Recent Consumer Reports Review of 2023 Prius

Well at least I don't think the truckers will be trying to run us off the road as often we will be more invisible !!

 

The
Good news! Toyota has already announced 3 BEVs, at least 2 PHEVs and hybrid versions of all of their models. The Prius prime is due to be available at the dealers within the next 90 days. I guess that Toyota had not lost it's way after all.

 

100% this. If they had kept the interior space and the trunk space same, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Don't really mind the new dash or bigger wheels.

 

What are you trying to carry that will fit in a Gen 3 but not the 2023 Prius?

 

I have a gen 4 that has enormous trunk space, more than subcompact crossovers like Crosstrek / HRV / Corolla Cross. It easily fits everything from a Costco trip without having to drop the back seats. Fits a full size baby stroller. Fits 2 full size checked luggage bags and 2 carry-ons. I'm not saying these things matter to most people, but I don't think I'm alone either.

Before you say "Why not Rav4?": more expensive, less MPG, don't like the handling of SUVs. I really just prefer a hatchback sedan with good space. What would fit my needs is a Camry hybrid hatchback.

 

You want something that Toyota does not make. Toyota makes vehicles that have enough cargo space for your needs, but not in a low cost sedan. Toyota only makes hatchbacks for 2023 in a couple of models and neither of them are a Camry. The 2023 Camry that they do sell here has only 15 cu ft with the seat backs up. The 2023 Corolla hatchback has only 17.8 cu ft. The Prius has more cargo area than either of them.

If your car is a 2022 gen 4 prius prime XLE the cargo area of the cargo area of the new model is not substantially different than what you are accustomed to. The devil is always in the details. The EPA says the 2023 has ~20 cu ft of cargo area while providing seating for 5. That does not tell you what you can safely fit into that cargo area. Before you decide that it won't work for you, check one out in real life.

Anecdote:
I learned in 1986 that having a lot of cargo area ( 80 cu ft when all seats folded down) does not mean that you can carry large objects if the narrowest points inside were wider than the narrowest parts of the hatch that the object has to pass through. My Ford Taurus wagon would seat 8 and the advertisements said it would hold 19 bags of grocery in the back if the 3rd seat was folded down.That's great, but if you look at the picture, the hatch and the shape of the interior were such that it restricted you to smaller than a 4 foot wide box that is no taller than 3 feet. The Taurus as about as useful as my RX 7 when it came to transporting large objects.

From Autotrader Find: 1990 Ford Taurus Wagon – The L Stands For Lovely | Curbside Classic

 

They made one in gen4 Prius: it was a low cost, efficient, roomy sedan with a hatchback. I have both the Prime and the regular hybrid. Prime trunk is very shallow, and I can really feel the difference in capacity. The regular Prius has 27 cu ft cargo space i think. I do grocery deliveries as a side gig and it's much easier to pack everything into the hybrid vs the plug-in. I don't want to judge the Gen5 without seeing it in person but it'll be a long time before i can test drive.

 

The 27 figure was for the L Eco, which didn't have a spare tire nor anything else to get a raised cargo floor like the other trims. It would be comparable to the 2023 LE's, with is 24 cubic feet. The cargo try or spare in the other trims take up 3.5 of that 24. Just for comparison, the 2013 Sonic hatchback had 19 cubic feet of cargo space. These are EPA numbers, which rounds them. The manufacturer uses decimal points.

The good news is that the new Prime should have the same space as the higher trim Prius. Maybe even match the LE. The old one had 6 to 7 less than the L Eco.

 

But if it’s narrower, it could be as useless as gen 4

 

And yet it would still be better than a Tesla for the purposes that he wants.

 

Gerdes took some measurements of the 2023 hatch.
https://www.cleanmpg.com/community/index.php?threads/57050/page-4#post-446363
He also reposted the ones he took of the gen4 there. Looks like the cars were the same color.

 

I'm just under 6'2", my wife is 5'10", daughter is 5'9" and my son is 6'4". The 4 of us would not fit comfortably in the 2023. I was looking at the 2022 Rav4, but the interior is as tight as my 2015 Prius. This is one of the reasons why I like Minivans. They have a lowered floor pan with a slightly raised roof. A lowered floor pan means you can dangle your legs downward. Most cars makers think helping a tall person fit in a car is to extend the floor forward and have the seat recline further (the sit inside my to sled fit). It is hard to get in and out of a sled. However, when your legs are positioned at a more downward angle, it is very easy to get in and out. You can seat comfortably most people no matter where they sit inside a minivan. It is extremely easy for the driver to exit as well as the front passenger. You can purchase most household items and bring them home without renting a truck. The only thing that sucks is the gas mileage. But, things are looking good.

The Gen II had the "perfect" interior for tall people. My wife had one and sold it because she wanted more "pick up and go" in her car. But while we had it, it was so roomy inside.

The main thing that has always been a thing for me when buying a car is comfort when sitting and the ease of getting in and out. Most cars fit people in the 5'8" height range and shorter with no problem. If you are taller, you almost have to go the gas guzzler route (trucks, suv's, etc). But I really am hopeful with mini vans as some of them are in the 30 miles per gallon range. A long comfortable ride to the redwood forest is near..................

 

I know the prices are steeper than we'd all like, but the current model Sienna seems like it would better fit your needs. 36mpg, plenty of room, Toyota reliability. It would be my first choice if I had a family and was looking for a utility vehicle. (I'm 5'11" and single, which is why I look to a Prius as an all-in-one vehicle for my needs.)

 

Have the 4 of you sat in the 2023 Prius? It looks like the 2007 driver headroom is very close to the same headroom as the 2023. And the driver's seat is height adjustable.

 

I haven't sat in it. Basing it on information from here and reviews online. If the inside floor is lowered, then it would be similar to 2007.

I have seen the Sienna and it is beautiful. Minivans also have all the amenities of luxury vehicles. Awesome sound systems, divided AC, etc, etc.

 

Sucky efficiency? .... Not necessarily. Our plugin Pacifica mpg is quite nice
We don't get as high as EPA says we can - running around on electrons - but the better ½ has a lead foot.



For our utility cost - 33 ev miles costs ~ $1.60 ... not too shabby for a 5,000LB vehicle.
Now if temps are well below freezing - the ICE will cycle on/off to warm the big battery, & slogging thru snow & ice with studded tires? Now we are 'only' talking 35-40mpg. You know you don't use gas too often when after 4 years you STILL can't remember which side the gas cap is on.


Wondering if you could get some air shocks to boost the 2023 height ... then the roof line might be the only issue.

gen II ... good times .... gutless roomy & easy to enter/exit .... Sooo true !! shrunk 2" since my 20's, now down to 6'-4". The mini van is a breeze to get in & out.

as with ANY manufacturer's lineup ....depends which model. Some would be better - some not. Choices are good, right?

. . . . . some of the etc etc ... infotainment screens w/ head phones for the grandkid's in 2nd row, stow & go seats for 4x8' flat storage, heated/ventilated AC cooled leather seats, 3 rows of individual climate control, & my fave; very very quiet.
.

 

you must have meant to quote someone who suggested a tesla

 

And yet if we’re going by the overwhelmingly positive feedback videos and reviews for the Gen 5 are receiving, the majority seem to be coming from people who’ve been poking fun at the Prius for its looks and lack of power for years. A potential problem I see here is that this “new majority” is still firmly planted in “the spectator zone”. They’re window shoppers who’ve never owned a Prius before, and they want to drive into a Toyota dealership, see them sitting on the lot, and take one for a test drive. They won’t pay over MSRP (nor should they), and they won’t sit on a waiting list for months to get one.

And if this is how it’s going to work for the new Prius (i.e. long waits and dealer markups) you can’t really conclude that there isn’t a market for it if it doesn’t do well, but you can probably conclude that there isn’t a market for this continued BS.

 

I miss the days when you could walk into a dealership, negotiate a bit, and say,”I’ll take that one “.

 

They lowered the roofline though, so you are basically sitting on the ground by the time you get in. It's really like they are trying to recreate a Tesla which is also on the ground unless you get the Y.