2017 Prius Prime launches at $27,100

[Kaido]

https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/03/toyota-prius-prime-us-pricing/

• 25-mile EV range & 55/53 MPG on gas (54 combined)
• Qualifies for a $4,500 Federal tax credit
• 120V charging = 5.5 hours, 240V charging = 2 hours 10 minutes

For $6,120 more, the Chevy Volt starts at $33,220 & offers a 50-mile EV range & 42mpg combined. So double the EV range with less gas MPG for $6k more.

 

[Kaido]

First drive on Autoblog:

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/10/03/2017-toyota-prius-prime-first-drive-1-review/

As far as I know, this is the cheapest car available with radar cruise control:

Speaking of trim levels, there are three different Primes to choose from: Plus, Premium, and Advanced. All Primes will come with a version of the Toyota Safety Sense suite installed. This is the P level, which is what Toyota uses for its midsize and large vehicles. With TSS-P, you get pre-collision warning, lane departure alert with steering assist, and a warning when the vehicle starts to sway and the car thinks you might be tired. Radar cruise control and auto high beams are also part of the package. You only get the big touchscreen in the two more expensive models, but even the Plus comes with a 7-inch touchscreen. The Premium adds SofTex seats, remote illuminated entry, and Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging. Pony up the extra money for the Advanced trim and you also get a few more safety features (blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert), a heated steering wheel, a heads-up display and those fancy apps.

Another on NY Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/drive-2017-toyota-prius-prime-article-1.2815521

Engadget was saying the only major complaint is that the gas engine is kind of whiny when it turns on. Curious as to how loud that is & if it is muffled by music.

I bet this would be a pretty good lease deal...

 

[NutBucket]

Sounds like your next car

 

[sontakke]

Isn't Volt significantly bigger than Prius?

 

[NutBucket]

Nope. The Volt is smaller than you think.

 

[Midwayman]

Does it come with 2 day shipping?

 

[Kaido]

Sounds like your next car

Sure, I love first-generation vehicles!

 

[Kaido]

Isn't Volt significantly bigger than Prius?

Not sure how they compare, but from seeing them in person, they look about the same size as competing Civic's & Kia's:

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Nice price after the tax credit. Good catch Kaido on the adaptive cruise, but not too sure why they would bother. Not really a highway kinda car.

 

[ChronoReverse]

The Volt is longer than the Prius on the outside but smaller for the passengers and cargo on the inside. The Prius also has a tighter turning circle.


Not sure why it's not a highway sort of car? Just because it's a hybrid doesn't mean it doesn't get diesel like mileage on the highway even if it probably rattles. The Prime even goes up to 80MPH on electric like you'd expect for a PHEV.

 

[Herr Kutz]

I know this isn't supposed to be a speed demon, but it's 15 seconds 0-60 in EV mode according to alex on autos. For comparison, the volt was 8.13 seconds 0-60.

 

[Kaido]

Nice price after the tax credit. Good catch Kaido on the adaptive cruise, but not too sure why they would bother. Not really a highway kinda car.

Eh? I see them on the highway all the time. 53 MPG highway is amazing!

 

[Kaido]

I know this isn't supposed to be a speed demon, but it's 15 seconds 0-60 in EV mode according to alex on autos. For comparison, the volt was 8.13 seconds 0-60.

Hoooooooooooly crap, can you turn EV off manually for highway merging? I'd die! Seriously, a lot of merges in CT are like five inches long so you really have to goose it. 15 seconds...rofl.

 

[gus6464]

I hate that stupid rear slope. Makes it so that you can fit less shit than the last gen Prius. On our last gen Prius we have packed some serious stuff in the back. Now you have to get the Prius V if you want the good cargo room.

 

[Crono]

Hoooooooooooly crap, can you turn EV off manually for highway merging? I'd die! Seriously, a lot of merges in CT are like five inches long so you really have to goose it. 15 seconds...rofl.

The EV mode should be the faster mode, unless they've limited it for some reason. The Volt has a respectable 0 to 60 because of the electric motor (as far as I know, nearly all other plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles get an acceleration benefit from the motors), as the gas engine would be anemic for any non-hybrid sedan.

 

[ChronoReverse]

You can just run it in EV-auto mode. If you step on the gas then it'll kick in the gas engine as needed and give you the 10 second 0-60. Which, while still anemic, is enough to get you safely onto any highway.

I hate that stupid rear slope. Makes it so that you can fit less shit than the last gen Prius. On our last gen Prius we have packed some serious stuff in the back. Now you have to get the Prius V if you want the good cargo room.

You say that but the 4th generation Prius has more cargo space and interior volume than the 3rd generation which in turns has more than the 2nd generation.

 

[Yuriman]

I hate that stupid rear slope. Makes it so that you can fit less shit than the last gen Prius. On our last gen Prius we have packed some serious stuff in the back. Now you have to get the Prius V if you want the good cargo room.

The rear slope is there for aerodynamic reasons. I'm half convinced all of the fuel economy gains are just from sloping the roof a bit less aggressively compared with the previous generation. You're going to see this exact same profile in nearly every vehicle from now on, because it greatly improves highway fuel economy.

 

[desura]

I thought it was intriguing until I read that it doesn't have 3 person seating in the back row. There is a divider in the backseat, allowing you to only seat 2 in the back, 4 total.

The new Volt it appears has larger rear space.

At this point the only thing that could interest me in the Prius is the all wheel drive model.

 

[Kaido]

I thought it was intriguing until I read that it doesn't have 3 person seating in the back row. There is a divider in the backseat, allowing you to only seat 2 in the back, 4 total.

The new Volt it appears has larger rear space.

At this point the only thing that could interest me in the Prius is the all wheel drive model.

They have an AWD Prius in Japan, just not stateside yet. Lookup the Prius E-Four system sometime.

 

[ChronoReverse]

AWD Prius Prime would certainly make me interested. I don't mind losing the seat.

 

[Thump553]

Looking forward to seeing how this and the Chevy Bolt play out in real world performance. Odds are one or the other will be my next car.

I regularly drive 200+ mile days, no regular routes, 600-1200 miles per week. I'm not convinced I can drop the ICE completely. Right now I drive an older Prius (210,000+ miles) that has been rock solid in reliability and repair costs (one failed ICE water pump to date). From talking to people that have EVs in my area (CT) real world range here is only a fraction of what is advertised.

 

[tweakmonkey]

Looking forward to seeing how this and the Chevy Bolt play out in real world performance. Odds are one or the other will be my next car.

I regularly drive 200+ mile days, no regular routes, 600-1200 miles per week. I'm not convinced I can drop the ICE completely. Right now I drive an older Prius (210,000+ miles) that has been rock solid in reliability and repair costs (one failed ICE water pump to date). From talking to people that have EVs in my area (CT) real world range here is only a fraction of what is advertised.

Holy moly that's a lot of driving!

 

[Yuriman]

I'm doing about a tank per week in my Insight, give or take, and I typically get ~850 miles out of a 10 gallon tank. It's pretty easy when you live in a rural area.

 

[desura]

Looking forward to seeing how this and the Chevy Bolt play out in real world performance. Odds are one or the other will be my next car.

I regularly drive 200+ mile days, no regular routes, 600-1200 miles per week. I'm not convinced I can drop the ICE completely. Right now I drive an older Prius (210,000+ miles) that has been rock solid in reliability and repair costs (one failed ICE water pump to date). From talking to people that have EVs in my area (CT) real world range here is only a fraction of what is advertised.

I think used Ford C-Max is the best value proposition in cars right now. That said, I've looked closely at the Bolt and plan on getting one one day.

 

[gus6464]

I think used Ford C-Max is the best value proposition in cars right now. That said, I've looked closely at the Bolt and plan on getting one one day.

Ford C-Max has the turning radius of a semi.