2018 Toyota Prius Hybrid

At a starting price of $23,475, the 2018 Toyota Prius offers a lot of bang for your buck. Its powered by a 1.8L Inline-4 engine and two electric motors for both the front wheels. The combined output of the combustion engine and electric motors is 121 HP and 105 lb-ft of torque. It won't be winning any races, but the car gets the job done just fine.

The Prius is offered in 7 trims, with each consequent model offering better equipment than the previous one. A complete table explaining all the features etc. on all the models is given below.

Trims	MSRP	Features
Prius One	$23,475	LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with on/off feature Active grille shutter Heated power outside mirrors with folding feature Integrated backup camera Entune Audio with 6.1-in. touch-screen display 4.2-in. color dual Multi-Information Display (MID) Tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio, climate control Cruise control
Prius Two	$24,685	Adds to or replaces features offered on ONE Intermittent rear window wiper Fabric-trimmed front seats with seatback pockets; 6-way adjustable driver's seat; 4-way adjustable front passenger seat
Prius Two Eco	$25,165	Adds to or replaces features offered on ONE Smart Key System on remote illuminated entry Bi-LED projector low- and high-beam headlights with auto on/off feature
Prius Three	$26,735	Adds to or replaces features offered on TWO Bi-LED projector low- and high-beam headlights with auto on/off feature Entune Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite with 7-inch high-resolution touch-screen and split-screen display Smart Key System on three doors with Push Button Startand remote illuminated entry SofTex-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and climate controls, Multi-Information Display (MID) and Bluetooth hands-free phone controls Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging with charge indicator light
Prius Three Touring	$28,115	Adds to or replaces features offered on THREE Integrated fog lights and LED accent lights Unique rear bumper treatment SofTex-trimmed front seats with seatback pockets and 6-way adjustable driver's seat; 4-way adjustable front passenger seat
Prius Four	$29,685	Adds to or replaces features offered on THREE Rain-sensing variable intermittent windshield wipers Interior Features Entune Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite with 11.6-in. HD multimedia display SofTex-trimmed heated front seats with seatback pockets; 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar support; 4-way adjustable front passenger seat Auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink
Prius Four Touring	$30,565	Adds to or replaces features offered on FOUR Premium Convenience Package Entune Premium JBL Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite with 11.6-in. HD multimedia display Safety Connect includes Emergency Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Locator, Roadside Assistance and Automatic Collision Notification. Available by subscription. (Complimentary one-year trial subscription.) Safety Plus Package (included on this model at no charge) Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) with Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA)

We recommend

If you want the most pocket-friendly Prius, then the Two Eco variant is the car of your dreams. Priced at $25,165, this trim is the most fuel-efficient model, along with better equipment and interiors than the base model.

If fuel savings isn't your biggest concern, then Prius Three Touring makes a great buying choice. It offers much better equipment and is better on creature comforts too.

The Prius Four variant offers even better equipment, but that drives the price higher, to nearly $30,000. The car doesn't offer the premium feel that would justify such a price tag, so you might want to give it a miss.

The total system output is only 121 horsepower, tasked with motivating more than 3,000 pounds of mass. Its transmission, steering, and braking prioritize efficiency—and we’re fine with that. The Prius doesn’t claim to be anything else. -The Car Connection

Engine and Transmission

If you are planning to buy the Prius for its blazing performance, then drop you plan. There is no such thing as blazing performance in a Prius. The car is built for efficiency, and the engine and transmission combo work together to salvage every last drop of fuel possible.

The engine is a 1.8L Inline-4 unit coupled with two electric motors driving a front wheel each. The combined output of both the petrol and electric mills equals a total of 121 HP and 105 lb-ft, which are respectable figures, but not particularly impressive. The engine is a mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which is very efficient but also strips the car of any excitement.

Models	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
MSRP	$23,475	$22,200	$34,095	$27,800
Engine	1.8-Liter, 4-cylinder Aluminum DOHC 16-Valve With VVT-i engine	1.6L GDI DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine	1.5L Direct Injection (DI) DOHC 4-cylinder engine	2.5-Liter Dynamic Force 4-Cylinder DOHC 16-Valve D-4S Dual Injection engine
Transmission	CVT automatic	6-speed automatic	CVT automatic	CVT automatic
Power	121 hp	139 hp	149 hp	208 hp
Torque	105 lb-ft	109 lb-ft	294 lb-ft	163 lb-ft

Although the lack of power isn't hurtful, it does seem unnecessary, as other cars in the segment have proven. Hybrid cars have been known to have the ability to change character from a mellow city car to a highway mile muncher. It, thus, feels like the car has been left in the dust by the competition. Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid,Chevrolet Volt, and Toyota Camry Hybrid are the immediate competition to the Prius.

Acceleration

Toyota Prius isn't built for performance, and it shows when you floor the throttle. Weight is not the reason for its lacklustre performance, as the car is relatively light. The tires, however, are. There is heavy wheelspin under the pedal-to-the-metal performance.The little Toyota and its rivals have been compared in the table below.

Models	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
0-60 MPH	9.7 sec	8.1 sec	7.8 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter mile	17.1 sec @ 98 mph	16.8 sec @ 83.8 mph	15.9 sec @ 83.9 mph	15.5 sec @ 91.0 mph
Engine	1.8L	1.6L	1.5L	2.5L
Emission   (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	3.4	3.2	1.3	3.4

The Camry, owing to the most powerful powertrain in this comparison, leads the chart in acceleration performance. The Chevrolet Volt is a distant second, due to a smaller and more efficient engine. The Hyundai is a close third, nearly matching the Chevy in 0-60 timings, but falling behind in the quarter mile run. The highlight of the Hyundai Ioniq however, is not its acceleration, but rather its emissions. The smallest engine is this comparison, the Ioniq produces by far the least amount of Carbon-di-Oxide emissions here.

Ride and Handling

The Toyota Prius has a very good ride, plush and comfortable. That is due to its soft suspension setup, which absorbs all the bumps on the road. As a consequence of the great ride quality, the handling leaves a bit to be desired.

The car wallows under hard cornering and at high speeds, which gives the driver an impression of being unstable. The wheels are extremely thin and offer minimal grip, as they were built to provide low rolling resistance and increase fuel efficiency.

Braking

Although the acceleration may be the worst in class for the Prius, the braking performance isn't nearly as bad. The braking feel is next to nothing, as the pedal isn't really connected to anything. A sensor and a wire carry your braking inputs directly to the brakes, without the traditional hydraulic middleman. The new system is more efficient, as it allows for regenerative braking.

Under hard braking, the sensors send signals to the friction brakes in order to shed speed fast, bypassing the regenerative system. This is due to safety concerns, as regenerative braking is slow and does not give very effective stopping power.

Model	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
Brake Front(inches)	10.0	11.0	10.8	12.0
Brake Rear(inches)	10.2	10.3	10.0	11.1
Curb Weight(lbs)	3075	2996	3543	3472
60-0 MPH (ft.)	121	124	120	125

All the cars have near identical braking performance, with the Camry losing a little due to its weight, as it is the heaviest in this comparison. Chevrolet Volte is the quickest to come to a halt, and the Toyota Prius comes second with near identical deceleration.

Fuel economy is the biggest weapon any hybrid can wield. The Prius is no different, as fuel economy is the area where it truly shines. The base variant offers great efficiency figures at a very lucrative price point, while the Prius Two Eco offers the highest fuel efficiency of all Prius variants. The consequent models become less and less fuel efficient because of their added weight.

Model	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
MPG (City)	50	57	43	51
MPG (Highway)	54	59	42	53
MPG (Combined)	52	58	42	52

Hyundai Ioniq inches ahead in terms of fuel efficiency. The larger Toyota Camry barely manages to match with the Prius. Chevrolet Volt on the other hand is left behind.

The Prius’s interior is unchanged for 2018. It’s still not what we’d call impressive, but it is comfortable and seems sturdy. -Caranddriver

Styling and comfort

Stepping into the car will reveal where most of the money went. Hint: It's not the interiors. One of the drawbacks of being a hybrid is the cost of its advanced drivetrain. The car does not offer a few essentials, such as lumbar and thigh support and rear AC vents.

The Prius seats 4 passengers in comfort, and squeezing in 5 wouldn't be too far of a stretch. There is ample headroom, shoulder room and legroom at both the front and rear seats.

Model	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
Passenger capacity	5	5	5	5
Passenger Volume(cubic feet)	93.1	96.2	90.3	99.9
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg)   (Inch)	39.4/55.0/42.3	39.1/56.1/42.2	37.8/56.5/42.1	38.3/57.7/42.1
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg)   (Inch)	37.4/53.0/33.4	37.4/55/35.7	35.8/53.2/34.7	37.6/55.7/38

The competition is just a few inches ahead though, with the Prius losing out on shoulder room to every contender in the segment.

Infotainment System

The availability of an 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system in Priuses Four and Four Touring variants marks the only change for 2018. Toyota's standard Entune audio system comes loaded with the following:

• USB port
• CD player
• Auxiliary jack
• Bluetooth compatibility

Prius Three and above trims carry the premium version of Entune, which offers additional features like navigation, Toyota's app suite, and a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad.

Interior features

The interiors, as discussed prior, aren't very impressive, being more functional than appealing. The dash mounted gear shifter is easier to reach than a traditional one, although it takes a little getting used to because of its unique gear shift pattern and separate parking button.

• Integrated backup/rear view camera
• Entune Audio with 6.1-in. touch-screen display
• 4.2-in. color dual Multi-Information Display (MID)
• Tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio, climate control
• Cruise control

The subsequent models add more bells and whistles to these basic features.

Cargo Capacity

The cargo capacity is impressive in the Prius when compared to the completion. Toyota RnD has worked tirelessly to create as compact a battery and motor combination as possible, thus liberating space inside.

Model	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
Volume (cubic feet)	24.6	26.5	10.6	15.1

Toyota Camry, even though it is the most expensive car in this comparison, barely manages to hold 15 cubic feet of luggage. The Hyundai Ioniq is the clear winner, as it offers the most cargo space of all car present in this comparison.

We’ve called the Prius a number of things, but we’ve never called it handsome. Virtually every competitor is more attractive to our collective eye. -Caranddriver

Dimension and Weight

The kerb weight of the Prius is mediocre, near the bottom of the segment. Thus, the Prius is easier to drive and manage in the city than its competition. The ground clearance of the car isn't suited to off-road terrain, but neither is the rest of the car, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Model	Toyota Prius (One)	Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (Blue)	Chevrolet Volt (LT)	Toyota Camry Hybrid (LE)
Curb weight(lbs)	3075	2996	3543	3472
Length(inch)	178.7	176.0	180.4	192.1
Width(inch)	69.3	71.7	71.2	72.4
Height(inch)	58.1	56.9	56.4	56.9
Ground clearance(inch)	5.1	5.3	5.5	5.7
Wheelbase(inch)	106.3	106.3	106.1	111.2
Track width(inch) Front/Rear	60.2/60.6	61.5/62.1	60.6/61.8	63.0/63.2

Exterior features

The front of the car is a very striking and distinctive design. That isn't the same as a beautiful design though, and as looks are subjective, this category shall remain open to discussion.

The headlights are sculpted in a triangular fashion, with the indicators in a similar but smaller triangle, both stacked vertically. The tail lamps are similarly constructed, with an assortment of sharp lines. The fastback design does lend it a strong profile though, making sure that the Prius will manage to turn heads at a traffic signal.

Safety feature should be one of the biggest buying factors while considering a car, and Toyota Prius impresses with good ratings all around.

Standard safety features include:

• Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
• Traction Control (TRAC)
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
• Brake Assist
• Driver and front passenger Advanced Airbag System
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) includes lower anchors on outboard rear seats and tether anchors on all rear seats
• Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS)
• Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) with Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA)
• Color Head-Up Display (HUD) with speedometer, navigation and Hybrid System Indicator
• Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)
• Hill Start Assist Control (HAC)
• Engine immobilizer

Prius scores high on safety standards as well, as checked by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

NHTSA Ratings
Overall Rating	5 star
Overall Frontal Barrier Crash Rating	4 star
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating Driver	4 star
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating Passenger	4 star
Overall Side Crash Rating	5 star
Side Barrier Rating	5 star
Side Barrier Rating Driver	5 star
Side Barrier Rating Passenger Rear Seat	5 star
Side Pole Rating Driver Front Seat	5 star
Combined Side Rating Front Seat	5 star
Combined Side Rating Rear Seat	5 star
Rollover Rating	4 star

IIHS Safety Ratings

Crashworthiness
Small overlap front driver side	Good
Small overlap front passenger side	N/A
Moderate overlap front	Good
Side	Good
Roof strength	Good
Head restraints & seats	Good

Crash Avoidance & Mitigation
Front Crash Prevention	Superior
Headlights	Acceptable
LATCH	Good+

The competition isn't far behind the Prius though, with both the Camry Hybrid and Chevy Volt receiving 5-star ratings on similar parameters by the NHTSA. Hyundai Ioniq hasn't been rated by the NHTSA yet, but based on its Euro NCAP rating of 5 stars out of 5, It is needless to say that the car will be equally, if not more, safe as its peers.

Toyota Prius vs Hyundai Ioniq

Hyundai Ioniq bests all the current hybrids in terms of value, with its super low price tag and a great peppy engine with decent power on tap. It has great ride quality, and decent handling to go along, offering the most comfortable ride here.

There is no reason to skip the Ioniq to buy a Prius, unless of course you're only looking for recognition as a "hybrid vehicle owner". Prius will get you instantly recognised as one, which although shallow, is definetley a buying criteria for some.

Toyota Prius vs Toyota Camry Hybrid

Toyota Camry is also a great value, considering you get japanese engineering reliability for nearly the same money as others cars present here. It is the biggest car in this comparison. Thus, it has great road presence and looks much as expensive as it really is.

The Camry is great for back seat passenger, although the driver wouldn't enjoy the car as much. Prius is the same for the latter, not so much for the former. Boot space is really the only category where the little Toyota bests its larger sibling.

Toyota Prius vs Chevrolet Volt

The Chevrolet Volt is by far the most expensive car here. It is also the heaviest car here, and almost matches the Camry in size. The maneuverability is a little compromised, but not by much.

The Volt isn't as good as other cars here in terms of interior space. Chevrolet Volt has by far the least emissions in this group, which when you think about it, should be the primary goal for a hybrid car. Afterall, hybrids were created to save the planet.

The 2018 Toyota Prius remains an impressive little car that gets the job done without much fuss and drama. While some would prefer to have more oomph in their car, buying a hybrid car for excitement is extremely counter-intuitive. The people who buy hybrids just want to go from point A to point B and save a few polar bears while they're at it. The Prius fits the bill perfectly, owing to its low emissions and fuel efficiency.