For the largest part of its existence, the Prius was hampered by its exterior design. The sedan-bodied first generation was – hands down – the ugliest duckling of the bunch. The Prius grew larger for the second generation, which kickstarted the hatchback trend for the best-selling hybrid vehicle of all time.
Be that as it may, the Prius continued to be ridiculed for its exterior design. Better late than never, Toyota made things right with the fifth generation. Revealed in November 2022 as a 2023 model, the XW60 has been voted 2024 North American Car of the Year.
Veteran auto writer, NACTOY juror, and former autoevolution contributor Matt DeLorenzo picked the Prius over all other 2024 North American Car of the Year candidates due to its looks and for blending the traditional with the modern during a time when everyone and their dog wants a purely electric vehicle such as the Tesla Model Y. "Of particular note is the plug-in version, which offers more than 40 miles [make that 64 kilometers] of pure electric range, allowing most owners to skip regular gas station visits."
John Voelcker of Green Car Reports and Car and Driver said: "The Toyota Prius was the butt of jokes for its looks so long that the new one is unrecognizable – and stunningly attractive." There's no denying the fifth generation will appeal to prospective customers who previously wouldn't have considered the Toyota Prius over direct competitors.
Despite having a higher drag coefficient than the XW50, the XW60 is more frugal than its predecessor. As far as the hybrid is concerned, the numbers are 57 miles per gallon (4.1 liters per 100 kilometers) compared to 56 (4.2) for the 2022 model. For the Prius Prime, all-electric range improved from 25 to 45 miles (40 to 72 kilometers) to the detriment of gas mileage in ICE mode. More specifically, 52 mpg (4.5 l/100 km) versus 54 (4.4) in the XW50's case.
Photo: Toyota
One of the most efficient passenger vehicles on sale today, the Prius is no slouch. The front-drive Prius belts out 194 horsepower at full chatter, whereas the all-wheel-drive setup is rated at 196 ponies. The Prius Prime improves to 220 horsepower. When it comes to 0-60 acceleration, estimates range between 7.2 seconds for the Prius FWD and 6.6 for the FWD-only Prius Prime. It's a bit of a shame the Prius Prime cannot be had with all-wheel drive, but then again, this option would redirect customers from the more expensive RAV4 Prime to the Prius Prime.
Another forte of the 2023-and-newer Prius is price. At $27,950 for the Prius FWD and $32,975 for the Prius Prime, the compact-sized hatchback is within the reach of many customers. Being a hybrid-assisted internal combustion-engined passenger vehicle, the Prius also appeals to those who still can't get over the biggest niggles of electric vehicle ownership.
From the limited range – especially in cold weather – to the spotty charging infrastructure and the 30 minutes of fast charging as opposed to only a handful for pumping gas into the fuel tank, the Prius makes plenty of sense. Up there with the industry's most reliable cars, the Prius is a highly capable daily driver with enough for room five and a large trunk.
Toyota advertises the XW60 with either 23.8 cubic feet (674 liters) or 20.3 cubic feet (575 liters) behind the second-row seats. By comparison, the Corolla Hatchback offers 18 cubic feet (504 liters). As opposed to the Corolla Sedan, the Corolla Hatchback isn't available with hybrid oomph because it would cannibalize the Prius. At the moment of reporting, the Corolla Sedan Hybrid LE stickers at $23,500.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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