Redesigned for 2023, the Toyota Prius is no longer a commodity car built to a price to maximize fuel economy while minimizing C02 emissions and driving pleasure. Until 2023, the only thrills to emanate from a Prius came from passing the gas station. Only the parsimonious need apply.
But for the past two years, that’s no longer true. The Prius now provides a heaping helping of driving pleasure along with its penny-pinching persona while being wrapped in attractive automobile attire.
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For 2025, the Toyota Prius will receive a new Nightshade Edition, which blackens the exterior trim, interior upholstery, and stitching when the body is painted Wind Chill Pearl or Midnight Black Metallic.
More power, better fuel economy
No longer a denizen of the right lane, the 2025 Toyota Prius produces 194 horsepower with front-wheel-drive or 196 horsepower with all-wheel-drive. Yet despite the healthy muscle emanating from under the hood, fuel economy remains very good.
Opting for the front-wheel-drive model returns a stellar 57 mpg in combined city/highway driving, according to the EPA. All-wheel drive reduces that to 54 mpg while ordering the XLE or Limited trim reduces that to 49 mpg. That said, no, Prius is a gas hog. But competitors, such as the Ford Maverick pick-up and Kia Niro SUV, offer similar fuel economy in more popular vehicle formats.
Actually satisfying to drive
Then there’s the Prius’s power, which delivers enough punch to guarantee that you won’t always be passed anymore. That said, you’ll be hard-pressed to break a seven-second 0-60 mph run, but that’s still a good three seconds faster than previous versions. The steering returns some semblance of feedback, and it feels planted while cornering, with minimal body lean. It has a neutral feel that makes it unexpectedly pleasurable to push through its paces.
For the foul-weather phobic, the availability of all-wheel drive must seem like a godsend. But the Prius, like other hybrids, uses low rolling resistance tires, so there’s less advantage than you might expect once the flakes fly. And you’ll pay $250 more annually in fuel costs, not to mention the higher purchase price for a Prius with all-wheel drive versus one with front-wheel drive.
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Then there’s that sleek style
If there was one truism of the Toyota Prius, it’s that the design aesthetic resembled that of an alien life form, with the only guiding design principle being that of extreme unsightliness. It’s as if Toyota was testing its buyers to see how much hideousness they would put up with in return for excellent fuel economy.
That’s certainly no longer the case.
The latest Prius is sleek and trim in appearance while retaining its hatchback versatility. While it does diminish interior space, it’s a worthy trade-off for the aesthetic improvement as the Prius is no longer a vehicle that will have people judging your taste.
Yet while passenger space remains unchanged at 91 cubic feet, cargo space on the LE has shrunk to 24 cubic feet from 27 cubic feet, according to the EPA. For other grades, it’s a mere 20 cubic feet. Despite the loss, the Prius’ cargo volume matches or exceeds that of similarly priced or less expensive hybrids with which it competes.
However, the bigger design toll comes with rear seat headroom, which is a bit dearer than before, so it’s something to consider if you regularly shuttle the average American in the rear row. For 2025, that means a man who’s 5’9″ tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds and a woman who’s around 5’4″ tall and weighs 171 pounds.
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Prius Plug-in Hybrid offers fuel-free driving
Of course, you could opt for the Toyota Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid that has 39 or 44 miles of gas-free electric driving, depending on the model. After that, it operates like any other Prius hybrid, albeit with slightly lower fuel economy.
While that may seem appealing, its price is some $6,100+ higher, meaning it will take 24 years to break even financially. Still, for some, the thrill of EV driving with gas-fueled backup is appealing despite the added cost, especially if the Prius is being used mostly for daily commuting.
Final thoughts
Given that every Toyota is now offered with a hybrid variant, Toyota had to give the Prius an additional reason to exist. They’ve succeeded. You would never associate the word “fun” with any Prius, yet it now delivers an enjoyable driving experience.
The 2025 Toyota Prius’ driving proficiency is completely different from previous ones. For the first time, Toyota abandoned the anti-performance, anti-design ethos that has consistently stigmatized this vehicle. Now that it’s been redesigned, you can enjoy driving while it returns more than 50 mpg, making it the first Prius you might actually want to drive.
That said, you can buy a Corolla Hybrid starting at less than $24,000, although it lacks the Prius’s fun-to-drive nature and hatchback utility. We think the Prius is well worth the extra scratch.
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