Primary Differences Between 2017- 2022 Prius

I don't think there are any years between 2016 to now to avoid...haven't heard of anything major and some Toyota mechanics are already seeing some earlier models (2016/2017) coming in with 200,000 miles for just routine maintenance.
The only main differences between my wife's 2017 Prius 2 (LE) and my 2021 Prius LE AWD are:
-Mine also has the smaller display but also has Apple Car Play which is great to display Google maps on the car
-Mine has a pull-down curtain over the back cargo area while hers has one that attachs with four cloth tabs on the corners
-My visors came with little extensions which help block the sun more on the side windows
-Hers has a spare tire but mine came with a fix-a-flat kit. (I've added a spare tire in my car and better scissor jack)
-Mine does get about 10 mpg more than hers so not really sure why....might be because mine has Lithium Ion batteries and hers is probably nickle. (And I drive mine a ton more than hers...I've heard these hybrids aren't really supposed to be sitting around too much...kinda like humans!!!)

 

Oh mine has the AWD so there's an electrical box to power the electric motor back there...spare can't fit down under the compartment cover. So I just put the spare in the trunk area.

 

Here are the brochures for both ends of the 2017-2022 spectrum. All Gen 4s are fantastic compared to previous generations. You can get the rest at toyota.com.

 

I've only driven a 2020 Prius rental for a couple of days, so I'm not best reference for what the differences would be. All the 2017-2022 models have the same exterior body size, to the best of my knowledge. One difference in the 2020-2022 models is the base Prius L-eco has a lithium traction pack and is EPA rated with a few more miles, both City and Hwy, than the other Prius models available for those years, which all have the older Nimh traction pack technology. The L-eco is also the least expensive compared to the other models.

The only differences I think might be important are the dashboard gauges, and if you're interested, the efficiency updates. Of course, there is no substitute for how you feel when you actually get in one and drive it for a while.

 

I thought there was replacement for displacement.

 

Originally, all but the base trim 2 had lithium and that included the 2 ECO. Starting in 2019, they all had/have lithium except the AWD models.

 

The wave improves the aerodynamics but it also makes a rear wiper impossible. Then again, I have never missed having one.
The only time the reduced cargo space got me was when I bought a new medium sized gas grill. It would have fit in the box in my wife's Prius, but to get it in my Prime, I had to unbox it in the store parking lot. The box was about 1" too big in one direction. Other than that, no problems. See this thread for lots more info: All the stuff I've loaded into my Prime's cargo area | PriusChat

It's pretty good on the seats because it's so easy to keep clean. My steering wheel is blistering in an area that I rarely touch. Really bad quality there. Newer models might be better, but I have no way of knowing. There are some threads about that here, too.

Used car prices are stupid high now. That's most likely because they exist and new ones mostly don't exist. If you want new, be ready to wait a few months. If you want to walk in and drive a car off the lot, you'll have to pay for the privilege. And even new cars have markups. I just walked away from an Ioniq 5 that I really liked because I don't NEED one and I won't pay bribe money to convince them to sell me one.

Interesting. Do you know what's covered? Extended warranties, like all insurance is priced to favor the company selling it rather than the person buying it. It's a lottery. But if they're throwing it in for free, who cares, right?

 

A friend of mine has a '21 RAV4 hybrid. He says he gets about 48 mpg in town. And our traffic engineers were paid off by Saudi oil barons.

 

There are some styling differences between the 2016-2018 and the 2019-2022 and some minor changes in the cabin like moving the heated seat switches and reversing the layout of the controls on the head unit left to right. The head unit also went from completely touchscreen to buttons which was actually an improvement in 2019. 2020 brought extra tech to the head unit with CarPlay and android audio integration. 2022 brought in a panoramic camera on the top model. externally 2016-2018 have the “zorro” rear lights but the indicators are tiny. 2019 onwards corrected this with a more horizontal design and better placement of the fog and running lights at the front.
driving wise. Subjectively the 2019 seemed to have a bump in performance, especially in power mode but that may be just me. The blue colour I have shows dirt very rarely and looks good even through winter.
hope that helps

 

In New England, where we often have two sets of wheels and tires, the 2022 reportedly has a feature that will simplify managing two sets of TPMS sensors. I’ve seen a report, on YouTube, I think, that the 2022 Prius will automatically detect a new sensor and “reprogram” itself to allow for its use. This means no longer having to choose between three equally unattractive options for managing snow tires: Swapping tires on one set of wheels, reprogramming the Prius for different sensors twice annually, or buying and paying for “cloning” a second set of sensors from a third-party vendor. This new feature, alone, would tip the scales in favor of the 2022 for me. In my 2021, I am using Schrader programmable sensors in my snow tire set.

 

It may be undocumented, but the Owner's Manual for 2022 (just downloaded from Toyota Tech Info) doesn't say anything about self-learing when new TPMS sensors are introduced.



FWIW, it can be done: our son's 2018 Mazda CX-5 manages this.

 

The whole video is worth watching, but discussion of the TPMS change is at 16:55.