“Cool Prius” is No Longer a Joke - 2023 Toyota Prius (POV First Drive)

Jul 30, 2023

“Cool Prius” is No Longer a Joke - 2023 Toyota Prius (POV First Drive)

Join Miles in the 2023 Toyota Prius in Cutting Edge/Reservoir Blue with all Black/Grey Leatherette as he shares his expert driving impressions.

Price (as tested) 💲: $34,095/ $38,595
Powertrain ⚙️: 2.0-liter 4-Cylinder + 2 Motor Generators + Lithium-ion Battery
Output 💪: 194-196 hp/215 lb-ft of torque
Transmission 🕹: Continuously Variable Transmission
0-60 MPH 🚦: 7.0-7.2 seconds
Top Speed 💥: 112 mph
MPG (as tested) ⛽️: 49-52 city/50-52 hwy/49-52 combined
Curb weight ⚖️: 3,164-3,340 lbs

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Options Equipped:
XLE:
- 12.3-inch Display ($610)
- Fixed Glass Roof ($1,000)
- Premium Paint ($495)

Limited:
- Premium Pack: Advanced Park + Panorama View ($1,085)
- Digital Rearview Mirror ($200)
- Heated Rear Seats ($350)

#2023ToyotaPrius #ToyotaPrius #2023Prius #Prius #pov #povreview #firstdrive
prius 2023, 2023 toyota prius, 2023 prius, toyota prius exterior
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Skip Ahead:
Intro: 00:00
Exterior Review: 00:13
Interior Review (Rear): 02:22
Interior Review (Front): 03:47
Trunk: 04:05
Interior Review (Front) Continued: 04:40
Drive Impressions: 06:46
Highway Driving: 07:59
City Driving: 09:21
0-60 mph Test: 11:09
Drive Impression (XLE Front Wheel Drive): 12:32
0-60 mph Test: 14:07
City Driving: 15:00

Content

0.04 -> Pin the throttle, give a little brake boost and let it go off the line.

9.56 -> And get to 60 in about 7 seconds.

12.3 -> Hey crew.

13.18 -> I've got the key to that 23 Toyota Prius.

18.537 -> Please forget the parking job. Didn't have many options here at the beach.

21.074 -> We are gonna take it for a drive,

22.491 -> but first let's check out how it looks on the inside and outside.

26.373 -> This is the all new fifth generation Prius and you're gonna know it immediately.

31.2 -> Up here at the front

32.906 -> we've got a very thin grille leading into LED DRLs and turn signals

38.933 -> with LED projector headlights.

41.173 -> Down low is a gray painted fascia with an exposed front air dam.

46.346 -> There are also LED fog lights at the corners.

49.4 -> This one is painted in Supersonic Red. It's one of only two premium colors.

53.866 -> All the others being no cost.

56.293 -> I like this color

57.92 -> and I like it with the black accents like here for the wheel arches.

62.413 -> XLE and Limited trims get-19 inch wheels.

65.786 -> The base LE gets a 17-inch wheel option.

69.146 -> These are wrapped in Michelin all-season tires, 195 section front and rear.

74.6 -> There's black gloss for the top of the mirror caps, black window trim.

78.96 -> And as we step back to look at the profile,

81.293 -> here is where we see the biggest stylistic difference with the new model

86.106 -> for a couple reasons. One, they move back the apex of the car considerably,

90.32 -> so there's a very gentle slope to that windshield

92.866 -> and a nice taper to the roof line.

94.493 -> And two, it is two inches lower

97.173 -> in addition to being one inch longer and one inch wider than its predecessor

101.826 -> giving it this graduated look. It just doesn't appear like a Prius.

107.333 -> And you get to the back.

109.253 -> And they really tied it up the package nicely

111.613 -> with this thin LED taillight bar with integrated turn signals above Prius.

116.786 -> That's above some gloss black and mingling red.

121.586 -> The new Prius is just sleek

124.4 -> and that's never been a word you could ever use to describe this car up until now.

129.213 -> It is a knockout to me, and I can't believe I have to ask this,

133.413 -> but do you guys think this is better or worse looking than its predecessor?

137.506 -> Let me know in the comments

139.293 -> and let's move to a Limited trim to check out the interior.

142.76 -> Opening up with the handle up high and looking inside

146.786 -> at this Limited trim's black leatherette interior.

150.146 -> You can choose gray for the leatherette as well.

152.68 -> There are seat perforations, some contrast stitching

155.253 -> and this one has the optional rear heated seats.

157.733 -> On the doors, hard plastics up high.

160.493 -> Leatherette padded armrest here.

161.986 -> More hard plastics around the one-touch up down windows

164.693 -> and more hard plastics down low.

166.533 -> This one has the upgraded JBL sound system.

170.4 -> Behind my own seat at 6 feet tall, I've got sufficient knee room.

175.293 -> The seat back’s in leatherette. No map pocket here, it's just on the passenger side.

179.52 -> The foot pockets are pretty narrow to slide my feet under.

181.853 -> These are some chunkier shoes.

184.213 -> Thigh support is lacking.

186.346 -> Head room is good. My head clears the roof.

190.146 -> It's not pressed up uncomfortably with my head back on the headrest.

193.4 -> That gets the thumbs up from me.

195.533 -> No air vents in the middle.

196.813 -> You do have your rear seat heating controls,

198.533 -> two USB-C ports and not a giant drive shaft hump.

202.12 -> So I can slide into the middle seat easily,

204.533 -> but my head doesn't really clear the roof here.

207.133 -> If you don't have a middle passenger

208.973 -> then there's an armrest that comes down with two cup holders and nice padding.

213.253 -> Another option equipped to this vehicle is the fixed glass with two sunroof openings.

218.906 -> So the back seats of the Prius. We've got enough space here for legroom and headroom.

222.746 -> Full size adults, no problem.

224.24 -> Would like to see some air vents though.

226.6 -> Let's check out the front.

228.24 -> Door close noise?

230.88 -> It's pretty solid.

232 -> Just at the very end, there's a little bit of a tinny sound to it.

234.8 -> Smart keyless entry is for the front and rear doors.

238.333 -> These front seats on Limited trims are heated and ventilated.

242.093 -> Power adjusting for the driver's seat.

243.773 -> Manual adjustments for the passenger side.

246.546 -> The hatch release button is here

250.506 -> and it is power operated on XLE and Limited.

254.333 -> And behind the second row of seats, we find 20 cubic feet of space.

258.173 -> Yes, it's down from the predecessor just a little bit,

260.64 -> but that's what you get with the sloped roof line.

262.8 -> Under this floor we've got a little bit of cargo organization

267.373 -> and you can fold down those rear seats 60/40 for greater cargo options.

272.72 -> This cargo cover is pretty trick ‘cause it can just fold in half easily

275.706 -> and store it in the trunk.

277.053 -> There's a Power Close and Lock feature on the lift back,

281.453 -> which isn't fast.

283.72 -> You get power adjusting, not power folding door mirrors

286.426 -> and two position memory for the driver's seat.

290.866 -> See a little bit of the ambient lighting right there.

294.413 -> Drivers get this heated leatherette-wrapped steering wheel,

297.146 -> which feels great in the hands.

298.666 -> I still have the same issue as the bZ4X with the wheel design

302.293 -> and this whole driver side cockpit though.

305.146 -> For one, these controls just don't look great like that on the wheel.

308.093 -> And two, there just isn't enough tilt to the wheel

311.32 -> so I feel like your view is constantly,

313.6 -> a view of the gauge cluster is constantly interrupted by this rim of the wheel.

318.12 -> There is a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system

321.026 -> that is fairly responsive and pretty intuitive.

324.533 -> It does have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well.

328.24 -> There is a physical volume knob off to the right of the screen.

330.8 -> More ambient lighting is seen here

332.546 -> mingling with this metal looking but plastic trim.

335.48 -> HVAC controls are in the center.

337.093 -> You get two USB-C ports and a DC outlet.

339.653 -> If you don't like the shallowness of this storage shelf,

342.053 -> you can remove this for deeper options.

344.773 -> Two cup holders are here.

346.053 -> Some gloss black trim that I don't love ‘cause it's smudges, scratches and collects dust.

351.066 -> There is a leatherette-wrapped gear selector, which feels kind of dainty in the hands.

354.72 -> Wireless smartphone charging slot.

356.56 -> Under the padded armrest is a good portion of additional storage.

360.053 -> We've got two more USB-C ports.

362.64 -> There is a digital rear view mirror as an option in this vehicle.

366.706 -> And visibility is good up until you get to that C pillar, then we've got a blind spot.

372.12 -> Thankfully, there's standard blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic.

376.32 -> This cabin is definitely an upgrade over the predecessor,

379.626 -> apart from the design of the driver's side cockpit.

383.666 -> I'm ready. Let's take the new Prius for a drive.

393.493 -> All right, let's fire it up.

403.08 -> Some pleasant chimes to greet us, but an otherwise silence startup.

408.426 -> Our drive mode is selected here and we shall begin in Normal.

414.186 -> To go in Reverse, we click over and up

417.6 -> and that brings up a low resolution backup camera.

421.52 -> It is a wide angle and it lacks trajectory lines.

432.4 -> In and down for Drive.

435.253 -> And we'll begin with a turning radius test.

438.4 -> Straightened.

439.733 -> Cranked.

445.506 -> Pretty tidy. I like it.

450.986 -> Look, we've got another all-new Prius right there

454 -> with Alex on Autos reviewing it.

456.92 -> And we'll get to hear the turn signal sound

459.64 -> as we do yet another turning radius test.

470.333 -> I don’t know if I like the noise of that turn signal.

474.333 -> It's not too loud, but it's just, it's a tone that could get irritating.

480.656 -> The powertrain in the 23 Toyota Prius.

484.944 -> Big upgrade for this fifth generation model.

489.488 -> So instead of the nickel hydride battery system that we've had in the Prius

493.328 -> since the beginning of its conventional hybrid life,

498.736 -> we've moved to a more modern lithium-ion battery setup.

504.496 -> And we have a 2-Liter 4-cylinder engine

508.864 -> with two electric motor generators

512.448 -> and the combined output is a big bump up from the fourth gen.

518.528 -> We're looking at 194 horsepower in the front wheel drive version.

523.104 -> And thanks to a higher, higher output permanent magnet electric motor at the rear axle,

528 -> the all-wheel drive version gets a whopping two extra horsepower

531.808 -> so 196 horsepower for that one.

534.512 -> Either way you slice it, both have about 215 pound-feet of combined torque.

546.416 -> In the Normal drive mode,

549.6 -> when the CVT isn't complaining

554.192 -> this is a really pleasant driving car.

557.68 -> It cruises happily down the road.

562.064 -> Thanks to a new hydraulic brake booster,

565.024 -> you get that linear pedal feel so it's easy to come up to a stop.

568.89 -> There's not that odd transition between regen and friction braking.

572.832 -> And then as you ease away from a stop,

575.376 -> thanks to a bump in electric power, it just kind of smoothens your transition

583.152 -> and you feel like you can get away cleanly.

589.28 -> These seats are tremendously comfortable.

594.96 -> Well cushioned.

597.856 -> Supportive shape.

601.392 -> And though the ride was firm feeling over those initial bumps in that parking lot,

608.4 -> it's settled in better now at speed.

611.84 -> Still you feel like you're being bounced around a bit,

615.12 -> but the harsh impacts have the edge taken off them

619.936 -> so you feel like you could daily drive this without being discomforted.

627.984 -> Now, as the speeds do pick up,

631.264 -> the tire and road noise is considerable.

635.616 -> The wind noise isn't really that obtrusive,

637.984 -> but maybe it's just because the tire and road noise is so prevalent.

642.944 -> This road surface, I know is not a quiet one.

651.104 -> But this ambient volume, this NVH level could become tedious.

659.888 -> I feel like we need to do a 0-60 test.

662.736 -> So I'm gonna put my race box set up here

666.48 -> and I'm gonna move into the Sport drive mode.

670.208 -> And then I'll hold my foot hard on the brake, pin the throttle

672.4 -> give a little brake boost and let it go off the line.

681.12 -> And get to 60 in about 7 seconds,

684.208 -> which is precisely what Toyota quotes for the new Prius all-wheel drive.

689.824 -> If you go with the front wheel drive, then you're looking at 7.2,

694.304 -> but it's fun to see a real world test prove that we can hit 60 in about 7 seconds.

700.24 -> And compare that to the 11 seconds of the prior generation

707.952 -> and this just feels like a sports car by comparison.

713.648 -> And here's the crazy part.

716.32 -> Not only is the new Prius more powerful and obviously quicker to 60 than its predecessor,

722.72 -> but it somehow improves upon the fuel economy. Let's go now into the Eco drive mode.

728.208 -> The fuel sipping mode in the LE front wheel drive version.

733.456 -> You've 57 combined MPG.

736.32 -> Yes, in this Limited all-wheel drive trim, you're looking at 49 combined,

741.056 -> but that's as bad as you're gonna see the Prius.

744.256 -> In the low to mid fifties range.

746.896 -> But you know what? We're not done yet.

748.176 -> Let's hop into the front wheel drive version and maybe see how this car handles too.

752.848 -> Okay, we've made it into an XLE front wheel drive,

756.096 -> the same red one we used for the exterior impressions.

759.504 -> And I'm gonna show you the EV mode here,

764.416 -> which turns off that gas engine

768.656 -> and lets us go completely silent.

776.192 -> And this application is really the only time you're gonna use it

778.944 -> if you're just creeping outta your neighborhood,

781.376 -> or if you're just working through a parking garage

785.008 -> because the moment you hit 25 or you put in too much throttle,

791.872 -> boop, it goes away

793.936 -> and you go back to conventional hybrid.

796.656 -> One other handy feature I hinted at earlier, but now we can show

800.352 -> is the increased braking regeneration of the fifth gen model, and it is adaptive.

805.056 -> So if we're keeping pace with the cars in front of us,

807.616 -> it won't add in a lot of regen.

809.728 -> If we come up to them quickly and it needs to slow us down,

813.952 -> as long as you're at speed, not crawling along,

818.16 -> then I take my foot off the throttle.

820.016 -> It senses the vehicle and slows you down the appropriate measure.

823.888 -> We'll see this here as we're coming up to a stop.

830.592 -> Take my foot off the throttle.

832.416 -> See the charge indicator there on the gauge cluster.

835.712 -> It's going to increase as we slow

840.24 -> up to a certain speed

843.248 -> and then it just coasts along and you've gotta do the rest with the brake pedal.

847.216 -> And I know you guys are dying to see how the front wheel drive car competes

851.072 -> or compares rather with the all-wheel drive.

853.712 -> So we're gonna do 0-60 with the race box set up.

856.384 -> Brake boost it.

865.696 -> And there it is in 7.4.

869.456 -> Not a whole lot off the pace of the all-wheel drive.

871.808 -> Now they it's supposed to do it in 7.2.

874.16 -> We faced a little bit of an uphill. This is a real world test,

877.632 -> but 7.4 in a real world situation, not too shabby.

882.352 -> And part of the reason we can do that

884.08 -> is because there's a torque limiting front differential,

887.248 -> so you don't waste any of the traction off the line.

890.192 -> I mean as sporty as something with the CVT can be.

895.088 -> But the steering is direct and quick.

906.192 -> The weight of it is pretty spot on.

911.312 -> The communication level is distilled, okay, this is not a Porsche Cayman,

917.712 -> but I get enough out of it

921.168 -> to feel like I can take control of this car through curves.

926.032 -> And while you may not be on the hunt for canyon roads,

929.824 -> the way the braking, steering, and extra power layer into this car

934.8 -> mean that it's far and away the most pleasurable to drive Prius.

939.872 -> That's no longer an oxymoron.

942.144 -> And as we move into the Eco mode, let's talk about the pricing for this 23 Prius.

949.232 -> The starting figure for the entry level LE front wheel drive is $28,500

955.248 -> and as a reminder, that is how you're gonna get the best combined MPG of 57.

960.224 -> If you want the Limited front drive, you're looking at $35,500

964.448 -> and there is the XLE somewhere in between there.

967.616 -> All wheel drive for any of the trim levels is going to be an additional $1,400.

974.48 -> Now, because this is a first drive, I'm not gonna get too deep into the competition.

978.44 -> I'll just kind of list some of the vehicles

980.528 -> that you would cross shop as conventional hybrids.

983.424 -> We've got within Toyota's own stable, the Corolla Hybrid

987.28 -> that starts at I believe $24,000

990.48 -> while getting 47 combined MPG in front drive flavor.

994.784 -> And then we've also got the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid

998.72 -> that starts at $25,000 and gets 54 MPG in front drive.

1005.296 -> I'll save my verdict for after I've spent a little bit more time behind the wheel,

1009.648 -> but I will say my first impressions are super positive.

1013.936 -> No, this vehicle isn't perfect. The road noise is kind of loud.

1017.552 -> The back seats are lacking air vents

1019.984 -> and this driver cockpit area is still funky here as it is in the bZ4X.

1025.536 -> But the styling, the fuel economy, the power,

1029.296 -> and the improvements that they've made to the drivability of this car

1033.488 -> just level it up in a way that the Prius hasn't seen

1036.72 -> since, for me, the third generation so it's been a number of years.

1040.848 -> I gotta applaud Toyota. They've done a good job with this vehicle.

1043.456 -> I hope you guys have enjoyed this POV first drive.

1046.096 -> If you did, please like, comment and share the video.

1049.152 -> Subscribe to the channel, hit that bell to get notified

1052.144 -> and I'll see you next time.

1062.416 -> Captions by Nicosubs.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh-rV2y4dPE