Is Gen 5 Prius really better-looking than Gen 4 Prius Prime?

2023 Toyota Prius Prime First Drive Review and Video | AutoTrader.ca

Most of us are familiar with the story of the ugly duckling, which is the type of tale that’s at least a little hurtful in hindsight.

It goes something like this: ridicule ensues after a duckling comes along that isn’t like the rest. After suffering through abuse and insults, the cowed little creature finally gets its feel-good moment when it becomes a beautiful swan. And while hardship is hardly heartwarming, lessons abound here about perseverance, perspective, and politeness.

While it wouldn’t quite be right to call the Toyota Prius – or the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version that’s based on it – explicitly unattractive, it’s certainly been what could safely be described as stylistically challenged since its inception more than two decades ago. Of course, aerodynamic efficiency has been to blame from the very start, although that does little to alleviate the sort of self-consciousness that can come with driving such a quirky car.

After years of derision, the hybrid that introduced gas-electric motoring to the masses has reached its fairy-tale ending – not that it’s going anywhere, with new versions of both the conventional and PHEV versions arriving at dealers right about now. More than becoming the swan this automaker’s engineers always knew it was, the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime in particular adds newfound efficiency to its repertoire along with stunning new styling.

An Epic Glow-Up
It’s not often that such a striking car hits the market, let alone one with a sub-six-figure price tag. Now consider the Prius that came before this, and what Toyota’s design team managed to accomplish here is truly something special. The doorstop shape is just one of the ways it turns heads, with unique styling elements almost everywhere. That includes the cabin, which has been elevated beyond the previous generation in a big way.

While it manages to look and feel distinctly like a Toyota product inside – thanks in no small part to the similarly styled all-electric bZ4X beating this compact car to market – it’s a fresh take through and through, with subtleties doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Take this tester’s red accents on the dash and front seats that add just a little visual flair without taking away from the technology that’s the true showpiece. There’s also the way the dashboard itself has been lowered to create a sense of space a car this size would otherwise go without.

On that subject, the line between form and function has been blurred in some unique areas, including interior accent lighting on the dash that also serves up some clever visual warnings. For instance, the light will pulse subtly yet noticeably when a preceding vehicle pulls away from a stop, which certainly beats the beeps and chimes employed elsewhere. It will do the same when the standard forward collision warning system senses trouble ahead, providing yet another safety mechanism in a car packed with them. Even the position of the dash brings the infotainment screen lower so it’s less distracting than these tablet-style units typically are...

 

The new Prius is definitely not your bargain basement choice. Prior year versions offered fantastic discounts! The reason being, they weren't selling. Toyota did everything they needed to bring in new buyers with the latest iteration.

I like the following description of the Prius evolution best: In the past, people bought the Prius for practicality, then held their noses on the styling and drive experience. New Prius owners will buy for the styling and drive experience, and appreciate the practicality. It is a complete flip-flop.

Unfortunately, many long-time Prius fans will have to adjust their expectations as some utility had to be given up. But the new car is definitely better suited for a wider range of buyers.

 

It started with the RAV4 Prime. It was a conventional- looking vehicle, but with sufficient battery range to be worthwhile.


The current Prius Prime continues that mainstream desirability.

 

I think any Prius, at least gen 2 forward, looks better than most anything out there. As a nerd, geek, or whatever I am, I find the aerodynamic shape to be very important in my idea of "looks good." And the trying-to-be-a-Jeep crowd of SUVs and CUVs makes me want to puke. That includes the RAV4, even the Prime version.

You want a car that makes me drool, show me the Aptera.

However, while I don't find the Gen 5 to be really any better looking than the Gen 4, I would really love to see what the inside of the engine, battery and motors look like!

 

"Form follows function".

A car doesn't have to be 'ugly' to be functional or efficient.

 

agreed. toyota could have made the new prius beautiful and as functional as the older versions.

they chose not to.

 

That's not logical.

 

it is if you don't think slightly larger cars are ugly

 

Why isn’t it logical? All they had to do was streamline the exterior (get rid of all the excessive lumps/bumps) and update the interior. The car could still have a clean sporty look with smaller tires (LE) and keep adequate cargo space and the expansive cabin view (lost in Gen 5).

Maybe they needed the raked windshield to compensate for the loss in fuel economy that comes with increased power. I guess practicality was not part of their design plan.

Now it’s lost some practicality while kind of pretending to be a sports (ish) car. Which means disappointing two categories of potential consumers. Obviously it’s clear new Gen 5 owners are enjoying their cars which is nice to hear.

Just my humble opinion and a little more venting.

 

I'd say it's still practical... but if you're looking for a hauler with interior room, perhaps you're better of with a Corolla Cross Hybrid.

 

I know…I guess time will tell. : }

 

apologies. had a spock reference that turned out to be rude.

 

The gen2 and gen3 weren't ugly. They were different from what people are used to here, which many translate as ugly. Their basic shape and style had existed in cars available elsewhere, and a wider selection of hatchbacks here would have kept the Prius from standing out.

The faux trunk deck and creases pushed the gen 4 into 'ugly'.

Too bad they forgot the rest of the things they did for better aerodynamics in the past versions.

It takes effort to make a 4 door hatchback impractical.

The long hood and sleekness of gen5 does impact cargo space and headroom in a negative way compared to past models. There was no technical reasons for the decisions, so this is a case of sacrificing practicality for aesthetics. Some will say an SUV is sacrificing aesthetics for practicality, while also sacrificing efficiency.

 

It's not logical because bisco implied that Toyota chose an "inferior" outcome on purpose. Every car manufacturer on earth would design their vehicles to have the interior space of a van, and the outside appearance of a Ferrari, and sell them for $20k if it were possible. But it isn't. Everything is a trade-off. Toyota ended up with a car that looks concept/exotic-ish, increased industry-leading fuel efficiency, is MUCH faster/enjoyable to drive, has industry-leading safety features; increased hip, leg, and shoulder room, while only giving up about 10% cargo, 3.5%/2.7% headroom in front/back, and increasing the price around 10%. I would call that a marvel in automotive engineering.

 

Why does it matter what it looks like for the customer? Was trying to find an answer, seriously. It seems to be for sales on the manufacturing side. Why would the customer buy a new one if it looks the same as the old one, unless it gets broken down. That’s no fun for sales.

 

No.... Beauty is in the Eye of the BEER-HOLDER ... !!!!!L0L

 

so you're saying when they put all the pieces of the puzzle together, they couldn't retain the interior room because...

 

In reality, almost all could make the space limitations in the gen 5 work. How often will you cramp stuff into your hatch, all the way to the brim, that you relay on those extra 10%? How often will you sit in the back of your own car? Most guest or kids sitting in the back will be fine as long as they are not really tall or ya'll go on a cross country trip.

For a while I only owned a C7 Corvette. No backseats and limited space in the trunk. Guess what... there's always a way to make things work.

What I see here, is rather some people trying to talk the gen 5 down in order to justify keeping a gen 4 or older.

Another issue is the fact that Prius sales numbers have been declining, big time. Toyota was forced to come up with something entirely new and good looking. No matter how much you need space in a vehicle, nobody likes to be seen in an ugly car. And not counting those few who like the older gen Prius, the general census always was that people consider them to be plain ugly. Don't think so? Just google Prius memes. Just one example out of hundreds:

 

It would have come at a cost to the exterior aesthetics. And any attempt to keep both requires a larger car which raises the price, lowers fuel economy, etc.

Trade-offs.

Toyota made their bet with this aggressive redesign. Let's wait and see if it pays off for them. I for one can't wait to get ahold of mine. And I loved my 2019!