The Toyota Prius is going strong in its fourth generation and two decades of market availability as the top hybrid offered.
It may not be novel anymore, with the appearance of many other hybrids over the years, but it’s immediately recognizable and remains a popular choice among those who want an extremely fuel-efficient car.
The current Prius has a lot more options than it did initially, including plug-in models, multiple trim levels, and even AWD. Let’s take a look at what else the Prius is good at.
Fantastic Fuel Economy
No matter how you look at it, the Toyota Prius remains one of the top choices if you need a car with great gas mileage. Even among other hybrids, the Prius stands out as hard to beat. The base L Eco trim gets 56 MPG combined, which is only rivaled by the Hyundai Ioniq. Even with AWD, the Prius returns 49 MPG combined, which is impressive for an AWD vehicle. Higher trims of the Prius with FWD get about 52 MPG combined.
AWD Availability
Buyers are clamoring more and more for AWD options on compact cars and sedans. The Prius delivered this for the 2019 model year. As mentioned above, it still returns an incredible fuel economy number even with the heavier AWD system. The best part? You don’t have to break the bank to add it to your Prius. The AWD option costs between $1,000 and $1,4000 depending on the trim.
Balanced Handling
The Prius is a compact and balanced car that offers great fuel economy, but that doesn’t stop it from being surprisingly smooth and fun to drive in the handling department. Steering feedback is energetic around corners, and the AWD version is also sharp and controlled with barely any body lean in turns.
Very Roomy
One of the downsides of getting a super fuel-efficient vehicle has always been that it might be a little short on space. Small vehicles are lighter and more economical, after all. However, the Prius is extremely spacious for its size. Believe it or not, the Toyota Prius offers enough room inside to match that of a compact SUV. Even tall drivers won’t have a problem with lack of headroom. The rear seats offer plenty of space for adults, and there are 13.1 cubic feet of cargo room behind them.
Safety First
The Toyota Prius may be small, but it’s one of the safest cars on the market. All trims of the Prius now come standard with the Toyota Safety Sense package, which includes a slew of active driver assistance features like automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control among others.
Many buyers come to the Toyota Prius for amazing gas mileage, and it’s no surprise as it’s one of the best vehicles available in this category. However, those same buyers are often pleasantly surprised at how much the Prius has to offer outside of being the most recognizable name in the hybrid category.
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