2023 Toyota Prius Z Review MEGA THREAD
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CarBuzz
EV Pulse
Cars.com
The Best-Driving Prius Ever
Previous Toyota Priuses have been decidedly lackluster performers when it came to the fun-to-drive quotient, emphasizing efficiency. But in chasing a younger, more style-conscious buyer, Toyota has reengineered the Prius to be a lot more satisfying to drive. I won’t call it entertaining as this is certainly no sports sedan, but its lower center of gravity, better seating position, significant boost in power, and much more communicative chassis and steering (aided by 19-inch wheels and tires on my test cars) has created a much more satisfying experience. The new Prius is peppy from a rolling start (less so from a standing start), and despite the familiar drone from the continuously variable automatic transmission, the Prius moves smartly about town.
Ride quality is excellent, with a nice combination of damping on broken pavement (even with the big wheels) and tight body roll control. Brakes are a damn sight better than they ever have been, with excellent pedal feel and firm grip — no squishiness here. The adaptive regeneration that ties into the forward collision system takes some getting used to; it will apply aggressive regen if it detects you approaching slower traffic and lighten up on that regen as the traffic moves off. I got used to it rather quickly, however, and actually enjoyed the assist, which feels a bit like engaging distance-keeping cruise control (even when you’re not using cruise control).
Road and Track
www.roadandtrack.com
On a straight highway, it’s spectacular. The new model is firmer than the average Toyota buyer expects, but dispatches bumps in a thud-and-done Germanic way. It’s utterly relaxed as a cruiser, quiet and refined at 70 mph, with just a bit of road noise creeping in. Combined fuel economy comes in at 57 mpg for the FWD Prius LE on its 17-inch wheels, but that falls to 54 for an AWD LE, 52 for an FWD XLE or Limited on 19s, and 49 for the AWD XLE or Limited. That’s a steep falloff, but MPG doesn’t scale linearly, so the difference isn’t quite as big as it looks. It also doesn’t change the result: The Prius is the most efficient hybrid on sale, and even in AWD XLE format it beats the MPGe efficiency rating of the all-electric GMC Hummer.
Green Car Reports
www.greencarreports.com
Wait, THIS is a Prius?
To our eyes, the shape is stunning. It produced rapturous awe among those who saw the near-simultaneous Prius debuts held in Japan and Los Angeles in mid-November, but it wasn’t clear the car itself would look as good as images taken from carefully chosen camera angles. It does.
Toyota’s primary goal was to produce a wind-cheating shape that minimizes aerodynamic drag. A pure wedge shape is as close as designers can get to ideal, while still creating a vehicle that meets lighting, safety, and vehicle requirements. Many have tried, some with not-entirely-successful results; consider the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan, for instance.
The 2023 Prius has a remarkably low nose, like the last generation, but now a hood that rises into a windshield almost at the same angle. The smooth arc continues over the roof, down the tailgate, and ends abruptly at a Kamm tail with simple, thin, horizontal lights sweeping from corner to corner. There’s no more split rear window, a Prius hallmark for three generations, and the rear door handle is hidden in the roof pillar trim (a la C-HR) with a button inside to release the electric latch before you pull the door open.
Jalopnik
The 2023 Prius is so striking, in fact, that at one point while I was driving it, a man in a bright red Dodge Viper nearly broke his neck to take a look at me. When you put the last-generation Prius next to the all-new 2023 model, the contrast is even stronger.
In fact, at Toyota’s launch event, the previous-generation Prius got a gentle ribbing from one of Toyota’s own engineers. He said that, overall, every Prius has been a good-looking car... with the fourth-gen being the only exception. You can’t win ‘em all, but Toyota has fixed the situation and then some with this all-new model The aggressive styling is one sign that Toyota is aiming the new Prius straight at younger buyers. I think it’s a hit.
EV Pulse
Cars.com
The Best-Driving Prius Ever
Previous Toyota Priuses have been decidedly lackluster performers when it came to the fun-to-drive quotient, emphasizing efficiency. But in chasing a younger, more style-conscious buyer, Toyota has reengineered the Prius to be a lot more satisfying to drive. I won’t call it entertaining as this is certainly no sports sedan, but its lower center of gravity, better seating position, significant boost in power, and much more communicative chassis and steering (aided by 19-inch wheels and tires on my test cars) has created a much more satisfying experience. The new Prius is peppy from a rolling start (less so from a standing start), and despite the familiar drone from the continuously variable automatic transmission, the Prius moves smartly about town.
Ride quality is excellent, with a nice combination of damping on broken pavement (even with the big wheels) and tight body roll control. Brakes are a damn sight better than they ever have been, with excellent pedal feel and firm grip — no squishiness here. The adaptive regeneration that ties into the forward collision system takes some getting used to; it will apply aggressive regen if it detects you approaching slower traffic and lighten up on that regen as the traffic moves off. I got used to it rather quickly, however, and actually enjoyed the assist, which feels a bit like engaging distance-keeping cruise control (even when you’re not using cruise control).
Road and Track
The 2023 Toyota Prius Is the Best Normie Car on the Market
Always heroically practical, the Prius now has the style and performance to make it enjoyable, too.
www.roadandtrack.com
On a straight highway, it’s spectacular. The new model is firmer than the average Toyota buyer expects, but dispatches bumps in a thud-and-done Germanic way. It’s utterly relaxed as a cruiser, quiet and refined at 70 mph, with just a bit of road noise creeping in. Combined fuel economy comes in at 57 mpg for the FWD Prius LE on its 17-inch wheels, but that falls to 54 for an AWD LE, 52 for an FWD XLE or Limited on 19s, and 49 for the AWD XLE or Limited. That’s a steep falloff, but MPG doesn’t scale linearly, so the difference isn’t quite as big as it looks. It also doesn’t change the result: The Prius is the most efficient hybrid on sale, and even in AWD XLE format it beats the MPGe efficiency rating of the all-electric GMC Hummer.
Green Car Reports
Review: 2023 Toyota Prius rethinks high-mpg hybrid for stunning style
A wedgelike profile, peppier powertrain, and reconfigured cabin make the Prius more appealing, without losing any of its high-mileage bragging rights.
Wait, THIS is a Prius?
To our eyes, the shape is stunning. It produced rapturous awe among those who saw the near-simultaneous Prius debuts held in Japan and Los Angeles in mid-November, but it wasn’t clear the car itself would look as good as images taken from carefully chosen camera angles. It does.
Toyota’s primary goal was to produce a wind-cheating shape that minimizes aerodynamic drag. A pure wedge shape is as close as designers can get to ideal, while still creating a vehicle that meets lighting, safety, and vehicle requirements. Many have tried, some with not-entirely-successful results; consider the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan, for instance.
The 2023 Prius has a remarkably low nose, like the last generation, but now a hood that rises into a windshield almost at the same angle. The smooth arc continues over the roof, down the tailgate, and ends abruptly at a Kamm tail with simple, thin, horizontal lights sweeping from corner to corner. There’s no more split rear window, a Prius hallmark for three generations, and the rear door handle is hidden in the roof pillar trim (a la C-HR) with a button inside to release the electric latch before you pull the door open.
Jalopnik
The 2023 Prius is so striking, in fact, that at one point while I was driving it, a man in a bright red Dodge Viper nearly broke his neck to take a look at me. When you put the last-generation Prius next to the all-new 2023 model, the contrast is even stronger.
In fact, at Toyota’s launch event, the previous-generation Prius got a gentle ribbing from one of Toyota’s own engineers. He said that, overall, every Prius has been a good-looking car... with the fourth-gen being the only exception. You can’t win ‘em all, but Toyota has fixed the situation and then some with this all-new model The aggressive styling is one sign that Toyota is aiming the new Prius straight at younger buyers. I think it’s a hit.
Joined
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43 Posts
Car and Driver
www.caranddriver.com
Improved Interior Ergonomics
The swoopy roofline does reduce headroom by 1.4 inches up front and one inch in back, though. The extra wheelbase helps, allowing 0.9 inch more front legroom and an added 1.4 inches behind. That changes the driving position to one that's far more agreeable and less upright. Adjusting the steering wheel does feel odd though because at first, it seems like the wheel must be in your lap to see the instruments. That's mostly an illusion, as the steering column cover is uniquely styled to blend into the dash. There's actually decent thigh clearance beneath the rim, and the Toyota logo on the horn pad points at your chin, not your sternum.
That the wheel affects the instruments is new territory for the Prius, as they are now (finally) dead ahead of the driver, not lollygagging off to starboard. It's a straightforward display, too, and the controls on the steering-wheel spokes make it easy to peruse the screen. The familiar Prius shifter remains, but it somehow feels more logical and intuitive now that it juts straight up from the console close at hand instead of protruding from the dash at arm's length.
Autoblog
www.autoblog.com
Pricing starts at $28,545, including the $1,095 destination charge, for the base LE. All-wheel drive is available on every trim for an extra $1,500. The XLE trim starts at $31,990 with the 12.3-inch touchscreen ($610) and fixed glass roof with sunshades ($1,000) separate options. Those are included on the range-topping Limited that goes for $35,560. This pricing is about the same as a Kia Niro, which is more spacious and versatile with better tech, but the Prius has sizable performance and fuel economy advantages. It ironically also offers all-wheel drive unlike the small Kia crossover. There’s also the matter of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which is priced similarly (before tax credits make it much cheaper) and doesn’t burn any gasoline at all.
Which brings us back to EVs eating the Prius’ lunch. The outgoing generation didn’t just hemorrhage sales because it looked like a hemorrhage. Even with the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, which will make its own return in a few months, losing traditional hybrid buyers to EVs made giving buyers something else to latch onto more important. Specifically, as Toyota’s VP of marketing Debbie Matarazzo described it, it’s “younger shoppers looking to buy one as much for its looks as for its efficiency.” Having a more conventional driving experience and interior layout certainly won’t hurt, either. It’s hard to see this new Prius achieving the sales success and cultural relevance of its predecessors, but it’s at the very least a successful reboot of a franchise in need of one.
Motor Trend
www.motortrend.com
Few $30K Cars Look This Good
Go ahead, take a minute to swipe through the photo gallery of this (relatively affordable) thing. We've been drooling over the 2023 Toyota Prius since we first laid eyes on it, thanks to far cleaner and more striking new styling from front to back, and it looks just as good in person as it does in photos. Though its coefficient of drag (how easily it slips through the air) has taken a couple steps back, the end result is a design that customers old and new might actually desire regardless of the fact that it's a hybrid.
Sure, it looks worlds better, but how well the new Prius moves is arguably as important, if not more so, and on that front Toyota has also delivered. Power levels have risen from "Why is everyone in such a hurry?" to "Passing that truck is no problem," and anyone who has driven a previous-generation model will feel the difference. With 194 total system horsepower for front-wheel-drive models and 196 for all-wheel-drive variants, Toyota has nearly hit the sweet spot in balancing power and efficiency. On the road, the new Prius delivers enough acceleration to satisfy pretty much everyone, save those who crave the instant torque sensation of an all-electric car.
Guide Auto
www.guideautoweb.com
Tested: 2023 Toyota Prius Drives Even Better Than It Now Looks
It's no longer necessary to sacrifice styling, acceleration, handling, or your dignity in the name of fuel economy.
www.caranddriver.com
Improved Interior Ergonomics
The swoopy roofline does reduce headroom by 1.4 inches up front and one inch in back, though. The extra wheelbase helps, allowing 0.9 inch more front legroom and an added 1.4 inches behind. That changes the driving position to one that's far more agreeable and less upright. Adjusting the steering wheel does feel odd though because at first, it seems like the wheel must be in your lap to see the instruments. That's mostly an illusion, as the steering column cover is uniquely styled to blend into the dash. There's actually decent thigh clearance beneath the rim, and the Toyota logo on the horn pad points at your chin, not your sternum.
That the wheel affects the instruments is new territory for the Prius, as they are now (finally) dead ahead of the driver, not lollygagging off to starboard. It's a straightforward display, too, and the controls on the steering-wheel spokes make it easy to peruse the screen. The familiar Prius shifter remains, but it somehow feels more logical and intuitive now that it juts straight up from the console close at hand instead of protruding from the dash at arm's length.
Autoblog
2023 Toyota Prius First Drive Review: It doesn't suck!
Exactly the reboot the Prius needed. It's more efficient and powerful, has a more conventional and higher-quality interior, and looks exponentially better.
www.autoblog.com
Pricing starts at $28,545, including the $1,095 destination charge, for the base LE. All-wheel drive is available on every trim for an extra $1,500. The XLE trim starts at $31,990 with the 12.3-inch touchscreen ($610) and fixed glass roof with sunshades ($1,000) separate options. Those are included on the range-topping Limited that goes for $35,560. This pricing is about the same as a Kia Niro, which is more spacious and versatile with better tech, but the Prius has sizable performance and fuel economy advantages. It ironically also offers all-wheel drive unlike the small Kia crossover. There’s also the matter of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which is priced similarly (before tax credits make it much cheaper) and doesn’t burn any gasoline at all.
Which brings us back to EVs eating the Prius’ lunch. The outgoing generation didn’t just hemorrhage sales because it looked like a hemorrhage. Even with the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, which will make its own return in a few months, losing traditional hybrid buyers to EVs made giving buyers something else to latch onto more important. Specifically, as Toyota’s VP of marketing Debbie Matarazzo described it, it’s “younger shoppers looking to buy one as much for its looks as for its efficiency.” Having a more conventional driving experience and interior layout certainly won’t hurt, either. It’s hard to see this new Prius achieving the sales success and cultural relevance of its predecessors, but it’s at the very least a successful reboot of a franchise in need of one.
Motor Trend
2023 Toyota Prius First Drive: Yes, It’s Gorgeous. But Is It Good?
Toyota redesigns the Prius to stand out in a lineup full of hybrid alternatives.
Few $30K Cars Look This Good
Go ahead, take a minute to swipe through the photo gallery of this (relatively affordable) thing. We've been drooling over the 2023 Toyota Prius since we first laid eyes on it, thanks to far cleaner and more striking new styling from front to back, and it looks just as good in person as it does in photos. Though its coefficient of drag (how easily it slips through the air) has taken a couple steps back, the end result is a design that customers old and new might actually desire regardless of the fact that it's a hybrid.
Sure, it looks worlds better, but how well the new Prius moves is arguably as important, if not more so, and on that front Toyota has also delivered. Power levels have risen from "Why is everyone in such a hurry?" to "Passing that truck is no problem," and anyone who has driven a previous-generation model will feel the difference. With 194 total system horsepower for front-wheel-drive models and 196 for all-wheel-drive variants, Toyota has nearly hit the sweet spot in balancing power and efficiency. On the road, the new Prius delivers enough acceleration to satisfy pretty much everyone, save those who crave the instant torque sensation of an all-electric car.
Guide Auto
2023 Toyota Prius : The Hybrid Queen Gets Revamped
Twenty-five years after the first Prius went into production, Toyota unveiled the fifth-generation model, at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show. And The Car Guide recently travelled to California to test-drive it. A Whole New Look What's most obvious when you look at the 2023 Prius is its new...
www.guideautoweb.com
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Raiti's Rides
FIRST DRIVE: The ALL NEW Prius gets a total makeover from Toyota for 2023. On the outside you will discover all new sheet metal, LED lighting, optional 19in wheels and fixed glass panoramic roof. on the inside there is a massive 12.3in infotainment system, soft-tex materials, ambient lighting and a 7in digital gauge cluster. Under the hood is now a 2.0L inline-4 pared with an electric motor to produce 196HP when equipped with AWD. Is the 2023 Toyota Prius a new sedan WORTH the Price?
Joined
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Joined
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43 Posts
Jason Cammisa wrote a little review on the Prius and shared it as an instagram post.
Verdict 2023 Toyota Prius: Not much left to hate. And lots to love.
For years, I’ve hated every Prius on the road. Not because the car was bad — they’ve all been irritatingly good.
Irritating because they are capable of so much more than the slowpokes who buy them. They’re genuinely incredible pieces of engineering, each generation quicker AND more efficient than the last.
Tho the last generation looked like a spider and I wanted to step on it.
Now, I just want to stop and stare at the new one.
It’s gorgeous. Not in a conventionally beautiful way, but it screams “future” in the coolest way imaginable.
And here’s the worst part: it’s a barely believable MASSIVE improvement in every way over the last car.
60 PERCENT MORE POWER. SIXTY.
Imagine if the next-gen M3 went from 503 hp to 805. That’s also 60%.
As always, the Prius is incredibly light (3150ish lb) and so with 150 hp from the new 2.0-liter plus 111 hp from the e-motor (194 hp combined) it’s quick. @CarandDriver got 7.1 sec to 60 (down from 10.5).
It handles well, too — rotates well on trailing throttle, even! Steering is just fine — some feel, not much. But it all just… works.
52 MPG combined for this loaded $32k XLE: 57 MPG combined for smaller-wheel variants.
My one big complaint: the gauge cluster finally moved from the center to in front of the driver - but is fully blocked by the top of the steering wheel. Like, WHO DID THIS?
(If you drive with the steering wheel uncomfortably low, you can see all the gauges.)
That’s really it. It’s a hell of a transportation pod, with ridiculous fuel economy, brisk acceleration, Toyota build quality, a nice interior.
What’s not to love?
Oh, the people who buy Priuses. I hope the new sexy body encourages cooler, faster-driving ppl to buy this Prius… because we shouldn’t have to hate this thing. It’s a hell of a car.
Verdict 2023 Toyota Prius: Not much left to hate. And lots to love.
For years, I’ve hated every Prius on the road. Not because the car was bad — they’ve all been irritatingly good.
Irritating because they are capable of so much more than the slowpokes who buy them. They’re genuinely incredible pieces of engineering, each generation quicker AND more efficient than the last.
Tho the last generation looked like a spider and I wanted to step on it.
Now, I just want to stop and stare at the new one.
It’s gorgeous. Not in a conventionally beautiful way, but it screams “future” in the coolest way imaginable.
And here’s the worst part: it’s a barely believable MASSIVE improvement in every way over the last car.
60 PERCENT MORE POWER. SIXTY.
Imagine if the next-gen M3 went from 503 hp to 805. That’s also 60%.
As always, the Prius is incredibly light (3150ish lb) and so with 150 hp from the new 2.0-liter plus 111 hp from the e-motor (194 hp combined) it’s quick. @CarandDriver got 7.1 sec to 60 (down from 10.5).
It handles well, too — rotates well on trailing throttle, even! Steering is just fine — some feel, not much. But it all just… works.
52 MPG combined for this loaded $32k XLE: 57 MPG combined for smaller-wheel variants.
My one big complaint: the gauge cluster finally moved from the center to in front of the driver - but is fully blocked by the top of the steering wheel. Like, WHO DID THIS?
(If you drive with the steering wheel uncomfortably low, you can see all the gauges.)
That’s really it. It’s a hell of a transportation pod, with ridiculous fuel economy, brisk acceleration, Toyota build quality, a nice interior.
What’s not to love?
Oh, the people who buy Priuses. I hope the new sexy body encourages cooler, faster-driving ppl to buy this Prius… because we shouldn’t have to hate this thing. It’s a hell of a car.
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