2024 Toyota Prius Review

The current-generation Toyota Prius has two things going for it: high fuel economy and real drivability. And it has two things going against it: a weird dashboard layout and terrible headroom. The first things on each of these lists is nothing new for the Prius. The other two are new headscratchers.

High fuel economy has been a top selling point for the Prius since its first appearance on our shores about 25 years ago. It’s the reason d’etre of the car. It’s evolved over time from a subcompact hatch-style car to a compact hatch-style car. In this latest edition, introduced for 2023, the Prius also adds something it’s never had before: drivability.

Yes, the Prius is now a great car to drive. I know. Next we’ll find out Bigfoot has been living in Portland all along and people just thought he was a hipster.

The Prius has also always had a weird dashboard layout. For a long time, the instrument cluster was placed at the center of the dash where you’d usually find an infotainment screen. This was so that all of your passengers could judge you for your green driving and you could claim bragging rights when you maxed out the hypermiling. Now it’s just behind the steering column, in traditional placement, but in a way that no matter how you adjust the wheel, you still can’t see the whole thing. It’s like a tribute to a modern art display.

The Prius has also always had way more interior room than you’d expect. That changed with the new generation. The 2024 Prius has less headroom and feels tighter inside than its predecessors. It’s not just compact anymore. Now it feels compact as well.

Before any of the soy latte-drinking, vegan Pilates crowd starts telling me that I’m just a fat American, let me explain that last bit. I’m six foot three inches tall. A fact that is not changed with diet and exercise or eating weird things with French names that even Julia Childs would have balked at presenting. In previous models of the Prius, I could sit in it, upright, without scraping my head on the roof panel. Now I cannot.

This is a thing in all of Toyota’s cars now. Until I get into a crossover-SUV of some type, every Toyota vehicle is made too short for me. The Corolla, the Camry, the Yaris.. I used to be able to sit in all of those. I can’t now. That’s a design problem, not a “Aaron needs to rethink his lifestyle” problem.

Those beefs aside, though, the 2024 Toyota Prius is a really good car. It’s nice to drive, feels confident and capable, and actually delivers when the right pedal is pressed down. All while delivering better than 50 mpg in fuel economy.

At its core, the Prius is what it’s always been. But now it’s less pretentious about it. Which is a good thing as the beanie-wearing snooties who prided themselves on Prius ownership before have all moved on to EVs now.

The post 2024 Toyota Prius Review appeared first on EV Meme.

Source: https://www.evmeme.com/2024-toyota-prius-review/