Written by Keith Adams Updated: 6 June 2025

The Parkers team is running a Prius Plug In to find out whether Toyota’s bold new plug-in Prius makes more sense for family buyers than a conventional Corolla Hybrid – and if it’s more than just a green flagship. We’re introducing it to a series of drivers to see how it stands up, starting with the site editor, Keith Adams.

Update 1: Welcome

Introducing the Toyota Prius Plug-in 2.0 PHEV Design CVT

You probably already have an idea in your head of what a Toyota Prius is. It’s the weird and wacky wedge-shaped darling of Uber drivers everywhere, right? A bit dull to drive, a bit worthy – and absolutely not the sort of car anyone chooses unless they’ve got one eye on running costs and the other on emissions zones.

But this one might just change your mind. The new Prius Plug In looks like it’s been styled by someone who actually cared, and I have to say that I absolutely love the moonshot looks. It’s lower, sleeker, and frankly rather handsome. Gone is the awkward upright silhouette and in comes a coupe-like fastback that could almost wear a premium badge. Almost.

We’ve gone for the Design trim – the sweet spot in the UK range – which keeps the cash price just on the right side of sensible, but still gets goodies like heated seats, a big infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Toyota’s latest safety kit. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a punchy electric motor, giving a combined 223hp and the ability to go up to 53 miles on electric power alone, officially at least.

We’ll be testing that in the real world, of course. But this long-term test is about more than figures. I’m sharing this one with the team, running the Prius as a daily driver – hauling kids, tackling school runs, doing motorway trips and big shops – to see if this plug-in oddity really is a better bet than something far more conventional, like the excellent Corolla Hybrid, or even a full EV like the former Parkers Car of The Year MG4 EV.

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Update 2: First impressions

What we like, what we don’t, and what are our first thoughts?

Long story short: Boot space is a bit tight, no rear wiper, and rear headroom isn’t amazing, but we’re loving the genuinely impressive electric range, fuel economy and sleek styling.

Forgive my indulgence, but let’s get this out of the way first. I didn’t expect the new Prius to turn heads. But it has. Even in this mid-level Design spec, I’ve had people ask what it is, admire the paint, and even come over in the supermarket car park for a chat. It’s not quite the full Tesla effect, but it’s clear this is a car that makes an impression – and not just for being a Prius.

Inside, things are similarly surprising. Toyota’s infotainment system is finally up to scratch, with sharp graphics, quick responses from its slick interface, and wireless CarPlay that actually works. The driving position is low-slung and sporty – more GR86 than RAV4 – and the cabin has a solid feel, even if the materials and trims don’t feel particularly special.

But most impressive so far? The electric range. On the first full charge, I managed just over 49 miles before the petrol engine kicked in – and that’s with a mix of town and A-road driving. It’s quiet, smooth and eerily refined in EV mode, and there’s a surprising turn of pace when you put your foot down.

One of the biggest surprises in daily driving is just how effortlessly quick the Prius Plug In is. I’ll do 0–62mph in just 6.6 seconds, which is properly brisk for a family hybrid. But what stands out more than the numbers is the smooth, instant delivery of power. There’s no faff, no lag, just seamless acceleration that makes overtaking and merging feel utterly stress-free. The anodyne engine note doesn’t even bother me in this context.

Top 10 best features (so far) of our Prius Plug-in Design

• Up to 49 miles EV driving range: Enough for real world chops for most daily drives
• 12.3-inch touchscreen: Slick Toyota Smart Connect+ system with decent satellite navigation
• Wireless Apple CarPlay: Quick to pair and easy to use, but not so with Android Auto
• Striking fastback styling: Genuinely cool looking, people keep asking me about it
• Heated front seats and heated steering wheel: Cold morning essentials, even in ‘summer’
• Dual-zone climate control: Physical controls, not buried in menus
• Central digital driver display: Unusual layout, but clear and legible
• Toyota Safety Sense 3.0: Includes adaptive cruise and lane assist as standard, and it’s excellent
• LED headlights with auto high beam: Great vision, but not as good as a full matrix set-up
• Vehicle-to-load (V2L): Plug in small appliances using the car’s battery in the back seat

If there’s one area where the Prius Plug In really disappoints me and that’s the boot. At 284 litres, it’s not just small for the class, it’s barely larger than a supermini’s. And it’s made worse by a high load lip and shallow floor caused by the plug-in battery pack. In a family car, that’s a problem. For context, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid Touring Sports offers 598 litres in the boot – more than twice as much usable space, and without the awkward packaging compromises.

Equally baffling is the infotainment omission on our Design-spec Prius: no Android Auto at all. Not even wired. It’s especially odd given that wireless Apple CarPlay works flawlessly and the infotainment system itself is otherwise excellent – fast, slick and easy to navigate. It appears to be a specification anomaly rather than a technical limitation, but I’ll dig into this one and update.

More to come in the next update, including how it handles the day-to-day chaos and whether the novelty wears off…

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Update 3: Fuel economy and efficiency

Surprisingly frugal, or probably not…

Long story short: The real-world economy is excellent, even if you don’t plug it in. However, do that and charge overnight, and fuelling costs really are low.

Time to talk about what the Prius is supposed to be all about: efficiency. And here, it’s an absolute star. I’ve deliberately held off plugging it in for a few days – partly to test its standalone hybrid performance, partly out of necessity – and it easily returned just over 60mpg in a mix of A-road commuting, short commuting runs, and the odd motorway stint. That’s without switching into EV mode manually.

When you do plug it in and top up the battery, things get even more impressive. A short urban loop with full charge saw it returning well over 100mpg, with the petrol engine barely cutting in. Toyota’s fifth-gen hybrid system really is at the top of its game. In addition, refinement is superb, with barely any noise unless you really mash the throttle.

At town speeds and cruising on EV power, it’s almost luxury-car quiet. Ride quality is also excellent, soaking up potholes and speed humps with a calmness that makes you forget this thing has low rolling resistance tyres and a slippery aero-focused shape. But, yes, do forget the claimed 565mpg – not going. to happen.

Of course, there are quirks. The low roofline and shallow door opening mean I’ve banged my head getting in more than once. It’s a price you pay for that sleek styling. Still, if you told me a few years ago that the Prius would be this refined as well as economical, and this desirable to look at, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

More next time, where I hand it over to a second, critical driver – my partner.

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Update 4: second opinion

Keith hands over the Prius to his partner, and she keeps banging her head

Long story short: The light controls, great phone integration, and provision of loads of cubbies really impress, unlike the small boot, annoying loading lip, and painful door openings!

It’s always revealing to hand the keys to someone else and see how your long-term test car holds up. Sue’s spent a few weeks with the Prius straight after time in an Audi A5 Avant, using it for everything from commuting and taking her mum (and wheelchair) out for trips to supermarket dashes – and she’s come away largely impressed.

‘I really like how easy it is to drive. The steering is super light, it just flows around town,’ Sue said. The Prius’s calm, user-friendly nature clearly struck a chord. She found it simple to park, liked how compact it feels mixing it in traffic, and enjoyed the smooth, electric-leaning performance at lower speeds. ‘It doesn’t feel big or awkward like some hybrids do. I just get in and go.’

‘I’m also a big fan of the infotainment and tech – especially Apple CarPlay, which properly fills the screen, and it connected instantly,’ she said. The interior storage received glowing praise: ‘There’s loads of places to put stuff.’ But it wasn’t all good. Despite being 5ft 3in, so not that tall, Sue’s now a fully paid-up member of the Prius doorframe victims’ club: ‘I’ve banged my head twice now.’

There are quirks. The boot is shallow and not massive (because of the battery pack), the lack of a rear wiper is baffling in the UK climate, and rear-seat passengers will definitely notice the sloping roofline. ‘The boot’s small – and that lip is just annoying. You have to lift everything up and over it, and my mam’s wheelchair doesn’t fit without folding down the rear seats. Not good.’ But as a family car for those who can charge at home or work, this could be a very smart choice.

Still, her parting verdict was clear: for daily duties, this feels like a car that gets a lot right. Quiet, easy-going and full of useful touches – just maybe bring a helmet. But this is telling: ‘I prefer it to the Audi, it’s just so nice to live with and economical.’

Next time, we’re handing over to another member of the Parkers team – with a very different perspective…

Toyota Prius Plug In long-term test: scores on the doors

Model tested: 2.0 PHEV Design CVT

Current mileage	4,424
Real world average fuel consumption	67.3mpg (latest report)
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP)	475-565mpg
Parkers miles per pound calculation (mpp)	N/A
Dates tested by Parkers	March 2025 – September 2025