Written by Marco Carvajal
Toyota Prius Limited Hybrid
The new Toyota Prius hybrid Limited AWD that I am driving is a completely new transformed model. It has a sleek new exterior design, a refreshed interior, and an upgraded hybrid powertrain. The new Prius is Toyota’s hybrid reborn with better style, performance, and efficiency.
The new Prius has been designed in Japan and it brings a striking good look to the road, featuring a sleek new sporty design with a roof line 2 inches lower compared to the previous, 1 inch wider, and 1 inch lower hip point than the previous generation.
New Generation Prius
The new Toyota Prius is better and it is part of the new fifth generation starting with the car model year 2023. This new generation Prius has greater hybrid performance and more power than its predecessor Prius.
The new Prius is enhanced with a very sporty styling merged with a very attractive coupe-inspired exterior shape that looks fantastic and drives faster than ever.
The outside of the Prius looks very attractive and modern, with a sleek, sporty new look with a comfortable, tech-packed interior and it’s an all-new Prius, completely redesigned.
The new modern sleek silhouette, low roofline, smooth body panels, and flared rear-end look even better when you add the sporty and large available 19-inch wheels.
The new Prius has a very smooth, streamlined appearance accented by its hammer-shaped nose, lowered roofline, and flared rear end.
Inside the Prius, you will find an interior with a premium and comfortable feel. New features include a new standard digital driver’s display for a superior line of sight, comfortable seats in cloth or SofTex upholstery depending on the trim model, and Toyota’s new multimedia audio system that makes the Prius look modern and innovative
The new Prius is a progressive and sporty new hybrid. The interior of the Prius features a clean, modern design appearance combined with high-tech displays and ambient lighting.
Amazing 57 MPG Fuel Consumption
Excellent good fuel efficiency, with an estimated 57 MPG combined in the new Prius LE trim model, the base model of the lineup Prius.
This Prius LE base trim model is one of the most efficient hybrid cars you can find, it can cover 57 miles on a single gallon of gasoline on hybrid mode. It is very difficult to spend all the gas on the Prius gas tank, it is a wonderful car for those drivers who like to save on fuel and help maintain a clean and healthy environment.
Higher Prius trim models have less efficiency than the Prius base LE model but are still very efficient with an average of 52 miles per gallon.
The Prius Hybrid has a great long range with approximately 640 miles of driving range on a single gas tank.
Prius the first hybrid
The Toyota Prius is well known around the world as the first mass-produced hybrid passenger car. The new Prius is a new hybrid reborn with an all-new design with an inspiring drive style, advanced tech, improved fuel efficiency, reliability, and long-term easy maintenance typical of Toyota.
The name Prius means “first” and “superior”.
Prius is known as the First Hybrid, it is a pioneer in hybrid technology. The Prius was launched on the Japanese market around 27 years ago, back in 1997, and was the first series of mass-produced hybrid vehicles at that time.
The Prius hybrid is powered by two engines in one, a gasoline and electric engine, producing good power and performance at a very low cost in gasoline, due to this dual engine technology, mixing gasoline power and electricity power.
At the present time the Prius it is sold in more than 70 countries and is one of the most popular and also more affordable hybrid cars you can find in the market.
Around 20 years ago the Prius was introduced in the US, as a pioneer in hybrid efficiency at a time when hybrid technology was something completely new. When the Prius hybrid car appeared for the first time in the US market, it changed the evolution of automotive production, opening a door for many other automakers to jump into producing hybrid cars.
Today hybrid, plugins, and electric cars are very popular and are becoming the future, and the Prius is still one of the pioneer hybrid cars.
The Prius sedan is compact, it is built with a very smart hybrid and electric technology, in addition to other smart features, it has an aerodynamic body design to enhance fuel efficiency and a good-looking interior and exterior.
Prius Versus Prius Prime
There are two types of Prius cars, Prius and Prius Prime. I am test-driving the Prius.
The difference between the two models is that the one called just Prius is a hybrid vehicle and the Prius Prime is not only a hybrid but also a plug-in (PHEV) that you can plug and charge with electricity to have more range.
The Prius Prime is a very efficient plug-in hybrid that can easily handle most daily short trips on a full charge, with a nice manufacturer-estimated all-electric range of up to 44 miles, or a large combined hybrid-electric range from 550 to 600 miles total, a little less range than the Prius Hybrid best range of approximate 640 miles, but with no option to drive only electric as the Prius Prime.
Sixty Percent More Horse-Power over the Previous Generation
The new Prius not only has a more attractive design and improved fuel efficiency, but it also has an improved powertrain that makes the Prius more powerful.
The new Prius delivers more horsepower, with a larger 2.0 L 4-cylinder Hybrid engine with a combined 196 net system horsepower, which is about sixty percent more powerful than the previous generation.
The higher output also adds more torque, increasing from 120 to 139 lb-ft., and providing a 35 percent faster speed from 0 to 60 miles in just 7.2 seconds in the FWD models, and for the AWD Prius model, it runs from 0 to 60 miles in just 7.0 seconds.
The Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT) feels very smooth and produces quiet speed changes helping to save fuel.
The Prius represents great value with better performance, better power, and a very attractive new modern sporty design available in different trim levels and value low pricing.
Trims and Pricing for the 2023 Toyota Prius Hybrid
The Prius has a good low price range starting at $27K and going all the way to $35K within its designed in 6 different trim models. I am test-driving the Limited AWD, the top-of-the-line and most expensive trim model.
If you want more efficiency and save more, the Limited FWD is the best Prius with 52 combined estimated miles per gallon, compared to the Limited AWD with 49/50 estimated miles per gallon, just a small difference.
Premium Audio
Something I love in the Limited or Limited AWD trim is that high-quality 8-speaker JBL premium audio that makes a big difference to enjoy music while driving. The Limited trim also includes a very appealing top fixed glass roof that looks very futuristic and provides more light inside your Prius.
- 2023 Prius LE
$27,450 Starting MSRP
- 2023 Prius LE AWD
$28,850 Starting MSRP
- 2023 Prius XLE
$30,895 Starting MSRP
- 2023 Prius XLE AWD
$32,295 Starting MSRP
- 2023 Prius LIMITED
$34,465 Starting MSRP
- 2023 Prius LIMITED AWD, the model that I am test-driving
$35,865 Starting MSRP
Driving the Prius
Prius’ new Hybrid Synergy Drive system is much more powerful with its 196 horsepower and available Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive (AWD).
The Prius is available in Front-Wheel Drive or All-Wheel Drive. Compared to the previous generation model, the new Prius has up to 60% more horsepower, for a total of 196 horsepower AWD and 194 horsepower FWD.
All new Prius trim models come with Toyota’s new Traffic Jam Assist technology, a radar-based system that helps ease the burden of stressful stop-and-go traffic on limited-access roads by operating the steering, accelerator, and steering pedals, and brake from speeds between 0-25 mph under certain conditions.
As part of Toyota’s diverse approach to carbon neutrality, the Prius is a very good model for Toyota’s goal of excellent fuel economy and eco-friendly cars.
With ten Toyota hybrid models including the addition of the new Toyota Crown, two plug-in hybrid models, the new bZ4X battery electric vehicle and the zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell Mirai, Toyota offers 14 electrified vehicles, and more vehicle options are coming soon.
Prius is the first Toyota vehicle to wear a new “Beyond Zero” badge, symbolizing Toyota’s global effort to achieve carbon neutrality in its products, manufacturing, and beyond.
The new Prius is available in very attractive colors, including Wind Chill Pearl, Cutting Edge, Guardian Grey, Midnight Black Metallic, Supersonic Red, or Reservoir Blue.
The new Prius sedan is smooth and capable of accelerating intelligently. The extra horsepower is a blessing for merging onto a highway passing, or changing lanes. Structural updates and new suspension components in several areas have also improved the Prius’ on-road performance.
The Prius’ front seats offer enough support to be comfortable for long periods. The rear seats are also comfortable, although they do not recline.
I like how the Prius rides so smoothly even on broken pavement, thanks to its good suspension.
The Prius’ safety features are also a point to highlight. The lane-keep assist system effectively keeps the hybrid centered in its lane, and acceleration and braking are smooth when using adaptive cruise control.
The Proactive Driving Assistant feature provides subtle cues to the driver in everyday situations. If traffic slows in front of you, the Prius will very subtly begin to brake when you lift off the accelerator as a signal for you to begin slowing down.
An Led strip on the dashboard also flashes if traffic ahead moves away.
A Better Prius
The redesigned Prius looks more modern, and it is considerably more powerful than previous models. The Prius is one of Toyota’s more fuel-efficient hybrid powertrains. Fuel economy is still stellar with amazing ranges of over 57 MPG in real-world driving, but it’s not the only reason to buy a Prius.
I like the Prius but some drivers won’t like its reduced space as a compact sedan, with less utility and interior space due to the new “sweptback” design.
Toyota could build a Prius Crossover to give car buyers more options of convenience and space with the typical style of the Prius.
