The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Svelte styling
- High-efficiency package
- Accelerates well
- Optional AWD
Dislikes
- Cabin’s a bit tight
- Front seats aren’t great
- So-so infotainment interface
- Loud interior
Buying tip
The 2025 Toyota Prius proves that style and poise don’t have to take a back seat to fuel efficiency.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Toyota Prius? What does it compare to?
The Prius is a fuel-sipping hatchback with sleek styling. Compare it to the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, plus myriad EVs with similar dimensions like the Nissan Leaf and Ariya.
Is the 2025 Toyota Prius a good car?
It is, especially now that it looks good and drives with improved control. The Prius no longer needs to sell on the basis of its frugality. It’s a 7.0 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Toyota Prius?
A new Nightshade Edition trim package joins the lineup with blacked-out exterior bits and 19-inch alloy wheels.
A 2023 model-year revamp brought the Prius downright pretty lines, with a wedgy aero stance that reminds us that sleek doesn’t have to be weird. The Prius has few wasted lines and a show car-like stance that we find appealing. Inside, the low-fi dash comes with a choice between reasonably sized 8.0-inch or big 12.3-inch touchscreens surrounded by a handful of practical buttons and knobs for climate and audio features.
The 2.0-liter inline-4 comes paired with an electric motor that add up to a combined output of 194 hp, and a seven-second (or so) run to 60 mph. Available all-wheel drive supplied by a rear axle-mounted electric motor provides both better traction and slightly zippier acceleration but only an extra 2 hp. Quicker and more efficient yet is the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, which was previously called the Prius Prime. It has a 13.6-kwh battery that unlocks up to 44 miles of all-electric range and a roughly four-hour recharge time on a 240-volt outlet. With 220 hp on tap, it runs to 60 mph in a quicker 6.6 seconds, all the better to take advantage of a platform that is poised and reasonably entertaining.
While far from genuinely sporty, the latest Prius is polished and vaguely entertaining. It does just about everything well—including zipping by gas stations. Hybrid models offer up to 57 mpg.
The low stance and sleek roofline cut into interior space, unfortunately, though the interior itself is conveniently laid out. Cargo space is decent by small-car standards, and the hatchback configuration means that folding down the rear seat backs opens up good volume for larger items.
The Prius is a top-notch performer when it comes to crash tests. It earned a five star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ score from the IIHS in 2024, and it comes standard with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
How much does the 2025 Toyota Prius cost?
The Prius is offered in LE, XLE, and Limited models, each with front- or all-wheel drive. The Plug-in Hybrid comes in SE, XSE, and XSE Premium trims, all with front-wheel drive. The LE starts at $29,085 including a mandatory $1,135 destination charge. The base LE trim level isn’t lavish, but its 8.0-inch touchscreen has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus its 17-inch wheels unlock the lineup’s best combined fuel economy estimates.
All-wheel drive runs $1,400 more, and this lineup can pass $40,000 in top trim.
Where is the 2025 Toyota Prius made?
In Japan.
2025 Toyota Prius Styling
The 2025 Toyota Prius sports a cohesive design.
Is the Toyota Prius a good-looking car?
Indeed it is. Forget about generations of awkward Prii. The latest version has curves in just the right places and a wedgy profile that add up to an eye-catching exterior design. We award it two points for its exceptional exterior and another for its well-laid out interior. It’s an 8 here.
This generation of the Prius foregoes the otherworldly design cues we came to expect from Toyota’s most frugal model. It’s long and wide, at least for a small car, and it’s proud of it. Slim LED lights up front sit around an EV-like nose with only a small air intake mounted below the license plate. From the side, the greenhouse dips into the door panels, giving way to a sleek hatchback roofline. The upside-down mustache of a taillight bezel at the rear serves as a chef’s kiss.
Inside, the Prius is somewhat ordinary, though well organized. The 8.0-inch touchscreen on low-trim versions swims in a big panel; opt for the 12.3-inch touchscreen and it looks a lot better. Toyota is a bit too stingy with interior colors.
2025 Toyota Prius Performance
The 2025 Toyota Prius is fairly fun to drive.
The 2025 Toyota Prius is just entertaining enough to take the edge off of a boring commute. It’s not a sports car, but it doesn’t need to be. We call it a 6 out of 10 for its comfortable ride; the Plug-in Hybrid might net another point for its scoot.
Is the Toyota Prius 4WD?
All-wheel drive is optional for the standard hybrid. You’ll get slightly faster acceleration but will take a fuel-economy hit, though, so budget accordingly.
How fast is the Toyota Prius?
The Prius offers decent acceleration. It starts with a 2.0-liter inline-4 rated at 150 hp on its own, and it gets a 111-hp boost from a front-mounted electric motor for a fuzzy-math total output of 194 hp. Opt for all-wheel drive and there’s an additional electric motor that ups the output to only 196 hp but does slice the 0-60 mph run to 7.0 seconds, down 0.2 second from the standard model.
The Prius Plug-in trades the little 0.9-kwh lithium-ion battery pack for a very large 13.6-kwh lithium-ion battery pack. It also has a 161-hp motor up front, providing 220 hp in total and even snappier acceleration at 6.6 seconds to 60 mph. There’s more passing power here, too.
Switch the CVT to B mode and you’ll find near one-pedal braking, which is convenient for in-town use. The Sport drive mode lets the engine rev up faster, but it’s loud rather than quick. Left in Eco mode the Prius feels slushier but is still quicker than expected.
The small steering wheel combines with a quick steering ratio for nimble response in any situation. Limited body lean imparts the Prius with an almost sporty feel, though the low rolling-resistance tires that Toyota fits to save fuel discourage any real fun. The Prius has a comfy enough ride in town, but it can be a bit too firm and busy at highway speeds for long-distance cruising. Perhaps a set of standard all-season tires would make it more comfortable, though they might hurt fuel economy.
2025 Toyota Prius Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Toyota Prius has a low roofline, for better or worse.
The Prius' low roofline gives it a distinctive style, but it makes this small car somewhat difficult to climb into or get out of. It’s a 5 here adding a point for cargo space, but losing one for passenger comfort.
Taller occupants will have to fold themselves to squeeze aboard, and even then they may find themselves brushing their heads against the roof. Models with the sunroof have even less headroom. Accordingly, the steering wheel is perched at a somewhat awkward angle that makes getting truly comfortable difficult for many.
The seats themselves aren’t all that supportive up front, though row two is somewhat better. Child seats are difficult to squeeze into the Prius. If you have a family and want to make gas station stops a rare encounter, go for Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid instead.
The cargo space offers up to 23.8 cubic feet of storage utility, which expands considerably with the rear seats folded down. Those low rolling-resistance tires that give the Prius an unsettled ride don’t help with interior noise levels, either. They’re loud.
2025 Toyota Prius Safety
The 2025 Toyota Prius has earned good crash-test marks.
How safe is the Toyota Prius?
It’s hard to beat when it comes to crash-test scores. The Prius earned a Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA in 2024, and we expect those results to carry into 2025. Adding to its appeal is standard automatic emergency braking that can detect pedestrians and cyclists. All in, the Prius gets an 8 for safety.
It also comes with blind-spot monitors and active lane control, while available features include automatic parking and a surround-view camera system. Those two features are particularly appealing since outward vision is tricky due to the low roof and chunky pillars.
2025 Toyota Prius Features
The 2025 Toyota Prius can be a great buy in its least-costly variants.
The 2025 Toyota Prius is a decent overall value at around $29,000 to start. We rate it a 7 out of 10 thanks to its good standard equipment level and its impressive overall value.
The 3-year/36,000-mile warranty includes two years of free services.
The base Prius LE runs about $29,000 and includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloth seats, and 17-inch steel wheels with aero covers.
All-wheel drive is $1,400 more.
Which Toyota Prius should I buy?
Frankly, the LE is the best buy here. But the XLE at $32,500 might tempt with its 12.3-inch touchscreen, 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless start, and power-adjustable driver seat.
Much more than that and you might want to step up to the Plug-in Hybrid, which starts around $34,000 in SE trim.
How much is a fully loaded Toyota Prius?
The top Prius Plug-in XSE Premium has synthetic leather upholstery, heated rear seats, a surround-view camera system, and a solar panel on the roof that can add some charge to the battery. Figure about $41,000 for this model.
2025 Toyota Prius Fuel Economy
The 2025 Toyota Prius offers peak gas-fueled efficiency.
Is the Toyota Prius good on gas?
It’s as good as it gets for a gas-fueled car. The 2025 Prius scores an 8 out of 10 for fuel economy thanks to a combined estimate as high as 57 mpg. That said, shop carefully, as bigger wheels and more equipment)can dent that estimate to 49 mpg, which isn’t that much better than the cheaper Toyota Corolla Hybrid.
The Plug-in Hybrid version scores 52 mpg combined after running out of its 44-mile all-electric range. It’ll take about four hours to charge up on a Level 2 240-volt charger.
