The brand new 2023 Toyota Prius features fantastic new styling, a HUGE horsepower increase, and an energetic personality. These upgrades in look and feel are part of changing the Prius’ image in recent years of declining sales. When the Prius was first available it was purchased by early adopters and celebrities as a car of the future and their way to save the trees. Since then, the marketplace has become more competitive with hybrid options and mass-production electric vehicles from almost every maker. We recently had the opportunity to test this fifth-generation 2023 Prius. The base model starts at $27,450, however our car is a Prius Limited with the Premium Package which retails for $36,399. At that price, you get a vehicle focused on fuel economy with more options than you would find in Toyota’s cheaper Corolla LE hybrid for not much more money.
Exterior
The new styling for the Toyota Prius looks gorgeous. Per Toyota, the design was inspired by performance coupes, and this can be seen with the low-slung hood, traditional flat Prius windshield which adds to the sportiness, and the wide rear fender flares which to me look like they were taken from the Lexus LC500. It’s also where we will find the first of fifteen Easter eggs which Toyota has hidden throughout the Prius. Another interesting aspect of the exterior is the low-key nature of the Toyota badges. The Prius badges seem to have more presence, to appear almost as its own brand. In the front, it still feels like a Prius with our bi-LED headlights and cool swoosh-like LED daytime running lights. The car we have is finished in Cutting Edge, which is a fantastic light metallic silver that is accented by the larger 19-inch Alloy wheels included with the Limited trim. On the windshield, just below the center sensors and rearview mirror mount, you can find a small Prius outline, the letters “Prius” can be found in the rear wheel arch spelled vertically if you look closely, and lastly, “Prius” is spelled out again in the rear window blending in with the defrost lines. On the back, we have our final badging, including LTD to let people know this is the Limited trim, along with the Limited-specific powered open and close liftback hatch which features another hybrid reborn Easter egg inside.
Interior
The interior is small but makes good use of the space to fit four adults, if they aren’t professional basketball players, and features a lot of nice Toyota and Prius traits like an abundance of physical buttons. The interior materials are cheap, composed of a mix of plastics and Softex, which is Toyota’s spill-resistant faux leather material that can be found on the steering wheel and perforated seats. The materials chosen for the interior are often picked for price and weight which leads to better fuel economy, so you won’t find much sound deadening inside either, this becomes apparent on the highway. The interior does look modern, thanks to the abundance of screens, LED interior running light through the dash, and some more textures. The 7-inch multi-information display serves as your dash which feels closer to an EV than a gas car due to the minimal information provided, digital speed read-out, gas tank, and how hard you press on the gas. However, you can add some additional information along with map readouts per your preference. The mounting of the 7-inch dash screen can make adjusting the wheel a little strange as you try to avoid blocking it with the steering wheel. You end up reading the display over the wheels as opposed to through it, like most cars. The center 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen is a big improvement over the smaller 8-inch. It is simple in function, but responsive, as a lot of controls are managed by buttons, but it does feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The seats are comfortable; they feel better than some previous generation cars and offer lumbar support and power adjustment with memory settings, including moving the seat out of the way for easy entry and exit, a feature usually reserved for Lexus, and more space can be found by manually pulling back the sunshade. The back seats have less headroom than the front, but at 6-ft tall even I can sit in the back without my head touching the roof, and you could open the manual glass roof curtain to expand the space. The Limited version does have heated rear sits, which could be important based on where you live, but the lack of rear air vents sours any added technology. You do get more USB type-C chargers, and the seats can be folded down when needed. There are more Easter eggs inside the interior phrased as hashtags with the first being #wirelesscharger, which is visible looking in, followed by the #glovebox, #consolebox, but the most fun is the tab in front of the shifter which shows you the #hiddencompartment.
Powertrain
Power comes from a hybrid 2.0 liter inline-four, which changes performance figures based on the drivetrain preference FWD of AWD. The FWD model does 194 horsepower, 139 lb-ft of torque and achieves 0-60 in 7.2 seconds, while the on-demand AWD model does 196 horsepower with the same 139 lb-ft of torque and achieves 0-60 in 7 seconds flat. Whichever option you choose uses an ECVT transmission. While it’s not a racecar, it is a considerable improvement over the previous generation knocking off two seconds in 0-60 and boasting a 70-horsepower increase.
Economy
Fuel economy is the main reason anyone looks into purchasing a Prius. The EPA ratings are 52 mpg city and highway, but Toyota says up to 57 mpg. Either way, it’s impressive. With the 11.3-gallon tank in the Prius, that gives you an estimated range of 587.6 miles which is awesome. Driving the car in the normal drive mode here in Phoenix, the car averaged 40 mpg-43 mpg in mixed driving with the ventilated seats and AC on full blast (to survive the 110-degree days). It’s important to point out that we do not have the lightest foot or the best hybrid driving habits, and having the climate control on full blast puts a strain on the system as well, so if you use the Eco drive mode you may notice the car throttle climate control back. It’s best to say your experience may vary, but the EPA ratings are certainly impressive especially considering the horsepower increases.
Drive
Driving the 2023 Toyota Prius feels just like the previous generations. The power steering is highly boosted, and you could easily turn the wheel with one finger in a parking lot, the brakes are touchy, and hard to come to a smooth stop as is typical with most hybrids and regenerative braking so no dig on the Prius. There is also some CVT rubber banding with the gas pedal that is to be expected. What this all means is the driving is simple and requires little effort, especially when effectively using the driver assists, making this an appliance for getting from A to B. The seats certainly feel more comfortable than previous models, making long drives easier. If you’re familiar with the Prius or other hybrid models, you will feel right at home here.
Conclusion
The Toyota Prius is not a luxury car, it is a fuel-efficient commuter first and foremost. However, Toyota has added more personality in an attempt to shake the Prius image. We have new styling and more power, yet the car is still as efficient as it ever was. There are cheaper hybrids in the Toyota lineup, like the Corolla, but you won’t find as many features. On the other hand, there are more luxurious hybrids that trade fuel economy for luxury. In a hyper-competitive space, the Prius is still one of the best in the game for fuel economy and saving money.
