2021 Toyota Prius PRIME (Quick Tutorial!)

[@beebob1279]

I've had the prius prime limited for a month. There is a lot to learn on the car but the basics are easy. All I want is high mileage, period. The other stuff is extra. I've driven locally just on electric. My car shows a charge of 30 miles when fully charged by the charger. I have tinkered and have gone a lot further than 30 miles because I'm working on coasting, braking, and maintaining a steady foot on the gas. I've gone 30 miles in electric, but because I'm watching what I'm doing I still have over 10 miles left of electric on the car. The electric get you up and going if you need it. The plug to the prius is a simple 110 outlet plug. No need to get an electrician to wire the garage. Just be sure it's a GFCI outlet (it's in the book). I highway drove from outside Philadelphia to just past the Poconos. I kept it in eco mode with auto electric. I averaged 80 mpg round trip. Going up was less 67 mpg and going down was great at over 90 mpg. When going down hill in cruise control the car takes the extra momentum and instead of letting the car just speed up the inverter takes that extra speed and converts to the battery and the car stays at the cruise control speed. This is how the battery easily re-charges. Any extra output by the motor will charge the battery and I can watch it happen. When the battery is charged up a bit it will work with the gas motor to further reduce the gas consumption. An amazing little car. But you'll definitely pay for the technology. The U.S. is looking at a fuel shortage this summer (not enough drivers). I'll be driving past gas stations while others are in line waiting for gas. So far I'm loving the car. It's actually roomy and I'm 6'2" with relatively long legs. There's plenty of room from the seat to the ceiling. And, it drives like a Toyota. An American car is smoother which I've owned my whole life. Be careful at the dealership. They'll try to get you to purchase all kinds of extended warrantees for the car. It's a multi computer car which makes it expensive and if the computers fail that's expensive. My drive train is lifetime. But not the electronics so be careful when you're looking. I still have my Silverado for hauling and hard stuff. But my day to day driving is all Prius Prime. I hope I helped anyone who's interested in the car.

[@brianruperti]

Wow that was such a useful input thank you so much!

[@beebob1279]

@@brianruperti I'm still loving the car. I'm learning to drive it more efficiently every week. In time I won't be able to do any better, but that's part of the game with anything. Just remember, it's not a hot rod. Drive it for efficiency

[@Pono-Ha-Y-N]

Have mine going on 3 months the limited and absolutely enjoy thus car plus all the savings from putting gas every week. Just finally filled it up after driving over 2 months and my work is 25 miles one way.

[@brianruperti]

@@beebob1279 so glad to hear!

[@beebob1279]

@@brianruperti I got it up to 100.8 miles a gallon last week. That was going up to the mountains and back. I kept the air conditioning off and opened the windows. The car is now charging up to 36 miles which I like a lot. With this excessive heat the performance definitely diminishes. The battery isn't as efficient as when it's cooler outside. It should be interesting to see how winter goes.

[@aBMWEnthusiast]

Thank you for an incredibly detailed description of the 2021 Prius Prime’s features, functions, and controls. Your articulation was unambiguous and easy to understand.

[@brianruperti]

I am very happy I could help

[@therealbc8524]

Very helpful! Most of the sales ppl I have spoken to dont know half this stuff

[@brianruperti]

I’m happy to help. I hope to raise the standard!

[@george.carlin]

I have P.P. for almost 4 months and my average gas mileage is 2.4 L per 100 kilometres. This is mind-blowing. When I was a kid my 49cc moped was taking 2.5 L/100 km. I do plug in every night though.

[@brianruperti]

That’s awesome!

[@johnfoster535]

Handy video for new owners ! I have XLE trim, got great deal with Toyota rebate, state rebate, and federal tax credit....over $10,000 off price !! Two HIDDEN FEATURES : 1. holding center EV/HV button for 3 seconds activates " charge mode" which runs the engine to recharge the battery while driving on long flat highway stretches ,or, going uphill when no regeneration is happening from going down hill, or, braking...( also, using "B" gear instead of brake DOUBLES the regeneration charge compared to coasting ). 2. Charging cable CAN safely be connected to a 220 volt source to cut charge time down to 2.5 hours. Best to have an electrician do this safely. Internal car charger and the supplied cable are built to work on 220 volts. Best to run a separate 20 amp, 220 v circuit to garage and NOT hook up to a 30 amp dryer receptacle ! Install a 20 amp rated 220v receptacle that will not accept a 120 volt plug, ( to prevent accidents ). Then, use, ( or make ), a short " adapter cable " that has a 20 amp male 220 volt plug on one end and a 20 amp rated 120v receptacle cord connector on the other end.....using 12/2 with ground SJ cable, of course.

[@brianruperti]

Thanks! And thank you so much for this valuable info!

[@rungavagairun]

In this video he says no one uses the B gear to decelerate. I find that hard to believe. Surely Prius and Prius Prime drivers use that option to increase their fuel economy. One thing I have noticed that surprised me is that it doesn't automatically revert to drive after you come to a complete stop. You have to manually go back to drive after you have used the B shift. It will apparently let you just drive around like that. I figured it would be like cars with paddle shifters and automatically go back to drive mode after you were finished decelerating.

[@bubududu7257]

I just got a new Prius few days ago & didn’t know many of the buttons yet. It was a very helpful video. God bless you!

[@brianruperti]

God bless you as well!

[@brianruperti]

Hey so how’s your first 3 months of ownership going?

[@bubududu7257]

My experience so far is great! I did get used to some of the buttons (thanks for your tips on your video) & few months of driving helped too. I never payed for gas so far. The guy who sold me at the dealship gave me the car with full tank of gas, & it stll has about half tank of gas. Thas is because i sometimes drive the car without charging. But i would say, if you drive a lot in the city where you drive kinda slow and stop a lot you would save a lot of money on gas with this car if you use the EV mode (electric mode). But if you drive a lot on the highway, like i do, you still save money on gas while driving on the EV mode if it is charged. But it takes too much of your charge fast. But overall I'm very happy about the car because the only thing I wanted was to pay as little as I could for gas & I payed nothing so far. I payed about 30k for the car. My sister bought Toyota RAV4 AWD around the same time for the same price. I'll come back soon & try to explain/compare in detail about the pros & cons of buying a Prius/RAV4. Until then, I wish you and everyone else a great time.

[@brianruperti]

@@bubududu7257 Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. That’s awesome that you’ve saved so much fuel!!! I look forward to your comparison. Thanks again

[@gregtaylor8310]

I've rented from Avis forever, and got "assigned" to a recent hybrid Prius upon my arrival at PHX, my first exposure to driving a hybrid and Prius. Picked up car yesterday for a few week trip, and quickly figured out I needed to find this site to understand what's what. I drive a 2020 CRV, so knew something about recent controls. Anyway, Thank You very much for the post, it's being most helpful. If I have any questions over the next few weeks, I'll know where to look.

[@babysonographer9891]

This was super helpful and informative. Just picked up my 2022 Prius prime xle last night and it’s a lot different button/display screen than my 2018 Camry. Can’t wait to watch some of your other videos on Toyota tips.

[@brianruperti]

I’m so glad I helped! And congrats on your new car!!! What color did you get? Yes it’s very different than the Camry. And thank you so much. More content to come 🙏🏼

[@joellenrichard5368]

@@brianruperti I got the white outside and black/white combo inside. Inside color was definitely not my first choice but with there only being 2 available in my entire state, I didn’t have much to choose from - as I’m sure u are aware, the pandemic has made it super hard for dealers to get a lot of these vehicles. Since I have the XLE model, my “buttons/screen” are different but your video helped a lot 👍🏻

[@brianruperti]

@@joellenrichard5368 That’s still a really nice combo! Wait until you park it at night on a full moon and that interior just comes to life. Congrats! And I’m so glad my video helped some how.

[@chingh2077]

I just love all of your videos with a gentle voice and all the big and small details!

[@brianruperti]

Thank you so much!

[@splenderdo7939]

OMG finally found a full review! Thank you for all the information, it was very helpful. Applauding you for your face mask too.

[@brianruperti]

So glad I could help! Thank you for the recognition

[@ashleyhogan4944]

Why? There is no one around. It's like it's being used as a flag instead of health.

[@splenderdo7939]

@@ashleyhogan4944 How do you know no one was around?

[@bleurose777]

How do you get the GPS to shift to night time? Mine stays bright are night When I first got my car the night GPS would automatically come on. Thanks for any help or suggestions. I love my new toy. 21 puris prime hybrid plug in

[@brianruperti]

You can change the night time sensitivity in your “display settings” so the car senses darkness sooner. This will activate the darker version of the GPS

[@bleurose777]

@@brianruperti Thank you, you are so kind.

[@shafishafi7594]

Super helpful and descriptive! Had to drive one too many buttons and settings. I figured out a few just to drive. This helps!

[@brianruperti]

Glad it helped!

[@JasonF19001]

I just bought a used 2020 Prime and love the get up and go (my 2013 lacked that). I wish B was the default while in drive; I use that nearly all the time except on long highway drives. Also, I got someone in the 2013 to turn off the constant, annoying beeeeeeep when in reverse. I know there's a way to do that, but I forget. My 2013 was adjusted so all it did was a short beep in reverse. Thanks for all the info!

[@morrispolynkiukakea3796]

Great lesson..just got this model. You saved my time reading the handbook. Plus its in Japanese language🙏

[@brianruperti]

Glad it helped!

[@jbenyola]

Thank you for this! Great video!!! Very informative. I get my 21 Prime on Friday and this really helped.

[@brianruperti]

Thank you and congrats!

[@freshwindbrightsky]

I’ve driven my 2021 Prius Prime 52,565 miles, just watched this you tube, and now I see the “Trip” button on the steering wheel that I never realized was there! 🤣 I was hoping this video would give me more in depth information about using the energy monitor. The screen that has an arc and blue and green lines that advance up the arc as your increase speed. At the top of the arc it will turn red if you accelerate too much, it goes up to the PWR section which I assume means your fuel efficiency is terrible. But what I’m interested in knowing is how to read the blue and green lines. Why are there two? Why is there sometimes just one? I love my car. Thanks for showing me the TRIP button, now I know where to find how many miles left I can drive!

[@brianruperti]

Hey thanks for watching! The green is most optional and the blue is in the middle between green and red

[@alraynita]

This helped alot...quick question. Can the hatchback trunk be automatically opened? From the inside? Didn't see anything on keys or dashboard

[@brianruperti]

From what I see they must be opened manually

[@alraynita]

@@brianruperti Thank you. That is the only way I have seen also

[@brianruperti]

@@alraynita The 4runner has an aftermarket mod for electronic hatchback assist so I bet there may be that option if you search hard enough

[@Ben610]

Thanks for this video. I was wondering about all of these things in a Prius since it's so different from my old 2004 car.

[@brianruperti]

Thanks for watching!

[@slantos2668]

Just got my Prius Prime today, this is the video I needed, thank you! I'm still confused as to how to drive in pure electric mode. I thought I"d be able to drive to our cottage on purely electric, now it seems to be a mixture? Is there a simple video to help understand how that works?

[@brianruperti]

Congrats! For electric mode your battery must be charged over 70% and you just hit “EV Mode”

[@03cobrah]

Very good video. Just bought a used prime and needed some clarification on a few things and this video was great and informative

[@brianruperti]

Glad to help!

[@pooznewz2632]

Great video Brian...but a couple questions for clarity. No mute, no aux, and the usb is grayed out, so does this mean that usb is not an offered feature ?

[@brianruperti]

Thank you! You can mute by pressing and holding the “mode” button on the steering wheel. The aux (if equipped) is next to the usb plug. Aux is being phased out. Naturally. Usb is grayed out until something is plugged into the usb. Then it lights up on the screen.

[@pooznewz2632]

@@brianruperti Got it. Except I don't see a USB port on or by the stereo system. Only by the center console, that appears to be only for charging. (usb and 12 volt plug in)

[@brianruperti]

@@pooznewz2632 Try checking by the glove box and infotainment screen down below. I don’t have any Prius primes in stock to check for you sorry. But if it’s not there, check the booklet and please write back. I’d try plugging it into the one you found anyway to see if it prompts you for connectivity.

[@pooznewz2632]

@@brianruperti Will do. Learned how to mute...Thank you it was awesome! We use the vehicles for parking enforcement...and these folks don't have a clue on how any of the features work..Lol

[@brianruperti]

@@pooznewz2632 You’re welcome! Show them my video!!!

[@Rick-tm3vs]

Great video! You did more than the dealers will ever.

[@brianruperti]

I appreciate that!

[@leannkasey1869]

The mask at the beginning was weird cuz you’re in your car with no one around. But then the video was actually well explained. Nice!!!

[@brianruperti]

In NY many of my customers want maximum protection so I wear it whenever I am around the cars to reduce their exposure to me. Thank you for the support!!

[@myriams7367]

Exactly.

[@brianbevilacqua4984]

Thanks Karen.

[@imcalebfr]

Thanks Karen.

[@brianruperti]

@@gregoireansari6651 ouch.

[@donniethesportsguy893]

Any way to check PSI values for each tire on tires from dash ?

[@brianruperti]

Only if equipped it will show in the MID

[@BenSussmanpro]

Thank you soooo much for this video. You’re a Godsend! (I just picked mine up today)

[@brianruperti]

Thank you and congrats!!

[@brianruperti]

So how’s 2 months of ownership been???

[@BenSussmanpro]

@@brianruperti Oh pretty good. Haven’t been charging it as much as I wanted to but am getting great gas mileage (53-62 mpg) in “Eco” mode. Smooth ride, good brakes, & I feel a whole lot better when my son comes home to visit and takes my car - I feel it’s much safer than my previous junk cars! Thanks for asking!

[@brianruperti]

@@BenSussmanpro That’s a solid update! So glad to hear all is well. Talk soon!

[@arlistertillory7820]

Lol “ excuse the fuzz”. Stuff like that you can’t make up, it’s cold. Good Informative video, I learned something.

[@brianruperti]

I’m happy to help!

[@paulacook895]

Do you know how the sound got disabled when the car goes in park mode? It used to have a sound and unlock all doors

[@brianruperti]

Not sure what you’re referring do but the door lock settings can be changed with: Menu>settings>vehicle settings>customize vehicle>door lock settings

[@lindawheatley4263]

TY ! Very very helpful! You’re a good instructor.😊

[@brianruperti]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you!!

[@ellengeohegan9906]

How do you set the clock??

[@brianruperti]

Scroll to the settings using your steering wheel, to go the setup menu, then date and time

[@awillis244]

Thank you very much for your very informative vid on Prius Prime. I currently have a PIP, 2013, but plan to upgrade because it is frustrating only getting 11.0 - 11.6 Charging miles, only twice I got 13 Charging miles. The 25 Charging miles would be more fitting for the usual places I go. I have had a wonderful experience with my PIP, and look forward to more advantages when I upgrade. The Prius Prime will be my third one. The first was a 2008, followed by my current. Anyway thanks again. I shall subscribe.

[@brianruperti]

Thank you and I am so happy I was able to help you even if it was only a little bit!

[@babysonographer9891]

Great info! Just picked my 2022 Prius prime up last night (got one of the last 2 left in my state 😳) and I’m excited to learn all the ins and outs of the car and see how much I can save in gas with my daily commute.

[@gabrielsholisticcare]

What was the coffee cup icon for?

[@brianruperti]

Sway warning. It senses if you’re tired and alerts you to take a break!

[@jaycollector6555]

Can you telll me what the 3 blue lights on the top right of dashboard do?

[@brianruperti]

They show how charged you are

[@Vanessa-jr3pl]

Thank you, i'm about to buy a Prius Prime. Your video really helped me to understand thiswhole new technology :P. Your video is really easy to understand, you are very clear and seem to know what you are doing. Thank you again

[@brianruperti]

I am so glad I could help!

[@brianruperti]

Hey so did you get a Prius Prime?

[@Vanessa-jr3pl]

@@brianruperti I did!

[@brianruperti]

@@Vanessa-jr3pl awesome!!! How is it?

[@Vanessa-jr3pl]

@@brianruperti except some details: Seat warmer button in a inconveniant place and some other ''details''' so far I think it's a good quality/price. I bought it in may, i need to bring it to the garage now because it feels like the HV/EV is not working like it should... we'll see. It's not a easy car to understand either :p

[@microsoft3127]

You forgot to talk about setting up and turning off the alarm also the rear seat seatbelt sounds on and off! Which is really annoying.. lots of people don't wear seatbelt at the back side.

[@brianruperti]

I chose not to mention that because wearing the seatbelt as a rear passenger decreases death rate of front passenger and driver.

[@ambinarvasag.2371]

Why is your MPG is only at 21.2 ? It should be at an average of 54?

[@brianruperti]

When the car is new and only starts and drives around the lot and stops and doesn’t get to actually drive for miles, the calculation is skewed. After ownership, the MPG shoots right up because it’s actually moving. Consider the mpg Calc on 13 starts and stops in under a mile over the course of 3 weeks, versus 2 starts per day, times every day over 3 weeks. Hope that helps

[@rorri2372]

Thanks a really lot! I didn't know what the EV auto was, no i do thanks to you!

[@brianruperti]

Glad I could help!

[@herbstoner3365]

How about speed display on the windshield

[@michaelpurtell4741]

Limited edition?

[@mercast08]

The HUD is for Limited trim only

[@brianruperti]

When I get a limited trim I’ll gladly demonstrate the HUD for you

[@esmeraldamendez37]

Hi, I just bought my Prime and don’t know how to show how many electric miles I have. Help? Thanks

[@brianruperti]

Hi, if you have a HUD, you can display your elec miles there. Keep pushing the HUD button till it cycles through. On the MID, you can change the % to distance remaining by going (in the MID) to settings>meter customize>HV system indicator>EV drive monitor. Change it from EV energy to EV distance. Chapter 3 of your user manual has images for you.

[@sandyhedgepeth2540]

Thank you! Thank you!! This helped sooooo much!

[@brianruperti]

Glad to help!

[@steve0826]

16:34 AVG 21.2 MPG?

[@brianruperti]

Don’t worry about that, the cars are barely driven more than a few feet at a time so it skews the calculation.

[@cookiehazard6284]

My 2021 prisms prime looks nothing like yours. Buttons are different and screen is vertical

[@brianruperti]

The display is different depending on the grade of Prius prime. Good observation!

[@paulpoco22]

​@@brianrupertitechnology & premium gets you the huge screen and JBL stereo?

[@Obsidion.ZX77]

I just want to say thanks (for the perfect explanation) waaoo ,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@brianruperti]

My pleasure!

[@archeewaters]

super useful!!! thanks so much :)

[@brianruperti]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kenyavazquez4091]

Thank you for this video!

[@brianruperti]

You’re welcome!

[@dancewomyn1]

Thanks...Excellent video, clear concise! :)

[@brianruperti]

Thank you so much! And you’re welcome my pleasure :-)

[@treeonelyons]

Very helpful. Thanks

[@brianruperti]

Glad to help!

[@MegaMijit]

i so badly want to buy this car bc i love the features and exterior, but the controversal interior is whats stopping me

[@brianruperti]

What are your other options you’re considering?

[@MegaMijit]

@@brianruperti other toyota PHEV's, or cheap EV's like chevy bolt or nissan leaf. theres also a great solar EV called Abtera that starts at 25k which no one is talking about

[@brianruperti]

Lots to decide between!

[@MegaMijit]

@@brianruperti none of them look sexier than the prius prime IMO and i like TSS 2.0. so maybe a corolla or camry PHEV would be ideal. its too bad the prius prime has such a controversial non-intuitive interior. everything else about it, and price point is great

[@brianruperti]

What about a rav4 prime?

[@marcodraven9778]

Great explanation 👌 thx

[@brianruperti]

Thanks for watching!

[@firasali4118]

Great video, full of information, thanks.

[@brianruperti]

Thank you! Glad I could help you if I did

[@MegaMijit]

wish the car's controls were more intuitive like a traditional gear shifter. and touch capacitive buttons SUCK compared to standard pushable buttons

[@thegoldenbowl5217]

I wish you showed how to fill up the gas

[@suetewksbury2620]

Thank you very much. Saved my life.

[@brianruperti]

!!! So glad I helped!

[@tjp7927]

Looks like a LE trim version of the PP.

[@brianruperti]

Correct

[@enfantdelapatrie51]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@brianruperti]

Thanks and you’re welcome!

[@1969MARKETING]

why would you be wearing a mask inside the car when you're by yourself? great video regardless.

[@brianruperti]

Thank you. At the time of filming we had a lot of customers freaking out about not having masks on because of germ spread onto car surfaces so we were asked to wear mask even if in car alone. I obliged. It was relevant at that time.

[@paulpoco22]

Hmmm our 2018 model has a huge screen

[@adrianotero7963]

The best feature of the LE is that it has Android auto....the others don't.....

[@brianruperti]

All Prius of that year have it

[@adrianotero7963]

@brianruperti I don't think so.....

[@HappyMyTime]

EXCUSE THE FUZZ 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@brianruperti]

🤣🤣🤣

[@phoneguru9614]

Why in mask?

[@brianruperti]

During time of filming we actually had clients call cops for not wearing them (outside) so the team made the decision to wear them all the time. That has since changed, but at that time it was crazy.

[@timmarkevich]

Thank you for the video, but… why the hell are you wearing a mask??

[@brianruperti]

long story short, at that time, we had cops called on us by customers for not wearing a mask standing outside. We had one person flip because a sales person was alone in a sold unit they bought because they thought the germs would go on the surfaces and get them sick.

[@timmarkevich]

@@brianruperti people are literally sick in the head. Stay sane!

[@brianruperti]

@@timmarkevich working on it! Thank you

[@tonyru303]

You are in a car by yourself. Why do you have a mask on?

[@brianruperti]

Because people literally called the state police on us for standing outside without a mask and for driving cars without a mask (alone). So in order to calm the panic, we all masked up to help clam those who were very fearful. It was a wierd time.

[@dodgecummins6181]

Why in the world are you wearing a mask by yourself in the car to film a video?

[@brianruperti]

Because many of my customers still are scared and I wear it to reduce their exposure to my breath. They feel better if me breathing all over the car is reduced with a mask, and I am willing to do that for them. But the mask mandates are loosening up and soon I will be going maskless for film!

[@brianruperti]

@@gregoireansari6651 Yes I understand what you mean. But it was a required at work and at that time, the cases were very high per day and I was willing to wear it. Just like traveling to Asian countries, doesn’t bother me. As long as people got the info that the video was made for, then I’m happy. Mask or not.

[@caedmonv55]

Car dealership. Not his car.

[@MrBenny127]

you talking to people on video, there no need to wear a mask

[@caedmonv55]

Car dealership. Not his car.

[@lloydhamner8444]

Wearing a mask muffles your voice.

[@brianruperti]

Sorry about that /:

[@ios6605]

The mask is totally ridiculous you’re by yourself doing a video 😷

[@brianruperti]

Please see my responses to others w the same comment :-)

[@brianruperti]

@@gregoireansari6651 The Prius came with a free mask 👌🏼

[@caedmonv55]

Car dealership. Not his car.

[@caedmonv55]

@@gregoireansari6651 So you'd be fine with losing 70 million people in a single year. Thanks for that information.

[@phsycopiano]

Take off the damn dust mask

[@brianruperti]

I want to! And with the restrictions ending it will be off :-)

[@phsycopiano]

@@brianruperti Cool. By the way I am planning on getting one of these cars soon

[@davidfeador4125]

mask wearing is a personal choice, wear it the rest of your life if you want to it certainly doesn t bother me

[@phsycopiano]

@@davidfeador4125 Now it is finally.

[@brianruperti]

@@phsycopiano did you get one!?

[@prenatalmassage5498]

Very very useful!