2023 Toyota Prius Prime Consumer Reviews
Pricing
SE - $33,445 MSRP
Edmunds suggests you pay
$30,399Fun and Enjoyable Drive - Premium Quality
Richard C., 07/25/2023
2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT)
22 of 24 people found this review helpful
Let me preface this, I am a 6'3" man, and my wife is a 5'4" woman. We both drive this vehicle and live in an apartment with a garage with a standard 110v Outlet. We just took ownership of our vehicle, prior we had a 2017 Prius Prime, and this car is exceptionally better and worth the upgrade. We chose the 2023 Prius Prime XSE Premium with the Sunroof, Advanced Technology Package, and the all-weather mats. I will list out some really cool pros and features, then dive into an overall experience and cons. Pros: Vehicle is stable, fast, and a smooth drive. In all EV mode, it's no different than the 2017-2022 models, a bit slow, but still quick from 0-35. It's quiet and quite enjoyable, the JBL sound system is great too. Beyond this, the car itself when in Sport + EV Auto is insanely fast for a Prius, I can outplace the entry level Model 3 Tesla and merging onto the interstate with no long ramps (Thanks Seattle) is a breeze. Next, parking assist is flawless nearly, parallel parking, front parking, back parking, it's all super easy with the 360 birds eye view and digital rear camera. Trunk space is plentiful, a bit more than the 2017-2022 Prime Models, but the real benefit is the foam compartment underneath. We found this to be a great storage space for extra clothes, cleaning supplies, children's supplies, picnic gear and other odds and ends (think vacuum, trash bag, etc). Charging is fairly quick, and can easy go from 0-44 overnight with about 12kWh used, a bit less efficient than the older models, but that 40 miles of electric range is sweet. Heated seats and ventilated seats make this a super comfortable ride, and remote start makes sure the car is warm and defrosted or cool and sweet for summer or winter in Seattle. One other fun note, we are a mix iPhone/Android family, I use the Google Pixel 7 Pro and my wife is on the iPhone SE 3rd Gen. The Android Auto is fantastic, maps and music are great and the screen is quite responsive. When I am driving, it auto selects my Pixel as the default device, but, when my wife drives (normally alone) it will auto select her iPhone. Apple car play is nice and wife thinks it's great. I will say, the Technology is next level, driving assist is great for Seattle Traffic and blind spot monitors are spot on. Cons: The instrument cluster is a bit weird, no matter what steering wheel position to have as a big guy, it's just odd. Wife struggles seeing through the wheel as well, although, not as much considering she sits a bit higher in the chair and is able to lower the steering wheel. This isn't so much a problem as it is weird when making turns and not being able to see your dash. Beyond this, back seats are only for people only 5'8", any taller and it's quite uncomfortable, good news is, we only have kids in the back seats. The only other issue I have with the car is the price, we paid huge premiums, but still feel it was worth it, sold our old car for 3/4 of the purchase price of this vehicle so we have a small loan, but still, if you are looking for a budget, the better option is the standard LE Prime or the standard LE Prius. Verdict (Personal Opinion): This is the best Toyota vehicle we have ever owned, it's a great long-term family car as when the kids grow up, they will have all the comfort of the back seats with heated options, USB-C Chargers for Tablets/Phones. This build quality is stable, it handles extremely well, and overall feel like a luxury vehicle without the luxury cost. Personally I would be willing to pay almost $60,000 for this car as it drives and feels more like a BMW 330e or i4 M50 Sedan than a Prius Sedan.
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Sweet car!
Bob, 09/06/2023
2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
This car is so smooth and responsive. When fully charged it runs around 40 miles on pure electric, then seamlessly switches to hybrid mode. I've only put a little over 400 miles on it, but only had to run in hybrid mode once, when I took a trip of about 90 miles. I figure I burned about a quart of gas on that trip. I charge it at night when the electric rate is cheap - $.10 a kWh. So I'm making a small contribution to saving the environment, and driving a smooth, thrifty, responsive car. What's not to like?
Handles well, great MPG’s and quick
Dillon, 04/23/2024
2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I’m 6’2” and 230 pounds and I do not have issues getting in and out of the car. I do a lot of driving and the driver’s seat is comfortable, I’ve only been in the passenger seat once and it was adequate. I like the plug-in hybrid and typically get about 45 miles out of the battery. I had a 2021 RAV4 prime and was always surprised how noisy the engine could be and hoped that issue would be corrected in this car, but unfortunately not so. While cruising on the highway, the engine is not that noticeable but with any acceleration it is surprisingly noisy. The ground clearance is almost an inch higher than the previous generation making oil changes with small ramps a piece of cake.
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5 stars for the car, -1 for outside issues
Rosci, 09/19/2023
2023 Toyota Prius Prime SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT)
13 of 19 people found this review helpful
The car itself is fantastic: resonsive all-electric mode with enough range to handle 90% of my driving, and great range on gas for longer trips. However, there are production issues. The supply is far greater than the supply, so getting one is a challenge, and then there's the several thousands in dealer markup or overpriced options added on. You only get one key fob, due to the chip shortage, with the second fob to be given eventually. My partucular car came with "System failure, see dealer" displayed on the dash. I figured I'd have the warranty repair done at a closer dealer (I had to buy from a far-away dealer due to the supply shortage), and got 3 days to drive it around first. It has been at the dealer for 42 days and counting, awaiting arrival of an electronics component. Supposedly will be fixed in 1-3 weeks more. With the thou$and$ in dealer markup on the Prius and the $7k government incentive to buy a Tesla, There's a huge cost advantage for Tesla. We have a Tesla. The drivetrain and power are impressive, but I don't like the rest of the car at all, and recharging on trips is a prohibitive pain. I want my Prius Prime back.
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Practical AND Luxurious
ToyotaFan, 04/15/2024
2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE Premium 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car is easy to park, has all the right features, and gets compliments. It has ventilated and heated seats, physical buttons on the display (previous gen's top of the line model had a huge touchscreen, and you had to use the screen for climate control, which caused me to choose a different trim on my previous Prius). I also own a 2022 Prius XLE, and don't feel like I've lost much space at all when driving the 2023 Prime. My man is much taller than I am, and says it still feels roomier than the 2022 in the driver's area. We haven't lost much usable cargo space, and we've gained ventilated seats, better performance, and the flexibility of being able to plug-in or get gas. Very quick, especially in sport mode. My commute is short, but even when running local errands, I charge maybe every other day and can run this thing fully electric. Toddler carseat fits comfortably in the back. This trim level's (XSE Premium) video rearview mirror, parking sensors, and LDW features mitigate potential complaints of lack of visibility. The only possibly negative quirk I can think of is that the sunroofs don't open. There is a shade to completely block them out, though. 10/10 Love this car!
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