FASTEST Prius Ever! 2023 Toyota Prius Prime Review

Jul 29, 2023

FASTEST Prius Ever! 2023 Toyota Prius Prime Review

In my 2023 Toyota Prius Prime review, I’ll show you why you should consider this quick hybrid. We’ll talk about the difference between the Prius and Prius Prime. The model I tested here is the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE Premium. However, all trims make 220 horsepower and will do 0 to 60 in 6.6 seconds. The 2023 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid gets an all-electric range of up to 44 miles on a full charge. Let’s take a closer look!

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0:00 - Intro
0:53 - 2023 Prius Prime Specs
2:53 - Driving Impressions / Toyota Prius Prime POV Drive
4:43 - Exterior
5:23 - 2023 Toyota Prius Prime Interior
7:20 - Rear Legroom / Cargo Space
7:55 - Daily Ownership Highlights
9:02 - 2023 Toyota Prius Price
9:19 - Final Thoughts

#Toyota #ToyotaPriusPrime #ToyotaPrius

Content

0.33 -> - The new Prius is raising the hybrid benchmark

2.34 -> with crazy good looks, a more comfortable interior

4.44 -> that has a bunch of modern tech,

6.03 -> and a bunch of random hashtags to look cooler, I guess.

9.3 -> Now, the Prius that I'm driving here today

10.89 -> also happens to be the fastest Prius ever.

13.5 -> My name is Omar, and this is the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime.

19.879 -> (music)

41.207 -> All right, from a standstill, go.

45.09 -> Yeah, it may be the fastest Prius ever,

47.7 -> but 6.6 seconds to 60 still feels like 6.6 seconds.

52.56 -> So what are you working with here?

54.3 -> Under the hood, you have a two liter,

55.62 -> 4-cylinder engine making 150 horsepower.

58.62 -> You also have 161 horsepower electric motor.

61.53 -> And working together in perfect harmony,

64.2 -> they pump out a total of 220 horsepower,

67.38 -> which, yes, is 100 more horsepower

70.56 -> than the outgoing Prius Prime.

72.36 -> And yes, it feels great to zipper out of this.

74.43 -> Toyota has done a great job

75.6 -> of making both of the new Prius models more engaging

78.6 -> and definitely more comfortable.

80.76 -> That said, it's not like people will be running

82.2 -> to buy the plug-in hybrid Prius Prime

83.91 -> because of its performance.

85.17 -> No, they'll be buying it for its efficiency.

86.91 -> And when it comes to that, this simply kills it.

89.52 -> With a larger 13.6 kilowatt per hour lithium ion battery,

92.82 -> the Prius Prime gets a 76% bump in its all electric range.

96.72 -> That means you can get up to an estimated 44 miles

99.12 -> on a full charge of that bigger battery on the base SE trim.

102.33 -> Both of the XSE trims will get 39 miles on a full charge.

106.02 -> And I gotta say that's actually quite impressive.

108.9 -> Now, you do have a couple of drive modes

110.19 -> including custom, sport, normal, and eco,

112.65 -> but you also have an EV mode,

114.191 -> a hybrid and EV auto mode, and a hybrid mode.

117.84 -> But yeah, if your commute is less

119.4 -> than those ranges that I just mentioned,

120.75 -> you can go to work and back

122.04 -> without ever using a single drop of gas,

123.96 -> which isn't bad at all.

126 -> Now, when it comes to charging,

127.02 -> you have a battery capacity of 13.6 kilowatt per hour.

130.23 -> The Prius Prime has an onboard charger

131.97 -> with the capacity of 3.5 kilowatts.

134.31 -> So Toyota estimates that it will take you a total

136.41 -> of 11 hours on a standard 120 volt outlet

139.8 -> and about four hours to fully recharge

142.17 -> from a level two charger.

143.94 -> Which yeah, is cool, but what's cooler

145.65 -> is that the Prius Prime can be had with a solar panel roof.

148.89 -> And that solar panel roof is capable of charging the battery

151.53 -> with the power from the sun while it's parked.

153.84 -> On the other hand, it will supply power

155.37 -> to the auxiliary functions while you're just driving around.

158.13 -> Now, it's been pretty rainy and cloudy here in San Diego

160.83 -> so my solar range shows absolutely zero,

163.83 -> but this is pretty cool.

165.36 -> I don't expect this to fully recharge your battery

167.61 -> or give you a ton of range,

169.38 -> but it's a great option to have just to assist you.

172.8 -> That said, let's talk about how this drives.

174.33 -> Now, I tested the regular Prius a few months back

176.52 -> and this drives pretty similar to that.

178.95 -> You're definitely going to feel the upgrade

180.54 -> if you're coming out of an older Prius Prime

182.49 -> into this new one.

183.81 -> The new one here has a lower center of gravity,

185.7 -> increased rigidity, and less weight,

187.44 -> and all that helps us feel more composed and more agile.

190.89 -> The ride quality has improved significantly

192.87 -> over the outgoing model.

193.71 -> It's much, much better.

195.39 -> Actually, if you're coming from an older Prius,

197.76 -> you might think that you're jumping into a Lexus

200.25 -> rather than just another Prius.

201.96 -> Now, again, in terms of responsiveness,

203.76 -> both of the new Prius models have more power.

206.1 -> And it's not punch you in the face faster,

208.68 -> but it's not as slow as it used to be.

210.99 -> The outgoing model was extremely slow.

212.76 -> This just makes it feel more normal and livable.

216.21 -> That said, keep in mind that when you're on EV power alone,

218.73 -> your top speed is limited to 84 miles an hour.

220.98 -> And since you don't have the engine to help you,

223.65 -> it feels pretty sluggish.

225.54 -> So you do have to play the balancing game

227.28 -> of whether you want acceleration or full electric mode.

230.91 -> On the flip side, if you enjoy

232.5 -> the new found sportiness of the Prius,

234.69 -> that 220 horsepower and 0 to 60 time of 6.6 seconds

238.8 -> will be there as long as the battery has range.

241.92 -> Once the battery runs out,

243.18 -> you're working with just 150 horsepower,

245.16 -> two liter, 4-cylinder engine.

246.66 -> So you'll feel the difference in its acceleration.

250.29 -> It'll be a little bit more sluggish.

251.97 -> So again, it will be a balancing game

253.83 -> of whether you're looking for acceleration or efficiency.

256.68 -> But overall, this is a huge improvement

259.23 -> over the outgoing model.

260.76 -> Those who currently drive a Prius

262.08 -> will absolutely appreciate the upgrade that Toyota has made.

264.81 -> Those who have never driven a Prius before

266.97 -> and are thinking about getting one

268.56 -> won't be turned away by a sluggish drive.

270.84 -> Not to mention, they won't be turned away by it

272.85 -> for it looking ugly and boring,

274.65 -> and something they won't be embarrassed

276.33 -> of driving on a first date.

278.19 -> That said, let's pull over and check out the exterior

280.11 -> and interior of the new Prius Prime.

282.45 -> Now, let's talk about the looks really quick.

284.13 -> There is no doubt that this is the baddest

285.93 -> and sexiest Prius ever.

287.85 -> Of course, the Prime doesn't look that different

289.86 -> from the regular Prius.

291.3 -> The only real way to tell this apart from a regular Prius

293.91 -> is the Prime badge here on the back.

295.41 -> And then of course, since this is a plug-in hybrid,

297.84 -> you have a outlet right here for charging.

300.03 -> But yeah, this is the coolest looking hybrid

302.25 -> out right now, in my opinion.

303.96 -> The front end is really bold

305.37 -> and is inspired by a hammerhead shark.

307.26 -> Of course, you get LED headlamps

308.7 -> and LED daytime running lights.

310.56 -> And then the side profile of the new Prius is really nice

312.99 -> with a sloping roof line here on the back.

315.3 -> And then I gotta say that I'm really digging

316.77 -> the rear of the new Prius.

317.76 -> It's got a very classy and handsome stance from the back.

320.85 -> Now hop inside and again,

322.02 -> it's a very nice and modern update.

324.06 -> Toyota definitely focused on making the new Prius

326.31 -> and Prius Prime more elegant feeling this time around,

329.1 -> instead of too techy with a large tablet in the middle.

332.4 -> Everything is really well put together.

334.05 -> And here on the XSE that I'm driving,

336.09 -> you have soft touch materials throughout the cabin.

338.49 -> You also have this really cool red ambient lighting

340.38 -> because the Prime has a little bit of a sporty side to it.

343.44 -> Heated front seats are standard on the two XSE trims.

346.35 -> Ventilated seats can only be had on the XSE and get this,

349.89 -> a heated steering wheel is standard on all trims.

352.62 -> The SE gets cloth seats while the two XSE trims

355.47 -> get SofTex vegan leather seats that are power adjustable.

358.8 -> Interestingly enough,

359.633 -> you can't get dual zone climate control on the Prius.

361.74 -> I mean, it's not like it's that big, so I get it.

364.08 -> Now, tech-wise, depending on the option and trim you get,

366.69 -> you get a large 12.3 inch touchscreen display

369.42 -> with Toyota's new infotainment system.

371.22 -> But no matter which trim you go for,

372.6 -> you're always gonna have wireless Apple Carplay

374.67 -> and wireless Android Auto, so that's nice.

376.53 -> Navigation is still subscription-based.

378.9 -> Of course, since this is a plug-in hybrid,

380.61 -> you do have some hybrid specific info here

382.71 -> that you can look at while you're driving around.

384.69 -> Now, you do have a digital gauge cluster display

386.85 -> but it is very, very simple.

389.19 -> And again, I complained about this

390.54 -> on my regular Prius review,

391.86 -> I just don't like the placement of it.

393.66 -> I don't like how the steering wheel

395.01 -> blocks all the info right in front of you.

396.81 -> You're supposed to look over the steering, not through it.

398.91 -> But yeah, I'm just not a fan of how this is set up.

401.76 -> Oh, and by the way, the upgraded JBL sound system

404.19 -> is only available on the XSE premium trim.

407.07 -> As far as driver assist tech goes,

408.6 -> you get Toyota Safety Sense 3.0

410.22 -> as standard across all trims.

412.41 -> And that means you get adaptive cruise control,

414.18 -> lane keep assist, lane tracing assist,

416.34 -> all the cross traffic alerts, road sign recognition,

419.16 -> traffic jam assist, and much, much more.

422.1 -> You can get a 360 Stratton view camera on the top trim.

424.579 -> And a digital rear view mirror

426.06 -> is also optional on the XSE premium.

428.91 -> And check this out, you could also get advanced park assist

431.19 -> on the XSE premium, where the Prius Prime

433.05 -> will actually park itself and also back out of a spot.

436.17 -> This is the first Toyota that I've seen

437.91 -> with this tech and that's pretty cool.

440.07 -> All right, so hop in the rear seats of the new Prius Prime

442.41 -> and you have a total of about 35 inches of legroom back here

445.62 -> which is the same as the regular Prius.

447.39 -> I'm about six foot tall, that's my seating position.

449.34 -> As you can see, I still have a good amount of room.

451.83 -> Not to mention, you can get heated seats

453.42 -> back here as an option, but only on the XSE trim.

456.84 -> Now let's check out the cargo capacity really quick.

458.7 -> It could pop open the tailgate just by pushing a button

460.83 -> located right underneath the Toyota logo.

462.75 -> And once you get it open,

463.59 -> you have 20 cubic feet behind the second row

465.81 -> and then you have 60/40 split rear seats.

467.73 -> And with them down you have 27 cubic feet,

469.8 -> which is a little bit smaller (airplane engine roaring)

471.18 -> than the outgoing Prius.

472.17 -> Sorry for the plane going or helicopter going above my head.

475.02 -> All right, before we get into the pricing details

476.94 -> and whether or not if you should buy yourself a Prius Prime,

479.43 -> let me put in a few important daily ownership highlights

481.56 -> that I'd love to show all of you.

482.94 -> Here are the keys to the Prius Prime.

484.53 -> You do have a Prime logo.

486.06 -> Prius Prime, Prius Optimus Prime logo right there. Nice.

489.75 -> Door close sound from the outside

491.147 -> (door shuts) and the inside.

492.826 -> (door shuts) Solid.

494.31 -> Charging game wise, in the front

495.42 -> you have two USBC ports

496.98 -> and then your wireless charger is right here.

498.78 -> And just in case you didn't know,

500.25 -> it says hashtag wireless charger.

502.35 -> Those sitting in the back have two USBC ports

504.36 -> and a household outlet.

505.56 -> And of course, let's do an indicator and horn sound test.

507.81 -> Indicator first.

508.643 -> (indicator clicking)

512.04 -> Not that crazy exciting.

513.15 -> Now for the horn sound.

514.105 -> (horn honks)

515.58 -> Yeah, makes sense. Why not?

517.68 -> So should you get yourself the new Prius Prime?

520.2 -> The only way that I would get the Prius Prime

522.03 -> over the regular Prius is if my daily commute

524.13 -> was less than 30 miles and I was super religious

526.92 -> about charging this up every single day

528.84 -> because I don't think many plug-in hybrid owners out there

531.39 -> are that crazy about plugging it in

533.22 -> and charging it up every single day.

535.38 -> The other thing is that the Prius Prime

537.03 -> only comes with the front wheel drive

538.41 -> while the regular Prius can be had with all-wheel drive.

541.65 -> And of course, then we have the pricing.

543.24 -> While the regular Prius starts at around $27,000,

546.24 -> the Prius Optimus Prime here starts at around $32,000.

549.84 -> A fully loaded regular Prius Limited sits at around $35,000

553.35 -> while a fully loaded Prius Prime XSE Premium

556.17 -> starts approaching $40,000.

558.75 -> So yeah, personally for me,

559.83 -> sticking with the regular Prius just makes more sense.

562.11 -> But if you're somebody that doesn't drive too much,

564.36 -> the Prius Prime definitely makes more sense for you.

566.79 -> Either way, thanks for watching.

568.32 -> Make sure you hit like, make sure you hit subscribe.

570.36 -> Make sure you follow me on Instagram and on TikTok.

572.43 -> My handle is @OmarDrives.

574.41 -> I'll catch you guys in the next one.

575.67 -> Take care.

576.9 -> Peace.

577.77 -> All right, gonna do another launch in sport mode.

584.149 -> (tires screeching)

585.18 -> Oh, some tire screeching.

587.01 -> I gotta say this acceleration feels pretty good.

591.9 -> I like it.

593.34 -> This is probably the first time

594.42 -> that I would consider getting a Prius for myself.

598.11 -> 220 horsepower isn't bad at all.

600.93 -> You know, I've pulled over a couple times today

602.64 -> filming this around San Diego

604.2 -> and people have come up to me nonstop

606.51 -> talking about how good this thing looks.

608.58 -> So that's a huge group focus test right there.

613.74 -> If people are walking up, normal people every day

615.72 -> going, "Wow, the Prius actually looks good this time around"

619.08 -> that's a big plus for it.

620.16 -> And in my opinion, it looks great.

621.57 -> I think this is a very sleek design,

623.28 -> a very nice and comfortable interior.

625.11 -> Not a fan of the steering wheel

626.82 -> and that horn sound (horn honks)

627.78 -> is not that exciting.

628.86 -> But overall, it's a very comfortable place to be.

631.92 -> Especially if you're going for a long drive.

633.42 -> These seats are super, super comfortable.

637.92 -> Peace out.

639.064 -> (music)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAyN4lDxAz8