The Toyota Prius and the Toyota Prius Prime are both great options to save you money on gas, but which is the better option for you?
Despite continuously-increasing fuel prices, not everyone is ready to spring for an electric vehicle. But if you’re considering a hybrid car, odds are you’ve looked at the Toyota Prius or the Prius Prime. Both offer the increased fuel efficiency of a hybrid vehicle, but the Prime includes the added option of plug-in rechargeability. So, which one’s right for you?
Here to help you answer this question is Jerry
, the car insurance
comparison app helping you find the lowest Toyota Prius insurance costs
. We’ll cover all the specs for each model, so you’ll know just what to look for when you head to the dealership. 
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Toyota Prius vs Toyota Prius Prime—which is better?
Both the Prius and the Prius Prime offer drivers excellent options for fuel economy and affordability, but only you can decide which one is right for you.
The Prius offers a lower starting price, superior cargo space, and optional all-wheel drive, making it an excellent option if you’re looking for a more affordable and practical option.
The Prius Prime offers a more comprehensive list of safety features, greater overall fuel efficiency, and more opportunities for tax credits, making it the better option for those who can wait to realize their savings.
To help you choose which new Toyota Prius is your best option, we’ll take a point-by-point look at everything from starting price to available cargo space.
Price
Obviously, pricing is a consideration when choosing between the Prius and Prius Prime. Both are affordable options when it comes to the hybrid and PHEV segments, but the Prime starts at about $3k more than the standard Prius. Let’s take a closer look at pricing across trim levels for each vehicle.
While the Prius will cost you less up front, the Prius Prime has the potential to save you more in fuel costs over time. Plus, the Prius Prime is still eligible for the full one-time $7,500 federal tax credit thanks to the size of its battery pack. This means that if your income is sufficient to qualify you for the full credit, you’ll more than make up the initial difference in cost between the Prime and the standard Prius, making the Prime the optimal choice here.
Engine and fuel efficiency
Neither the Prius nor the Prius Prime will ever be accused of being fast—or even peppy, for that matter. Both cars are outfitted with a powertrain that features a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor capable of generating a combined 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. Also, both come standard with a disconcertingly loud gearless continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). When running on gas, both cars average a fuel economy rating between 52 and 58 mpg city and 48 to 53 mpg on the highway.
The key difference here is the plug-in capability of the Prime, which gives it an electric-only driving range of 25 miles that the regular Prius doesn’t offer. This offers a massive increase in mpg for the Prime that the EPA estimates at up to 133 MPGe, a massive win for the Prius Prime.
But—and this is a pretty big but—the Prius Prime’s only drivetrain option is front-wheel drive. The Prius, on the other hand, offers both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (AWD-e) options on the LE, XLE, and Nightshade trims. While AWD certainly costs you a bit on fuel economy, it can be a great benefit in areas where weather often affects road conditions.
Technology and safety
Technology
The Prius and Prius Prime offer similar in-cabin technology options, but the Prime levels up your features more quickly than the standard Prius. However, to start, both models offer the following options on the base trims:
7-inch touchscreen infotainment display
Keyless entry (driver’s door) and ignition
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility
Stepping up to the XLE gets you keyless entry all around and a wireless charging pad for both models, but the Prime also adds a navigation system and an 11.6-inch touchscreen for your infotainment system. Buyers considering the standard Prius have to climb to the Limited trim for these options, where both models also include such features as:
10-speaker JBL sound system
Voice recognition technology
Despite these differences, we’ll call this one a tie since both models ultimately offer the same technology options.
Safety
Like standard tech features, the Prius and Prius Prime’s Toyota Safety Sense technologies vary across trim levels. Both begin with a suite of standard driver assists that includes:
Forward collision mitigation
Both also feature lane departure warning systems, but the Prime adds lane departure mitigation and lane keeping assist to the mix. The standard Prius, however, also includes these additional safety features on all trims:
Automatic high beam control
Stepping up to the LE on the standard Prius gets you parking sensors and automated parallel parking as well.
If you’re looking at the Prius Prime, you have to opt for the top-tier Limited to get the full suite of driver assists, but in addition to the lane keeping extras already mentioned, you also get:
Pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection
All of these options are available on the standard Prius, but only the Prime includes them automatically with the top trim. We’ll call this another win for the Prime.
Ride and handling
If you’re looking for a fun-to-drive hybrid or PHEV, you might need to look elsewhere. That said, both models are more than functional for daily driving, despite their lack of anything even approaching driving excitement. Both offer a composed, smooth ride, and, as noted earlier, the Prius offers the added option of all-wheel drive for extra traction on wet or snowy roads, making it the winner in this department.
Interior comfort
Inside, the Prius and the Prius Prime are nearly identical, with upscale styling and plenty of creature comforts, plus seating for up to five people—so this one’s a tie. Both feature soft-touch surfaces and comfortable front seats. Both may feel a touch cramped for taller drivers, and back-seat passengers will feel a bit of a squeeze as well.
Both models offer standard comfort features, like automatic climate control and heated front seats with available options for simulated leather upholstery (standard in the Prius, but optional in the Prime), a heated steering wheel, and power sunroof.
Cargo space
Both models offer the accessibility and practicality of a hatchback, but the Prius wins here, hands down with an impressive 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, and 50.7 cubes to offer with the seats folded down. The Prime, on the other hand, sacrifices space to its larger battery pack, leaving only 19.8 cubes behind the rear seats with 36.6 opened up when the seats are folded.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars 4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers How to find affordable car insurance for your Prius
A new Prius or Prius Prime can save you hundreds a year on fuel costs. But the savings don’t have to stop at the pump—when you shop for car insurance with the Jerry
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And we haven’t even mentioned the best part—the average Jerry user saves over $800 a year on insurance premiums!
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FAQs
Saved $725 annually
