2019 Toyota Prius

The 2019 Toyota Prius is a champion when it comes to fuel economy, and it belongs at the top of your list if you’re in the market for a small car that gets excellent gas mileage. This Toyota hybrid is available with all-wheel drive for secure handling in rain and snow, and it offers ample room for cargo.

Toyota’s Prius is a compact four-door hatchback with a hybrid powertrain, and it provides seating for five passengers. Four trim levels are offered: L Eco, LE, XLE and Limited. Front-wheel drive is a standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. Toyota offers a plug-in hybrid variant of this model. It’s known as the Prius Prime, and it’s reviewed separately.

The Prius competes with compact cars like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Chevrolet Cruze. Additionally, it’s often cross-shopped against small hybrids like the Hyundai Ioniq and Honda Insight.

For the 2019 model year, the Prius is newly available with all-wheel drive. The car’s trim levels have been renamed, and it benefits from a mild styling refresh.

Exterior

The Prius’ exterior design is unapologetically quirky. The car’s blunt hood is framed by slim headlights. Beneath, you’ll find a sculpted bumper and a skinny upper grille. The Prius’ profile is pod-like and futuristic, with a rounded roofline and a wedge-shaped silhouette.

Base L Eco model comes with standard exterior features such as bi-LED projector-beam headlights, automatic LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, heated power-adjustable side mirrors and 15-inch alloy wheels. The range of optional equipment includes 17-inch wheels, a power sunroof, fog lights and adaptive headlights.

Interior

With its wide door openings, the Prius’ cabin provides easy ingress and egress. Once inside, you’ll find a cabin that looks just as futuristic as the car’s exterior. A dramatic center stack anchors the dash, and the rear seats are notably spacious.

The Prius shines when it comes to cargo capacity. This hatchback provides up to 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place.

All models come with a generous assortment of interior features. The list includes automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column and power windows and door locks. You can upgrade your Prius with options such as heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and simulated leather upholstery.

Performance

The Prius provides comfortable, quiet transportation. Its handling remains reasonably composed in most driving situations, and this hybrid is a pleasant companion on commutes. Front-wheel drive is standard, and available all-wheel drive (offered solely on LE and XLE trim levels) sends power to the car’s front and rear wheels. The all-wheel drive variant is known as the 2019 Toyota Prius AWD-e.

All models are equipped with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine matched with front and rear electric motors. Front-wheel drive models team this powertrain with a lithium-ion battery pack, while a weather-resistant nickel-metal hydride battery is used with Prius AWD-e models. The Prius is governed by a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

As you might expect, fuel economy is the Prius’ key strength. According to the EPA, gas mileage for the L Eco trim comes in at 58/53 mpg city/highway. Note that this trim comes with features designed to boost fuel efficiency, such as tires with ultra-low rolling resistance. All other front-drive Prius hatchbacks achieve gas mileage of 54 mpg in the city and 50 mpg on the highway. For models with the AWD-e system, fuel economy tops out at 52/48 mpg.

Technology

Toyota has equipped the Prius with an appealing slate of tech goodies. Base models come with an infotainment system, a 6.1-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports and Siri Eyes Free. Also, driver-assist features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, a forward collision mitigation system and automatic high beams are standard.

The options list includes amenities such as a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, integrated navigation, an 11.6-inch touchscreen and premium JBL 10-speaker sound system.