Thinking of buying a used Toyota Prius?
The style of the car
The Toyota Prius is available as a five-door hatchback or as the Prius+ estate. Both have an eye-catching aerodynamic design that also improves fuel consumption. As well as the hybrid Prius, there’s also a plug-in hybrid version.
How it drives
With its light steering, the Prius is very easy to drive around town and some models have parking assistance to get you into tight city spaces. Most of the time all models will be using the 1.8 litre petrol engine, but the plug-in version can cover up to 39 miles in electric-only mode. It’s a relaxing car to drive, especially over long distances, with comfortable seats and a quiet engine.
The interior
The five door, five seat Prius is really spacious, especially for passengers in the back seats where three adults can sit in comfort. The boot is big enough for three large suitcases, a pushchair or the monthly shop and you can fit even more in the Prius+. The plug-in hybrid has a slightly smaller boot and pre-2020 versions only had four seats. All models are well equipped from the Active with a Touch 2 infotainment system and adaptive cruise control to the flagship Excel with a premium audio system.
Running costs and reliability
The Toyota Prius is competitively priced and you’ll get excellent value buying used. It’s extremely economical too with claimed fuel consumption as high as 94mpg. Insurance and road tax costs are low and because it’s a hybrid, the Prius is exempt from many low emission zone charges. It’s affordable to maintain, reliable and has an impressive five-year/100,000 mile warranty. All Prius models have lots of safety equipment and a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
How it compares with similar cars
The Prius is bigger and more spacious than the Toyota Corolla. Its excellent reliability and roomy interior make it a strong rival to the hybrid and electric Hyundai Ioniq models. The Prius has won a number of awards including Auto Express Driver Power recognition and a hybrid used car award.
Looking for a hybrid car? Here are our top 10 used hybrid cars.
