Toyota Prius Review - Still the Benchmark Hybrid?
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- Опубліковано 14 сер 2020
- BUY, LEASE OR FINANCE A TOYOTA PRIUS FROM OSV: bit.ly/30TUBRC
Toyota has improved its fourth generation Prius. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.
Ten Second Review
Toyota's Prius remains the most recognisable hybrid vehicle on our roads and has been much improved in this revised guise, principally with the option of 4WD. There are smarter looks too, a nicer interior, more equipment and extra safety kit. Otherwise, things are much as before, a clever hybrid powertrain delivering a set of efficiency returns that emphasise this car's superiority over comparably-priced diesel rivals.
Background
Welcome to the car that in its first two decades of life re-shaped the global automotive landscape, bringing hybrid technology into the mainstream market, while focusing the motor industry's attention on the way its products could be cleaner and more efficient. Toyota's Prius did all that and in this rejuvenated MK4 model guise, aims to continue to set those standards, building upon quite a heritage of ingenuity.
At its original launch in 2016, this MK4 model aimed to widen its appeal beyond enviro-conscious folk, hence a smoother drivetrain and extra interior space. Now it's improved its safety credentials and added in the option of 4WD. 'You look smart: you should drive a Prius', Toyota's advertising tells us and around the globe, millions of drivers are doing just that.
Driving Experience
Hybrids are known to be much heavier than traditionally fuelled cars because of the big pile of battery-cells that provide the electric power. What is crucial to handling though, is where the extra weight is positioned. Toyota's modular architecture allows the centre of gravity to be lower and closer to the middle of the Prius, which translates into a better balanced ride for passengers but not a car you would ever describe as 'sporty'. It takes a fraction longer to get going than you might expect. The nickel-metal hydride battery pack gets the electric motor turning first and only when the Prius starts to pick up speed does the familiar 1.8-litre petrol engine fire up and seamlessly take over, allowing 62mph to be reached in a respectable 10.6s. The engine can be switched off if you need to run entirely on batteries, say, through Central London's Ultra Low Emissions zone. You can run on batteries more much longer with the pricier Plug-in version of this design, but that's not our focus here.
The big news with this revised model is the option further up the range of AWD. This set-up uses an additional, independent rear electric motor to automatically activate the rear wheels to help those at the front when pulling away, or when low-grip conditions are detected. At higher speeds - between 6 and 44mph - the 'AWD-i' set-up also comes into play, transferring torque to the rear axle when sensors detect a loss of grip.
Design and Build
The Prius has always been styled to make an eco-statement - and nothing's changed there. However, for this revised fourth generation model, Toyota's taken the opportunity to give the design a cleaner look. At the front, slimmer bi-LED headlight units have been introduced, helping create a stronger horizontal line that emphasises the car's wide and planted stance. There are also revisions to the bonnet and the front bumper, plus smarter combination lamps at the rear.
Inside, Toyota has tried to improve the perception of quality, improving the upholstery and adding a piano black treatment to the fascia. The Toyota Touch 2 multimedia system has been improved with the seven-inch touchscreen now engineered to respond to pinch, flick and swipe gestures like those used on smartphones. As before, the cabin continues with the theme of mounting all the useful displays and information in the centre of the cockpit rather than putting the dials directly in front of the driver. Instead of an instrument binnacle behind the steering wheel, the speed and other info is shown on an upper information display mounted just below the front windscreen. This gives a much greater sense of space inside the cabin than most rivals. The boot is over 500-litres in size and if extra space is needed, the rear seats can split 60/40 and fold down.
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The Prius is a superbly engineered car that still suffers from an image problem based on perception rather than anything to do with the car itself. The old Pious image has kind of gone as the virtue signalling crowd bought Tesla's but now it seems to be dismissed by many as mini-cab or uber fodder. This generation is nice to drive and is extremely efficient for an ICE car, pretty good value too. And they seem pretty solid and reliable, especially given the complexity. Touchpoint quality may be behind premium German rivals but for mechanical and electrical quality I would take the Toyota.
German cars are overpriced, don’t be fooled by the so called premium build. Look closely at the interiors, the controls and trim, people are just being blinded by clever marketing populist bullshit. Plastic buttons on Mercedes LOL.
He got a few things wrong, Prius doesn’t have a belt-driven CVT and never has. It’s a planetary setup with direct gears permanently engaged. There’s >30 moving parts within the Toyota power split device (transmission) versus over 120 for most conventional automatics. And not to mention there’s no torque converter. It also seems he started with a drained battery which lets the engine rev higher initially to generate higher RPM for the generator to charge the battery. (Since Prius has two electric motors in its hybrid system, 3 electric motors in AWD models). And the top electric only speed (not pressing EV mode) is 74 MPH. I see it routinely when commuting home on a highway down a mountain, if I’m maintaining 70 mph, my Gen.4’s EV icon lights up and I can cruise at 70 MPH down a 2 mile hill with the gas engine at 0 RPM. the trick is watching the hybrid system indicator beside the speedo, and making sure your “acceleration bar” doesn’t cross the middle line. One last thing; the horsepower rating only went down due to the new way they test a hybrid’s total system HP. Motortrend clocked a 0-60 MPH time of 9.6 seconds in a Prius Two model, compared to the third generation’s 9.8 seconds. In reality, the total system horsepower probably stayed about the same or climbed a few since the system allows for more juice to be taken from the battery. That was a statement from Toyota themselves. Also, weight didn’t change much from G3 to G4 models. The G3 Prius weighed 3,042 lbs, the lightest G4 Prius Two Eco model weighs 3,010 lbs. My 2016 Prius Two weighs 3,075 lbs.
Otherwise, good review and I liked how you went into the history!
Prius Two? You mean Gen2? I thought the Gen3 had a faster 0-60 than the Gen2 with it's 1.8L engine vs the 1.5L of the Gen2.
ygg drasil I’m referring to the U.S. spec option package I have. We have package 2 though 5. I have a base 2 model.
Believe me, this is one fantastic car. Mpg is astonishing, so is the ride quality. I got 86 mpg the other day, mixed roads, hilly part of the UK.
That's fantastic to hear 👍
Thank you for this video. I have a 2017 Prius, and I love the 4th gen Prius. I like the long video. It's relaxing and super chill. Thank you.
Many thanks for watching 👍 If you enjoyed the review, make sure to subscribe: bit.ly/319ZKoT
A very comprehensive video . Thank you.
Our pleasure 👍 If you're interested in getting a Prius, feel free to get in touch: bit.ly/39YHCml
I am surprised how a reputable auto journalists including you guys has no actual correct information about Toyota Prius hybrid system and transmission, and how no one mentioned that since gen 3 2010 Prius the transmission is called eCVT has no belts, pulleys, torque converter, operational clutches and it’s very similar to what’s inside a bev , just planetary gear set also called power split device,. And this is what makes Toyota hybrids different from any other hybrids, this is what shoot Toyota hybrid system above all competition, unrivalled to date and ionic from Hyundai although may appear as better looking car it is NOT a better hybrid., ionic though is very good ev, hybrid and plug in hybrid Toyota is still the best.
greatest perfomence i ever seen in my life !
Still the top of the class. I've looked into the Kia Niro but that's not nearly as advanced in terms of efficiency.
Belt driven transmission? He surely does not know how the Prius e-CVT is made.
10:30 Prius plugin not available in Australia. Which is strange as the range is just about that of the average commute, and it's a good deal cheaper than a Tesla if it were here.
This vehicle is truly amazing and the PHV is even better
What do you like most about the Prius?
@@OsvUkVehicleSupply what's not to like? It's smooth, fast, quiet, and unbelievable on fuel, front looks like a Bugatti, mine even has free road tax, just in by one month.
I own the 2017 LE and love my car. The improvements I would like to see in newer models is less road noise. The doors are hallow more insulation or thicker glass like the Lexus models as an option would be nice.. I also like that my Prius doesn't have the humming noise like the newer models.
I have one. Puting some insulation fabric.inside the doors made a huge difference in my.vehicle. there are tutorials.
Is it flat underneath?
Ive seen that Tesla model s is (no hybrid, but Im wondering anyway).
Maybe thats why model s has cd 0,208 and the prius 0,24
This toyota prius is so nice l am going to buy it my uncle has a toyota prius because he is a taxi driver
Any news on the prius hybrid prime plug in 2023
Hi Anthony, we hope to bring you a test drive next year 👍 Make sure to subscribe to the channel and ring the bell icon for notifications 🔔
I was listening until you said that Prius generations prior to Gen 4 had a "belt driven CVT"... If you knew how Toyota hybrids worked you would know that they have NEVER had belts in the drive unit. They are called eCVT's but rely planetary gear systems. Look it up...
Thanks for the heads-up Kevin, we're aware of this error and have passed this on to our video team 👍
At 1:01:19 I spotted the only mistake in the whole video. The bit about Taxi drivers and extended warranty was repeated twice. I think i need a job as a proof reader or continuity person.
Stephen, you're hired! When can you start? 👍
❤❤
Last time my uncle was coming to my house
New 2021 ford ecosport review
Thanks for the request, Gautam. We'll see what we can do.
Next time l will buy toyota prius but the colour l wanted is white the same just like my uncle
Great choice Qasim! We supply every make and model in the UK and would be more than happy to help with your next vehicle. Get in touch on 01903 538835 or click here to book a call at a convenient time - bit.ly/3soFVbF
Do we need an hour vid to tell how great this car is
We have a shorter review if you'd prefer to watch that! ua-cam.com/video/p0mzFUCApOk/v-deo.html
Horrendous road rumble! Super distracting while he's talking. A good looking hybrid though.
Here in my City u drive that car under 2 Liters per 100Kilometers
Mph it’s in uk
@@louisbeerreviews8964 Idiot
Prius is an e cvt system, never that belt drive, ever.
There is no competition for a Prius. Period ! Some hybrid brands even use old style clutches for their ICE and electromotors. And talking about more regeneration while driving in B mode tells me you don't understand the technic part of this car, because driving in B mode will NOT gain any regeneration, because you need that energy to run the ICE. Time to get informed before making a revieuw video ! 😊
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Wim. We can assure you that our reviews are heavily researched, but sometimes things slip through the cracks (we're only human, after all!). We'll take your comment on-board for future videos 👍
Uber drivers only.
The shame of being seen driving one of these is too much to bear otherwise
That's only if you care about what others think in which case I don't. A car is a car. Faster than walking. I remember once I picked someone up in my granny car as they called it I then asked them to get out
stupid comment
The automotive equivalent of a sleeping tablet.
No such thing as a self charging hybrid!
Yes Toyota has it very good no cables
Yes we all know that petrol and regen braking charge the battery. If you are not pluging the thing in. We're not thick!
@ gilldeman there is such thing as a self changing hybrid look it up
Yawn.
I gave up in the middle of the video. Such an annoying way of presenting a car. Boring and monotonous voice - probably reading from the prompter!!!
Thank you for your feedback which we'll take on-board. Always looking for ways to improve the content 👍
7 minutes in and I’m still ok with the presentation, unfortunately I’m in the USA and I don’t think they sell this model. Not clear in the intro of the video or title I don’t think
All the initial blah blah blah could have been said while driving.
We appreciate the feedback, will take this on-board for future videos 👍
A great looking new Corolla has made the ugly Prius redundant