.

Proactive Driving Assist
A standard feature. When cornering, it detects any vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians that might be up ahead, then activates minor steering and throttle adjustments to optimize safety.

Traffic Jam Assist
This is available with a Drive Connect trial or subscription. At speeds up to 25 mph, the system can operate the throttle, brakes, and steering — as long as the driver is still concentrating on the road ahead.

Digital Key
By recognizing an authorized phone, the Prius Prime allows access as well as functions like remote locking/unlocking. This is optional in the XSE, standard in the XSE Premium.

Advanced Park
Only available as an option in the top XSE Premium trim, this is a hands-free parking function that works for both parallel and perpendicular spaces.

Solar glass roof
Solar panels in the roof help charge the battery when the Prius Prime is parked, or add extra power to run things like climate control while on the move. This is another option for the XSE Premium model.

Charging the battery takes about four hours using a 240-volt supply, or 11 hours on a diet of 120 volts from a typical domestic system.

This is the difference between a regular hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The latter has a bigger battery that can be charged from an outside source (plugging it in), not just receiving energy from the engine and brake regeneration. This enables it to travel for a significant distance solely on electric power. The Prius Prime could be a gentle introduction to owning an electric vehicle (EV) without giving up gasoline completely.

For comparison, the Kia Niro PHEV has a maximum EV range of 33 miles. The regular Prius is rated at up to 57 combined mpg, but cannot run for any appreciable distance on battery power alone.

A 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine is augmented by an electric motor to send a total of 220 horsepower to the front wheels. That’s 26 more horses than a front-drive regular Prius and 40 more than the Kia Niro PHEV. The Prius Prime’s electric-only range of 44 miles is also a marked improvement over its predecessor’s 25 miles.

In response to the recent rise in catalytic convertor thefts, Toyota offers steel shields as a dealer-installed accessory. Depending on where you park your Prius Prime, this could be well worth considering.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Toyota has a new-car warranty of three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This is all typical for the mainstream category. The warranty for hybrid-related components is eight years or 100,000 miles. And the hybrid battery is covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles. Two years or 25,000 miles of free maintenance is also included.

Safety Ratings

This generation of Prius has already taken the accolade of Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety equipment includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist/motorcyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, plus front cross-traffic alert and intersection assistance.