More on The All-new, 5th Gen 2023 Toyota Prius Prime

Hi All:

I finished off that single charge this afternoon after 58.2 miles indicated, 59.9 miles actual. The display indicated 5.7 mi/kWh a second before she transitioned to EV heading down the slope. The aFCD showed total mpg for the tank on Trip B too? A little unusual there.

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Steady States tonight...

Wayne

 

Hi All:

And I found the sunroof energy generation display. The $610 upcharge may not practical but it is a cool feature nonetheless.

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Wayne

 

Hi All:

And some final conclusions via comparison.

My 2021 Prius Prime LE trim has a few advantages over the new 5th gen platform/3rd gen PHEV. Namely, easier front and rear ingress/egress and higher seat height and better sightlines to the corners. The central instrument cluster is easier to discern vs the 5th gens lower display being somewhat covered by the steering wheel when properly setup. The 4th gen offered a 20-mph peak speed before engine fires off from cold with minimal power addition and 0% SOC vs the 2023 - 2025's 11 mph, and larger rear cargo volume. The 17 - 22's rear cargo volume is listed at just 19.3 cu .ft. vs the 23 - 25s 20.3 cu. ft. but the 4th gen can hold more due to its hatch opening width. And no sunglass holder in the 5th gen.

2021 Toyota Prius Prime


14 bags of mulch and I could have fit another two. The 25 could only fit 12.​

And the 5th gens extensive list of plusses vs the previous gen includes a much more powerful drivetrain - 6.6 sec to 60 mph vs 10.6 sec with the 4th gen, the ADAS safety functions are a generation ahead and far more precise as they should be, the infotainment with wireless and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are finally not a negative but a positive in comparison to everyone, and the number one upgrade is the excellent appearance. The sleek hood to roofline and rear haunches over the rear wheels adds something the Prius has never had. Meaning curb appeal beyond anything the Prius family has not offered since the 2nd gen was introduced back in 2004.

2025 Toyota Prius PHEV Drivetrain



A massive upgrade in power... The new 25 Lexus UX (shown) with the same 2.0L drivetrain was spec'ed for 0W-8. The PHEV is still using 0W-16.​

Within conversations posted previously, I suspect the Toyota Prius Plug-in's days are numbered. At least here in the states anyway. With the back door "Lease" tax credit possibly disappearing in the RE tax bill killing the lease deal, the $5,025 premium (LE) over the std. hybrid (LE) will be hard to justify. On a lease. On an outright purchase, the MSRP is far off the mark considering the slightly lower efficiency on gasoline - 52 mpg vs 54 mpg, shorter total range - 600 vs 644 miles, and smaller cargo volume.

And of course, here in San Diego with some of the highest electricity rates in the country - $0.42/kWh below ~ 500 kWh and $0.53/kWh above, "recharging" a Prius Plug-in with an EPA of 3.8 miles/kWh, costs $0.139/mile. To travel 100-miles, it would cost $13.90 on the plug. On gasoline which I am paying about $4.25/gallon here at its EPA rating of 52 mpg, it costs $0.082/mile. To travel 100-miles, it would cost just $8.17 on gasoline.

If you have access to a much lower TOU electric pricing plan in the $0.05 to $0.010/kWh range as an example - $0.075/kWh at 3.8 mi/kWh = $0.019/mile, vs maybe $2.75/gallon gasoline in the same area - $2.75/52 mpg = $0.053/mile, maybe you could justify the upcharge if you were running almost exclusively on electricity over 147 thousand miles. That is not practical so to recover that $5k PHEV upcharge, the MSRP is going to have to give.

We will never see the following deal (Smoking Hot Deal – New 2021 Toyota Prius Prime LE for $15,787 + TTL and Reg) on a 2025 Toyota Prius PHEV (LE at $33,375 + $1,135 D&H) but if one were offered in the $25k range after deals, I would add it to my consideration list.

With Prius Plug-in US Q1 2025 sales of 3,760 vehicles, down 3.8% below the 3,907 sold in Q1 of 2024, sales momentum has already begun to decline. Either the Plug-ins retail price comes down a lot more or Toyota will have to offer cash on the hood equivalent to $4,500 and none offered on the Prius HEV. Add a 25% tariff because it is exclusively built in Japan, we have a recipe for disaster.

Wayne

 

Hi Edwin:

Good point!

Wayne