Recent Consumer Reports Review of 2023 Prius

Interesting Points. Will they have to pay $10K over MSRP and wait 6 months to buy theirs?......I think I know the answer to that.

 

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OK ... So it’s just My opinion ... this is the prettiest Prius of all.

 

I would agree.It is very pretty. So completely naked and only backlit...the MY, M3 and Gen 5 and Gen 2.....silhouettes are all extremely similar. Seems aerodynamics......has been maxed out. until we can make the cars lighter..ie. no spare tire..aluminum frame..LiPo battery weight... or heaven forbid. SMALLER... then I don't think we will see another drastic reduction in MPG. What I don't get is how the Smart car and Honda CRV don't get like 70mpg.....

 

i hope it's not louder than gen4

 

Wow, they get worse than EPA, I typically average 58mpg and I'm regularly doing 80-85. Sounds like I'm looking for a totally different car next time around. Getting 40mpg isn't an absurd number. Even minivans are getting 30+ these days. If I shrink my car down that much I expect to see 55+

 

Wow, so they are basically saying that the Gen 5 Prius/Prime sucks.

The only reason I want to upgrade from my beautiful 2021 Prius Prime Limited Blue Magnetism is TSS 3.0. Perhaps I shouldn't.

 

Consumer Reports is basically saying "RIP, Prius" in their review.

"Redesigned 2023 Toyota Prius trades practicality for style."

"Toyota has made a better car but a worse Prius."

"In the words of one of our testers, 'This car is trying to be too many things to too many of the wrong people.'"

"The people who poked fun at the Prius would never buy one, and the people who bought the Prius loved it for what it was."

Consumer Reports Gen 5 Prius first drive: Practicality traded for style | PriusChat

 

Consumer Reports is basically saying "RIP, Prius" in their initial review of the Gen 5 Prius. The Prius that we have known, loved, and relied on will now be gone with Gen 5.

Here is an excerpt.

First drive
Redesigned 2023 Toyota Prius trades practicality for style

Toyota has made a better car but a worse Prius

…

But after our time spent in a well-equipped Limited model we rented from Toyota, we fear that the design-led loss of cabin space and focus on performance takes away from some of the attributes that have made the Prius such a special vehicle.

When we asked Toyota about the changes, representatives told us that styling took priority, and the word “aggressive” got a lot of use when describing the car’s new look. There’s just one problem: There are already enough aggressive-looking gas-powered cars, hybrids, and EVs out there for anyone who wants one. The Prius always went against that grain, and Prius drivers perennially picked their goofy little hatchback because they wanted function before form: a cavernous interior, a small footprint, and crazy-good fuel economy.

We appreciated that the far-out placement of the gauges behind the steering wheel makes it easy to keep your focus on the windshield without switching between near and far vision. But the display itself is really small and occasionally reflects onto the windshield at night. It’s also crowded with information, including speeds in both miles and kilometers per hour. Although it’s easy to set adaptive cruise control with steering wheel controls, adjusting other systems requires going into the tiny screen where the speedometer is located. It feels like changing settings on a Game Boy.

Keep your foot on the gas and the noise remains even after the car is up to speed—an artifact of how the Prius’ e-CVT is tuned. Even though the new Prius has no shortage of power, the engine’s unpleasant fanfare fools you into thinking the car is struggling to accelerate. It’s especially noticeable if you’re a car shopper who’s trying to decide between a Prius and a near-silent EV.

It lost nearly 2 cubic feet of passenger volume and 4.3 to 7.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats, depending on how you equip it. That’s about a mini-fridge worth of cargo! It’s enough of a difference that we think Prius buyers should also check out a cheaper Corolla Hybrid or a larger RAV4 Hybrid.

The Prius’ low center of gravity might contribute to its “aggressive” stance, but it also makes it aggressively difficult to get in and out of. One of our test drivers compared it to the Toyota GR86, a low-slung sports car that’s hard to make a graceful exit from, especially if you have any back or knee issues. Headroom is also compromised, and our taller drivers found that it was hard to get comfortable.

We predict that “Where’s the door handle?” will replace “Do you have a phone charger?” as the most common question that ride-hailing drivers will face in 2023.

During our time with a rented preproduction AWD Limited model, the dashboard display consistently showed average fuel economy in the mid-40s, regardless of who was driving it. Dashboard displays aren’t always accurate, but we were hoping to see numbers closer to Toyota’s estimates of 49 mpg overall for an AWD model.

In the words of one of our testers, “This car is trying to be too many things to too many of the wrong people.” The people who poked fun at the Prius would never buy one, and the people who bought the Prius loved it for what it was.

 

I don't know, it looks great to most people and the efficiency is still way beyond a regular ICE sedan which strikes me as a winning combination in 2023 and beyond. Most big cities aren't equipped for large scale EV charging yet so hybrids are going to be very attractive for a while. But what do I know?

 

Just from reading specs and watching a few videos, etc., that’s about the kind of review I expected to see. I’m particularly concerned
about cargo space for cross country travel and at 6’1”, the Gen 4 is already pushing my limit for ease of egress. I have a hard time with my brothers new Sonata, so if the Prius is close to that, I might just switch to something else. That said, I’m really considering a Tesla and relegating our Gen 4 to highway trips. I still plan to look at the plug-in when it comes, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be buying the standard Gen 5.

 

I like that CR is coming from the perspective of a former Prius buyer, it really mirrors the general sentiment to Gen 5 of this segment of car buyers. Yes, it's a real shame that they knocked off practicality, but when you consider your other hybrid options that have a lot more practicality (Rav4, Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry, Crown, Venza, Highlander), it is almost redundant for the Prius to do the same.

My theory is that Toyota has taken note of the loss in sales of the Prius in the past few years resulting from similar product offerings in their lineup, competitor's hybrid offerings, and changing economic conditions. Their response to this is to further differentiate the Prius from its other product offerings in an attempt to bring in new customers to the brand. Unfortunately, this does mean alienating some of its existing Prius customers, with the hope that they pick another hybrid product in their line up that better meets their needs.

When Gen4 came out, there were not as many practical hybrid options offered by Toyota, so it had to be more of a "jack of all trades" car. Now that they have so many other hybrid product offerings, they are taking the "sporty" angle on the Prius. This is similar to the trend we are seeing with compact sedans/hatchbacks. They have moved the floaty boaty suspension and practical commuter features up to the crossovers since they are more in demand by that consumer base and much more profitable to sell in volumes. In order to still sell compact cars, they needed to give them a good selling point, which by virtue of ride height is better handling. That's also why we are seeing 18 and 19" rims on basic commuter vehicles - just pandering to that "sporty" market.

Back to the Prius. Here we are with a product whose main practicality and efficiency role has now been replicated and done better by its other siblings. How does Toyota sell the Prius and continue to justify pouring money and development time into its continued existence? Well here it is - wider stance, more power, and aggressive styling. The subset of features that current Prius owners, who aren't a major component of Toyota's total sales, do not care for. This car was not made for you, it was made for future customers who specifically DIDN'T buy the Prius for how slow and "ugly" it was. Toyota sees this untapped market as larger than its current Prius customer base, and they have made their decision accordingly.

The Prius is not the same car as before, and this is evident with how this generation is marketed and priced. If you don't like it, don't buy it. The sales of this generation will dictate how the future Prius will look, and if it continues as a product offering at all.

Remember, at the end of the day, Toyota is a business whose primarily goals are to make money and continue existing into the future. They have been in it for decades, and you may think what they are doing is "wrong" or "stupid", but their position in the automotive industry indicates otherwise.

 

Yes. I hear you. I'm 6'-0" and I can't have anything smaller. After looking at video reviews with guys 5-9" sitting in the back seat of the new Gen 5 and watching everyone having to duck their head to get in...then they have headroom. I'm not interested. If I was under 5-9" sure I would consider it. However I am not so I won't. I like the look of the Model S but after sitting in one for 10 minutes I was SOOOO uncomfortable. ruined it for me.

 

I have to say I somewhat agree with CR. The outgoing Prius was overall styled like the Batmobile, but the front end of the outgoing Prius Prime showed what was possible with just some minor sensibility on style. But here they reinvented the wheel and actually managed to worsen the drag coefficient (from .24 to .27), and for what? What if they'd simply dropped the new powertrain into the old model and restyled the dashboard and rear end into something that didn't look like a hippy art project? Avoiding losing a ton of interior space for one.

The thing I really find annoying is that they did this restyle and managed to worsen the drag coefficient. It's inexcusable. I still think it's likely I end up buying one of these in two or three years (mainly due to the poverty of alternatives; a Corolla without a plug or a lift-back; a Kia apparently without decent theft protection; Hyundai and GM lineups that have turned their backs on PHEV altogether; including the Chevy Bolt there that takes hours to recharge on DC "fast"; and Teslas that while they manage to charge fast enough to be practical for me, are so hostile to right of repair they're practically uninsurable), but boy, they're making it needlessly difficult.

I fear I'm going to see the new Prius at the dealer and react in the same way I reacted to the Chevy Volt......just how am I going to fit stuff in? Will it be such that I end up waiting for Kia to sort out their theft protection or Chevy to turn out a compact that DC fast-charges in a manageable way or Toyota to deliver a Corolla or a Camry with a lift-back and a plug?

 

They wouldn't be the first company to misjudge the market by any means. I think a large part of why Toyota has slid with the Prius in recent years comes from the styling. The first generation was frumpy, no other way to describe it. The second was nerdy, practically a steel representation of granola and hair shirts. The third, which I have the most experience with due to extended time with one as a loaner, was rather better and it's hardly surprising this was the best selling generation, with more cargo space and much improved styling, even though it had very particular ideas about how it should be driven and an authoritarian way with you if you tried to contradict this. The fourth, despite being mechanically a better vehicle in every way and more compliant to the driver, went off on a tangent of "look at me", which is NOT what Prius owners wanted, and so sales gradually fell off.

Toyota have overthought the fifth and while I think they might get away with it on the Prime if they reposition it as sort of a four-door sports (Celica-ish, BR86-ish performance with four doors, 60mpg, affordable insurance and something that's recognizably a trunk isn't to be sniffed at), they're not going to get away with it on the regular hybrid. And it's quite possible they'll take the wrong lessons, and think people aren't interested in the Prius when what people actually aren't interested in is losing five cubic feet of interior room and lowering the driver position only to worsen aerodynamics. I see a lot of former Prius owners being interested by the Kia Niro PHEV, assuming Kia has sorted out their anti-theft protection by now.....and if their dealers are improving.

 

I stopped giving CR much credit, years ago, when they tried to convince me the smaller Ford trucks were superior to Toyota's. Sorry, not even CLOSE! (And, today, you can still see many old Toyota's running around but try to find a Ford Ranger from the 80's or even try finding a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup! Remember those things?)
When Toyota came out with their Scions CR hated them yet many proved very popular, and reliable, with the younger folks, their target buyers. Yes their suspension often left much to be desired but younger folks want a spiffy stereo system over a comfy ride.
A couple of years ago, my friends' son bought his first car, an older Honda Civic. I was asking him about it and he said he was fixing it up! I asked what's he doing, putting in a stick or upgrading the wheels? Nope, he removed the muffler and put one of those "cherry bombs" in it! Alrighty, then, kid!!

 

Remember what they said about Gen 4 in their previews 6 years ago?
Finding one issue each that you either liked - than disliked - about a review might help narrow what most here think is a decent review and give us a list of which ones - only focus is selling copy.
CR through the years, is it still what it once was in the eyes of the consumers?

 

I think its all about the drive. I fell in love with the 4th gen drive over the 2nd gen.
If “pretty” cars were a factor, and im not saying that the 5th gen isnt, we would all still be driving around in cars like the Mercedes 300 SL.

 

i don't follow cr, but there are plenty of other reviews. i think it's all personal and you really can't judge anything until you drive it yourself