If plug-in hybrids are to have a future after the laughable way they’re emissions-tested by the EU is corrected, and after the Government-funded incentives to buy one finally dry up, it seems to me they need to become two cars in one. They need the refinement, response, ease-of-use and zero-emissions capability of an EV around town as well as the longer-legged authoritative pace, range and drivability of a combustion-engined car on longer journeys.
It may have been different up until now, but with credible 250-mile-range electric cars emerging onto the market at affordable prices, duality will become absolutely key to the appeal of a good PHEV. Right now, most of them are better at one side of the equation or the other – and the Prius Plug-in is the same way.
Its interior is almost identical to that of a regular Prius except for the two-seats-only second-row seating. Its boot is smaller than that of its sister car on account of its battery positioning. On both fronts, with the likes of the Volkswagen Passat GTE available at a similar price point, we’ve reason to expect better material quality and practicality.

Away from its attention to the car’s hybrid powertrain, Toyota’s efforts have been spent on making the Prius Plug-in a more comfortable and refined car to drive than the regular hybrid. Noise and vibration insulation measures have been added under the bonnet, inside the front wings, under the interior carpeting and around the rear wheel arches, while the car’s suspension springs, dampers and anti-roll bars have been retuned for greater compliance.
The rewards are just about noticeable, though you still wouldn’t call the Prius Plug-in a refined car to drive in outright terms. It rides with more suppleness than the regular Prius, but its chassis still thumps and rumbles away a bit over poorer surfaces. And while the powertrain’s predictably quiet under electrical power, the petrol engine’s tendency to rev away noisily to its redline when you use anything more than about 50% of the accelerator travel remains a discouraging, nannyish bugbear.
Up to about 50mph, progress feels strong in electric-only mode. The Prius Plug-in has more than enough power and torque to keep its combustion engine quiet and responds to the pedal in the super-keen, linear proportion you want from an electrified car. The brake pedal's feel is the familiar muddled jumble of regenerative force and sudden apparent friction that makes slowing the car smoothly an exercise in guesswork. Yet you can still enjoy the Prius Plug-in’s hushed flit around urban roads – while it lasts. Toyota’s 39-mile electric range claim isn’t to be believed; repeated testing suggests that the car’s actual electric autonomy is more like 25 miles, which is good, but not exceptional among PHEV rivals.
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McJohn
Secret competion?
Vertigo
Hmm
The whole point of the Prius is that it *is* a regular car, albeit an unusually clean-running one with decent fuel economy. With the arguable exception of the less durable first generation that barely left Japan, every Prius has been a seamless replacement for a conventional hatchback.
Critics often point at driving dynamics for why the Prius doesn't measure up, but the 'average driver' referenced here doesn't really care - no Toyota saloon is good to drive and this doesn't impede their sales.
No, the *real* problem with the Prius is that it's too expensive. Back in its late-2000s heyday at £16-20k it competed with the Golf Plus and BMW 1-series, which were a cut above in terms of quality and performance, albeit weaker in a few other aspects.
But what started as a moderate flaw has become ridiculous, as the price keeps creeping up. As mentioned in the article, this is a car which now competes directly with the BMW 330e, a car that's on a whole other level.
The only problem with Vauxhall's Ampera (aside from their failure to advertise or distribute it) was that it was much too expensive. Now Toyota's selling an inferior car for even more money, against tougher competition.
Shouldn't the advance of technology and economies of scale make the Prius grow *cheaper*?
gregor60
Complex?
HiPo 289
Misses the point
typos1
Toyota may have got there
mpls
The engine is not too big,
gregor60
Agree with mpls
MaxTorque
If a car looks this ugly,
MaxTorque
If a car looks this ugly,
AV
A bit of humility?
Autocar has been telling us for decades now that the Prius is dull and overpriced.
Anyone ignoring this advice and bought one 10 years ago has enjoyed ultra low cost, reliable, low stress motoring.
Many of those who, 10 years ago, took your unceasing advice to buy something German and diesel powered will not have had the same experience. Turbo failures, dual mass flywheel failures, DFP problems are rife - and we haven't got to all these VW group heaps that don't run properly now they have had an emissions 'fix'.
I hear my taxes are now going to pay for people to have these cars scrapped.
The Prius led the way.
Toyota deserves our admiration for steadfastly developing hybrids when you and many others dismissed them. The other hybrid pioneer, Honda, pandered to this nonsense and has suffered as a result.
How on earth can you say that the Europeans now stand toe to toe with Toyota? They have no track record of building hybrids and have demonstrated that they favour showroom gloss over engineering depth.
I'd take this over a BMW 330e every time.
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