There’s no real underfloor storage – there’s a cubby for a tyre repair kit, and that’s about it. The loading lip is high, too, so lifting heavy items into the Prius might be an issue.
“It’s been said that the biggest problem with the Toyota Prius is its rear headroom. But I beg to differ. I’m five foot 10 and a bit, and there’s plenty of space between the top of my small brain and the roof.” – Steve Sutcliffe, contributing editor.
Toyota has long held a stellar reputation for reliability, but its Driver Power score has dropped in recent years
Pros |
|
Cons |
|
While the Prius didn’t make an appearance, the Toyota brand finished in 19th place out of 30 on the most recent Driver Power best manufacturer scoreboard. While reliability is still a Toyota strongpoint – something which is backed up by numerous Toyota models racking up countless miles as taxis – owners appear to have been let down by their cars’ practicality, exterior styling and infotainment systems.
Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the Prius, so we’re yet to get a precise assessment on its safety credentials. But related models in the Toyota line-up perform strongly, and the Prius isn’t short on driver-assistance tech. All models have ‘Proactive Driving Assist’, which helps with corner braking and uses other systems, including cameras that add steering or braking input if they detect a possible collision. Adaptive cruise control and lane-departure alert are well implemented, and we found them more refined than in the Mk4 car.
- Best buy: Toyota Prius 2.0 VVTi Excel
Seeing as the Prius’s options list is comparatively tiny next to most of its rivals, investing an extra couple of thousand into the range-topping Excel trim will bag you plenty of extra luxuries for a reasonable sum. You’ll be looking at £40,000 for this model compared to £38,000 for the Design. There’s a slight advantage in terms of running costs and efficiency, too, as the Excel has the longer official fully electric range, if only slightly.
You can save on either variant by building your new Toyota Prius with the Auto Express Buy A Car service. We also have Prius leasing deals to choose from, as well as used Prius models in stock and ready to go.
Toyota Prius alternatives
The Prius has tended to carve its own niche in the market, and the fifth generation’s swoopy styling means it looks unlike any other medium-sized family hatchback on sale. Its closest rivals are plug-in hybrid versions of conventional hatchbacks such as the Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf. The Peugeot 308 and SEAT Leon are also available with plug-in powertrains.
Alternatively, there are fully electric options to consider like the Cupra Born, Kia EV4, Renault Megane E-Tech and Volkswagen ID.3.
Toyota Prius pictures
Key updates of the Toyota Prius review
Frequently Asked Questions
Toyota’s warranty runs for three years, but owners who take their car to an approved service centre for its scheduled annual maintenance will see their cover updated by 12 months or 10,000 miles each time. This can run up until the car is 10 years old or has covered 100,000 miles. At that point the cover can be described as the best warranty of any car maker for UK customers, which shows how confident Toyota is about its cars’ reliability – just so long as they’re maintained correctly.
