Hello, In the market for a Prius Prime. It seems to me that 2017-2020 models all have the same electric only range of 25 miles. And that the 2020 model has 3 seats in the back as opposed to 2 for the previous generations. Are there any other major changes? Very curious about touch screen performance too. I've seen mixed reviews on early models and curious if that improves at all. Trying to decide whether or not to buy a used 2017-2019 model or spring for the 2020. Thanks!
2017-2019 are the same (mostly. There may be unreported changes that Toyota made throughout the life that isn't publicly documented). 2020 adds: 5th seat 2 rear USB-A charging ports (2.1A) that replaces the 12V charging port Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration Deletes Entune App Suite and Prime Apps on 11" MFD models LE model swaps out integrated navigation for ScoutGPS app-based navigation LE model adds Wifi Connect (not available on XLE or Limited) Prime Plus/Premium/Advanced names swapped out for LE/XLE/Limited and includes rear emblem New aerodynamic wheel cover designs Contrast stitching with black interior Relocated heated front seat switches Slightly larger Qi Wireless Charging pad Performance remains the same so basically do you want 4 or 5 seats and do you care about Apple CarPlay.
While not a major difference, this one I did not expect and really surprised me. - The 2020 models appear to "require" 0W16 oil. I had the 2018 and 2020 in to do the "annual/ritual" oil change, and at first, I only noticed the difference in the price. The 0W16 (bottled) they poured in was just a few dollars more expensive than the usual 0-W20 (bulk). I had to open the hood on the 2020 Prime to check what was printed on the oil cap... and there it was - white-on-black! And here I was under the misapprehension that 0W16 was meant primarily for vehicles that experienced oil-dilution problems. Cheers
What has been said above plus 2020 now has visor extender 2020 all models comes with Saftey Connect (SOS button) standard previously only available in Advanced my 2020 LE came with a hard retractable tonneau cover while 2017 this was only available in Advanced As far as touch screen is concerned, unless you really want Apple Carplay and/or Alexa, no big improvement, IMHO. I much prefer smaller 7" display over 11.6", which was the major reason I switched my 2017 Premium to 2020 LE.
Any thoughts on that @MSantos? I mean, the engines are identical, it's essentially a policy shift. It seem's a little absurd for the service department to use 0W20 when a 2019 rolls in, then 0W16 for a 2020. On the flipside, I guess it was going to happen sometime. What is 0W16 Oil and How is It Different than 0W20? - Tire Review Magazine I guess this is topic drift, into BITOG territory. Better knock off.
It was the same for the Gen 3. 5W-20 for 2010, 0W-20 for 2011-2015. Although the 2010 could use 0W-20 but it wasn't required by Toyota Canada until the 2011MY for all vehicles.
If there is an oil dilution problem, wouldn't you want a thicker oil to start? Ford back certified most of their engines when they switched from 5w30 to 5w20. Same engine got the same oil regardless of model years.
Don't forget the hybrid system warranty. The CARB mandated 150k mile, 10 year warranty now applies nationwide rather than the previous 100k/8y warranty. Two other things changed between '17 & '18. One is that they changed from a cartridge to a spin on oil filter. The other is fixing the stupid MPG display that sopped at 199.9 mpg on the '17. From '18 on it goes to 999.9 mpg making full use of the most significant digit. I find the former to be less of an annoyance than the latter if you're considering a '17 vs '18 or newer.
Oh yeah, that's right @jerrymildred, Toyota increased the hybrid battery warranty on all 2020 models.
The touch screen hasn’t really changed other than the addition of Apple CarPlay in 2020. Most reviews and comments on the forum say the large screen and Toyota software on the upper 2 trims are not well executed. Glare, glitches, clunky software, no ability to use an aftermarket head unit, expensive to replace, and you have to scroll through multiple screens to adjust your heater/AC. I chose the base model because the smaller head unit can be replaced with aftermarket, which gives you a lot of options. You also get physical controls for the heater/AC. And I like the base model cloth seats better than the Softex fake leather. Research how many people end up covering the Softex.
I don't know who started that rumor, but you almost never need to scroll through multiple screens for climate control unless you bury the screen. I keep my climate controls at the bottom of the screen. Always just a touch away. And if it's on auto, there's a dedicated temperature up & down "button" off the left side of the display. Plus, most of those controls are duplicated on the MID and can be changed w/o taking your had off the steering wheel. No glitches with my display, but the glare is incredible. It's an incredibly stupid arrangement, but I find it tolerable. The only reason I got the Premium is for the electric driver's seat. The stupid display was the price I had to pay. Whoever designed it should be sentenced to 10 years of cleaning football stadium bathrooms with a toothbrush.
I must be the only one who actually likes the 11" display. I find it useful, and I have no issues setting the climate control. It's literally one tap to bring it up, then another tap if you need to make an adjustment. I leave it on Auto and just adjust the temp, if needed, by using the side buttons.
Like @GSK, I like the 11” screen and have grown to appreciate the situational awareness because you can see upcoming side streets at a glance. Don’t know what the big deal is, but it’s merely a touch to zoom the climate control bar or entertainment bar to full size and another touch to adjust or select the source. Oh yeah another touch to shrink it back to the bar along the bottom. It’s very responsive. Climate control for me is either auto or off, big deal. I never adjust either climate control or entertainment while driving, mostly only when I first start out but may also make an adjustment before turning the car off such as turning the climate control back on for pre-conditioning in the morning. I adjust the MID more while driving than ever using the 11” screen, but as @jerrymildred said the glare can be a bit much. I’ve had a few glitches here and there, like it rebooting spontaneously or rearranging the screen. Have to admit, nothing like that has happened since the dealer replaced the 12V. iPad ? Pro
Ditto! Mostly, if it's really hot in the car when I start, I'll turn off the recirc so I'm cooling 90° air rather than 140° air, and then turn it back to recirc once it feels like the inside air has cooled down to about the same as outside. Otherwise, I leave it shrunk down at the bottom of the screen in auto. Entertainment I do exclusively with the steering wheel except turning it off. It turns on with the "Mode" button on the wheel, but the power button way over there by the glovebox is the only way I know of to turn it off. Oh! And don't press that button too long or the screen will reboot.
