2017 Toyota Prius Prime: Eight Things to Know

The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime isn't just a new plug-in hybrid. It's also the automaker's attempt to rebrand its PHEV as the best Prius, which just happens to have a plug. To be sold in all 50 states, the Prius Prime is more ambitious than the Prius variant it replaces, and after driving all three Prime trims, here's what you need to know about the car.

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The Toyota Prius Prime plug-in boasts styling that's easily distinguished from the regular Prius hatch. The front styling includes Mirai-like headlights and cool, rectangular grille trim that's best seen in person to appreciate. Around back, the "dual wave" rear window nicely complements the redone taillights, which will create a bold look at night. One disadvantage to these new lights is that the turn signal indicators move lower on the car's rear end, but both Prius variants are hard to miss.

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The Prius Prime only seats four, which is basically the same as the Chevrolet Volt. Sure, the Volt has an extra seat belt and seat cushion, but there's next to no legroom for that middle passenger. In the Prius Prime, there's a moderately sized covered storage area between the two outboard rear seats, but unfortunately, the armrest is way too low to be comfortable for most. Headroom back there is lacking, but there's a decent amount of legroom.

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Two of the 2017 Prius Prime's three trims include a new vertically oriented 11.6-inch screen, which dominates the car's center stack (and eliminates the base trim's combination of a volume knob and a 7.0-inch screen). Toyota doesn't offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with this setup just yet, but it's still incredibly helpful to have such a big display to play with, whether you maximize the plug-in hybrid graphic, make the navigation go full-screen, or split up the screen with a few different options. Considering that at the top of the dash you'll still find the regular Prius' info screens, the Prius Prime in its two higher trims really feels more special because of it. Plus, the welcome and goodbye animations make the most of that enormous screen.

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Every 2017 Toyota Prius Prime includes standard navigation, regardless of whether you've got the 7.0- or 11.6-inch screen. LED headlights and taillights are also included, as are auto up/down functionality on all four power windows and an active safety tech package, which includes full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and an automatic braking system. A power passenger seat isn't available at any price.

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The projected EPA range rating of the 2017 Prius Prime is impressive considering the car's predecessor.The new Prius Prime will be able to travel up to 25 miles (depending on drive mode) on EV power alonebefore the regular Prius' hybrid powertrain kicks in automatically to continue the journey. As with other plug-ins, the Prius Prime allows you to reserve your EV charge for later—for example, if you know that your evening commute will be filled with more low-speed stop-and-go traffic than an early-morning highway-speed journey. Charging takes five-and-a-half hours on a standard household outlet or just over two hours on a 240-volt charge.

That 25-mile figure compares very well to the outgoing Prius Plug-In's 11-mile range but not at all well to the 2017 Chevrolet Volt's 53-mile range. The Volt's EV range (before the gas engine turns on) remains unmatched, but as we've said before, which one makes more sense for you may depend on the length of your commute.

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The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime will start at $27,965—that's just over $6,000 less than the 2017 Chevrolet Volt. Although nothing comes close to the Volt's EV range among plug-in hybrids, the Prius Prime's 25 miles is a decent range, and the Toyota is just about loaded where the less spacious Volt starts. A Prius Prime in Advanced trim includes a color head-up display (which didn't work well with my polarized sunglasses), blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (helpful on a car with big blind spots), the 11.6-inch screen with navigation, a 10-speaker JBL sound system, LED headlights, and a hands-free keyless access system.

If it were my money, I'd strongly consider the middle trim called Premium, which costs $29,665 and includes the 11.6-inch screen, SofTex seat surfaces, and a power driver's seat.

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The Prius Prime is about 300 pounds heavier than the regular Prius. Even so, the plug-in's powertrain helps make the car feel slightly quicker from a stop than you might expect. The feeling isn't as pronounced as we found on the Chevrolet Bolt, but that full EV will carry a base price about $10,000 more than the Prius Prime. As we noted in a First Drive review, the Prius Prime heaves a bit over large road undulations and feels slightly heavier than the regular Prius.

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Go with the light-colored interior, and you'll get a two-tone dash and blue trim around the outer air vents. It's a cool detail that would go well with the Blue Magnetism color, a bright blue that won't be available on the regular Prius. How well that light-colored interior will age is an open question. If you're intrigued by the dual-color interior and are also considering a Volt, don't miss the Chevrolet's black and tan interior option, which looks luxurious on the Premier trim.

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We won't answer that one because of the many personal variables involved, but the market is expanding with lots of options. Already, there's the regular Prius, Prius Prime, Volt, Sonata Plug-In, Optima Plug-In, and Fusion Energi. On the horizon is the Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, plug-in, and EV, not to mention the Honda Clarity plug-in and EV.

If you're interested in going 1,000 miles between visits to the gas station or have a round-trip commute of around 50 miles, the Volt might be the best bet if that's within the price range. Or there's the more spacious, way cheaper, and less EV-capable Prius Prime. We're fans of the Fusion Energi, which has attractive sedan looks and a respectable EV range but lacks the functionality of the hatchback body style.

Reread the 2017 Prius Prime First Drive review HERE,and then tell us: Which plug-in hybrid are you most excited to drive?

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