The 2024 Toyota Prius Prime Barely Makes Sense!

While commonly regarded as the best way to drive electric, there's one pretty notable disclaimer to the Prius Prime formula. Outside of that, I think this is one of the best plug-in vehicles you can buy for the money! Its closest competitors could be things like the Kia Niro PHEV and EV, Hyundai Kona Electric and Ioniq 6, Ford Escape PHEV and maybe the Fiat 500 EV. I'd also recommend you look at hybrids like the regular Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Corolla Hybrid or Hyundai Elantra Hybrid.
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[@dystopia-usa]

Good luck finding a Toyota dealership in the USA that doesn't want to financially molest you with prices well exceeding the MSRP on the OEM website builder tool.

[@abrahammc2125]

^^ There is a toyota in Oakland that has a huge 270ft by 70ft banner saying "NEVER PAY OVER MSRP". I had a friend get quoted 54k out of the door for the new prius. LOLLL

[@steveflor9942]

Longo Toyota, El Monte, Ca. MSRP only. $500 deposit. The line is long. I am in it for a 2025 Prime XSE. My 2005 Gen 2 turns 20yrs old. She's taken care of me very, very well.

[@Ahda108]

That's Model Y performance territory​@@abrahammc2125

[@rwgarchia5187]

@@abrahammc2125 looooooool jesus thanks for saving me the hassle dealing with oakland, local DG dealer wants 5-8k markups .-.

[@abrahammc2125]

@@rwgarchia5187 You gotta buy from LA or out of state. Bay area has been known for "their is an ass for every seat" since the early 2000s.

[@MaxPower-11]

Toyota needs to build these in the US so that it’s eligible for the tax credit.

[@syawkcab]

US made Toyota have terrible quality

[@escheidl]

@@syawkcab Oh I know. My US built 2018 Camry has been... hmmm.. wonderful? Can't think of any issues whatsoever. Can't even foresee anything coming up. It's just like every other Toyota I've owned for the past 48 years. In fact, I'm going to go so far as to say it's been the best Toyota I've ever owned. I don't think you can go wrong with Toyota's no matter where they're made.

[@surfingtothestars]

nah. you gotta go for the J vin numbers aka made in Japan

[@escheidl]

"gotta go for the J vin numbers aka made in Japan" Enjoy! 😃

[@jxmar_]

I would still buy this over a EV

[@dayoadeosun1520]

same here

[@Rhaman68]

Most excellent choice, for you shall taste the EV greatness and perhaps join the PHEV “avoid using the gas engine as much as possible” club. Data point. Electric drive is cheaper to operate EV mode does not “idle,” EV mode is quiet, EV mode’s “refueling” costs are invisible being part of the electric bill. Lastly, the ever so important convenience factor. Less visits to a gas station AND parts stores. So many have deduced that IF my daily/weekly/monthly drives are all under 40 miles AND the fuel purchased months ago is in the rank, why buy gasoline at all? Then, they get the EV concept. 2018 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV; 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV. It is deliriously satisfying not buying ga$$$-o-lean and not giving my money to hungry super rich oil companies. Best of luck. :)

[@vevenaneathna]

its a 2011 chevy volt, but instead of costing 7k it costs 8 times as much. just think of all the money you wont be saving. oh yeah theres depreciation while old volts keep increasing in value for some reason.

[@jeffmorse645]

You tower over that car. It must be fun to get in and out of for a tall person. Plus it sounds pretty noisy. Think I'd wait for a new 2025 Camry just for comfort's sake.

[@Realistick]

Refinement goes to the camry for sure! I’ll compare the two when I can.

[@Anhedonis]

It’s a car geared toward the yoga crowd. Because mastery of yoga is required to contort yourself in and out of the car.

[@kevinvoccia8715]

I’m 6’5” and have no problem getting in or out of the car. Nor do I feel I’m sacrificing comfort when driving.

[@jameswalsh6131]

Great review! Thank you for dumbing down (for lack of a better term) the actual numbers of EV cost per mile. I think many do not realize just how far they would have to drive to actually break even for the added $$. Great job and happy Memorial day weekend!

[@menguardingtheirownwallets6791]

The added price of the Prius Prime would take a driver 271,000 miles of driving to make up the added $5,000 cost of the Prius Prime over the regular Prius. But look at the base Toyota Corolla, it cost $7,000 less than the regular Prius, and it gets 41 mpg highway vs the Prius's 56 mpg highway. So if you are using these vehicles to commute to work and almost all of your driving is on the highway, the Prius would have to drive approximately 285,700 miles to equal the $7,000 price difference through fuel savings compared to the Base Corolla. That's why I would simply buy a base Toyota Corolla and not worry about the Prius.

[@DIYtryer]

Just curious cause I’d love to use your math when car shopping, Do you Have a formula or more detailed explanation of how you got your numbers? Cuase I’m looking for a commuter car and EVs / PHEV/s

[@dsr0116]

I'm very happy with my Prius Prime. When I saw the new designs and that the EV would be 40 miles I was sold: I just had to keep checking the Toyota site everyday to see an availability (in SE US, that has less allocations). Even though I'm in Atlanta, it was still a scavenger hunt: I finally did see a Premium trim that wasn't black (it's red) and I went up to make a deposit the day it was posted. To this day, the Primes are rare in the SE....but I think they're really the best for most people. I can run a full EV for a daily drive in Atlanta (charge standard electric overnight), and then when I want to drive interstate, I can go gas hybrid (because more of the region in the SE is all gas stations). I bought my Prime with cash...the only main thing I found the the Toyota dealerships is that now they're really pushing maintenance plans. I elected to decline with the dealership that was out of my way, and glad I did also as I had issues with a bubble in protective film, and I also had to take several trips to get my second FOB. So I did pay for an oil change with my first service: since that is important with the gas engines. It was $60. I know folks like to go on about service life of a Tesla vs other cars. Thinking the rest of my 2 years, I'll just keep with my complimentary service. I've seen that there are Tesla owners having to spend a lot of money replacing battery trains...and my head scratcher, why does Tesla insist you have to go through a menu in order to open the glove box?

[@consigno10]

I love my '21 Prime. That new design makes me jealous. 🥵

[@josephmikhael500]

Love your videos man, I hope you get 100k subscribers keep up the good work🔥

[@Realistick]

I appreciate that, thanks for watching!

[@dougcastleman9518]

Can’t even buy one, probably for the rest of the year, due to that recall.

[@homebrewGT2]

There's a recall?

[@chinito77]

Still the best EV/Hybrid on the market IMO. Makes more sense than going full EV and dealing with the messy charging infrastructure. I'm personally waiting for the GR edition. I want a little bit more power under that hood so driving can be more fun.

[@Rhaman68]

Aahhh yes, the dream car, 300 HP, 0-60 4.2 seconds, 75 mpg, all under “performance driving” category. But you do know it is a “dream.” Right?

[@steveflor9942]

You ignore the fact that a Prime can recover energy a standard Prius cannot. The Prime's 13.8 kWh battery is a true reservoir. The standard 1.1 kWh is a mode transition holding tank. A Prime can run intra-city for weeks without turning on the ICE. Avoiding the less efficient warm-up cycles ICE requires. My standard Prius with its 1.3kWh battery can descend only 200ft before fully charged. It wastes the rest of the energybon longer descents. Yes, I realize the Prime is about 300lbs heavier. So, require more energy to climb. LiOn said to lose 5% capacity per year. Guess I'll find out when I get my 2025 Prime. The line for them is quite long.

[@Realistick]

At best, in some scenarios it will match the mileage of the regular car when operating as a hybrid. You should be buying this to use it as an EV to begin with! I ran that calculation with 95 percent electric usage too, it still takes 200k miles to break even, but you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint so the trees and I thank you😎

[@steveflor9942]

@@Realistick Yes, exactly. Mostly in town. 45mph, usually. Easily surpass 40mis/charge. Very occasional Hwy use. At posted speed limits. Cheers

[@7728abbott]

Great breakdown of costs! Thanks!

[@normaninsandiego7061]

Nice car and review. I think I would stay with the Corolla LE and go full lawn mover transporting the well feed friends! Have a great weekend and I'm looking forward to the next review. 😊

[@MC-uy7el]

I owned a plug in hybrid. The main advantage for me is the flexibility of no range anxiety, less need for going to gas stations (every 6-8 weeks), far outweighs the advantage of gas savings. So dependent on your situation.

[@inrussian]

Which one would u recommend

[@CarlosMartinez-mr1qb]

Great Review!!!

[@Realistick]

Thanks!

[@mkadair]

Great review! No one does the math on these vehicles. Many times when you look at total cost of ownership these vehicles are less compelling.

[@Realistick]

Thanks, its argument really lies in powertrain response and reducing your own carbon footprint!

[@JulD.9032]

Really love the actual calculations that support your PHEV doesn't make sense position. Haven't seen many reviews that have actually crunched the numbers 🎉 (thanks for including our $5/gallon areas 😓🤦😆)

[@breakage959]

Amazing video 👏

[@ViperVisor]

If you can charge for free at work And also are on the run from the law and need to drive for 6 hours non-stop it makes sense.

[@Rhaman68]

Caveat not mentioned: Prius hybrid drivers DO NOT drive to get high MPGs, they drive like everyone else pushing the hybrid into lower MPGs. Then you say, would that not also be the case with PRime drivers? Yes, it would. The point: Prime owners invest in the EV portion, estimating 100% daily driving in EV Mode. In hybrid mode at 75 mph the unofficial minimum highway speed in the US, all cars suffer a heavy efficiency penalty. The financial numbers aside, the EV market has made the PHEV a non player as you point out simply because of US high speed driving. BTW, I have a PHEV and drive it to maximize efficiency, a Hyundai Ioniq. I also have a Hyundai EV, just to present credentials. The PHEV is mostly an EV in our situation. The goal? Zero emissions, cleaner air. We proudly state that goal.

[@wifi-YT]

You get all-front-doors (along with trunk) smart key and auto headlights on the XSE model.

[@Realistick]

Only the front doors and tailgate get it on the XSE (not the rear doors)! I only brought up the nuance here with SE because Ive never seen that kind of omission before with a proxy key setup🥸

[@wifi-YT]

@@RealistickAgree it’s a huge problem for SE, and that’s why XSE may be a very worthwhile upgrade, especially with its much nicer wheels (and home link garage door opener, Softex faux leather, parking assist, and 1/2” extra ground clearance).

[@barron204]

I want one but so does every taxi driver in my city.

[@abrahammc2125]

Those arent the real competition you have rn..... Its the smart rich asians, who know they can drive the piss out of it and sell it for a profit 2 years down.

[@genzigzag]

Love the no nonsense review. The standard hybrid seems to be the winning combination. Toyota is making a significant commitment to non plug in hybrids across the entire Camry lineup, Honda is doing the same with the Civic dropping their 1.5T motor in favour of 2.0l hybrid setup found in the Accord.

[@BoopSnoot]

Disagree, what is the point of working out so much if you aren't going to even dedicated a few seconds to pec bouncing? It barely makes sense!

[@dayoadeosun1520]

Great review. I have a Toyota Prius PHEV 2020 in the UK, and I agree with you. However, this PHEV makes more sense if you do a lot of miles and I mean well over 16K per annum and you charge it at home daily. This is the way I use the car.

[@alexdhutanu]

I would buy a Tesla 3 over this Prime. I have the 2022 Prius Prime model and is cheaper to run than current gen. And bigger. I paid almost half new for the 2022. Could not justify the price difference to Tesla then, now the Prime doesn’t make any sense financially. New Zealand

[@begley09]

​@@alexdhutanuexcept what you're getting with the Toyota that Tesla has yet to prove is reliability. The battery warranty on this model is an additional 2 years or 60000 km extra. So that tells you that they are really standing behind their battery and that it'll at least last 10 years.

[@mariner3485]

Good review! We'll probably/eventually get a Camry Hybrid (or a Toyota Hybrid SUV). I want comfort, more usable cargo space, and a higher ride-hight for easier entry/exit, but that 'A.I. Neurotic Mom' tech scares the ?!$$ out of me!

[@kyrosmike]

solar power for free.... yea add cost to what might save in 30 years, assuming panels don't get cheaper and more efficient by the years

[@extralock1045]

The Prius, and Corolla Hybrid are awesome cars. If I went with Toyota it would likely be the Corolla. Great review! Can you check out the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage please? It's one of, if not the most affordable new car.

[@macaron3141592653]

The pricing on these are insane. You can't get any in the NYC metro area for under $40k, which is insane for this type of car given that you can get into several EV's for around that much. If you can charge at home, you can probably make good use of a full EV too.

[@Yernie369]

Should have the old style glass trunk

[@connor3288]

If you invested the difference in price savings between hybrid and prime/phev, the difference would be even greater. And you also didn't take into account the added complexity of prime/phev, likely shorter brake and tire life, and the battery pack should cost alot more to replace when it goes bad, vs a regular hybrid battery.

[@rungavagairun]

8:45 I have owned a 22 PP for a couple of years and love it, but I will say, it does drive me a little crazy that the smart key doesn't work on the rear hatch or passenger door. I want to add that while you make some valid points with regard to the math for this car vs the standard Prius, using less gas is another consideration that some drivers are concerned about. I have driven my PP for 36k miles and my overall fuel economy average is more than 126 mpg. That makes a difference for the climate, especially if we can shift our electric grid away from carbon based energy and toward renewable energies. Okay, I got to the end of the video and you do mention this factor. I just think this is a factor more people should be concerned about. If you can only afford a hybrid and not a PHEV, cool. Go with a hybrid. If you can afford a PHEV, do that. If you can go EV and that works for you, go with an EV. But we can't keep buying vehicles that get 15-20 mpg. We're breaking the planet.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

I think you can program the fob to unlock all 5 of the doors with one press. This is our third Prius but first Prime. We have yet to drive it (1,400 miles so far), in hybrid mode. It's always in EV. Our hydro almost all comes from renewable sources. My in-laws had a 3rd Gen Prius. As you know, the Service Battery (12v), is under the floor in the hatch area. For some reason, their battery kept failing and required boosts. No big deal right ? Not so. With a dead battery you can't unlock using the fob. The only door with a mechanical lock is the drivers. So, you have use the emergency key to open that door, reach back and open a rear door, then lower the back seats. There isn't an inside hatch release (hatchbacks must be exempt from the law (in Canada), as most cars have to have an inside release. Anyway, you still can't get the hatch open. You have to crawl into the "trunk" and somehow lift the "floor" of the hatch while your laying on it. Very difficult to say the least. And finally, you need two sets of booster cables to reach the tiny Service Battery. Not sure if your 22 is set-up like this, hope it's not. In our new Prime at least the 12v is not under the floor so it would be a relative breeze to boost..............

[@rungavagairun]

@@TomLawlor-iq6gm I have programmed our PP to open all the doors with one button press. I have also enabled the option that will roll down all the windows when you press and hold the unlock button. That's a nice feature on hot days. Good to know about the 12v. Haven't had any issues with it yet.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

@@rungavagairun Yes, I thought it was possible to do that. Still ploughing through the 1,000 page (combined), owners manuals. Also, if you hold the drivers door handle (exterior), for 3 seconds all doors unlock as well. Or, one can use the Toyota app on your phone to open the hatch or all doors at once. Our new Prime has the same size battery as my in-laws 3rd Gen. It's way too small I believe. It will drain rapidly when your sitting in the car with the "ignition" set to Accessary listening to the radio. While doing so, you can see the 12v battery monitor on the Infotainment screen. In fact, the car will automatically shut off the Accessory setting after 20 minutes to preserve the charge.

[@user-ci8gz3ch8i]

@@TomLawlor-iq6gm When you leave the remote key (keyless entry system) at home, keep it at least 3 meters (10 feet) away from the car or the battery will go up/flat. When the remote key is brought within 3 meters, the electric power system will be activated. I am Japanese.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

@@user-ci8gz3ch8i Greetings from Canada, Thank you very much for your valuable input. I guess you are probably correct to point out that the fob and car communicate frequently even when the car is parked. I had not considered that fact. Factoring in the small size (and thus lower capacity), battery, that would certainly contribute to draining an idle Service battery. A problem made worse in winter. At our home the key fob hangs (when not in use), on a hook that's likely about 3 meters from the vehicle That would explain why I have noticed that often, when I collect my wife from work and am sitting outside, the battery gauge (indicated on the INFO screen shows a discharge of 50% after simply listening to the radio for a few moments. The "chit-chat" between the car and the fob has already lowered the charge even before leaving home. To address this issue I think we should install a Faraday box to house the key, that will block the communication between fob and computer. Here in Canada (all of North America really), it's not uncommon for owners (of any fob enabled cars), to use a Faraday box to foil criminals. Many cars have been stolen by thieves who use devices that allow them to operate the fob remotely and drive away with your car. We have now driven 3,991Km with our Prime and it is flawless. We have consumed a total of one tank of fuel. Kind Regards Tom

[@paulmarc-aurele5508]

In December 2019 I bought a 2020 Prius Prime with an OTD price of 27K. It was the most aggravating car buying experience I have ever had. It took 3 days for me to get the deal they advertised and confirmed 1/2 hour before arriving at the dealership. If I was a pushover they would have 2K of my money. I bought another vehicle and didn’t even consider a Toyota.

[@jamesvlambert]

Thank you, I agree. Plugging hybrids are the worst of both options - when you’re in EV mode you’re dragging around an unused ICE. When in gasoline only mode your dragging around a huge heavy battery pack. I’ve been driving Prius for years. My 2016 has a reliable traction battery about the size of a toaster oven. Neff said.

[@David_Journey]

I am living with a plugin hybrid SUV. Without much effort I am getting 42 mpg on average, which is great for a 3-row SUV. I get to visit the gas station once a month and charge at home. Yes, a full on EV would be great, but it would also way more, which is not realistic for my budget. If you do lot of shorter trips within EV range, PHEV makes sense. And for longer drives it still makes almost same MPG as a hybrid.

[@spammusubi9004]

this car makes sense at 28k max, and starting price of $22,000

[@Razzy_III]

It definitely doesn’t make sense over the non-prime if the calculation is just to save the difference in gas costs. But idk, let’s say I’m the type that’s done with a car by 100K miles. I’ve theoretically made up $1,850 out of the $5,025. Is $3,175 worth the extra oomph and low speed smoothness, the less frequent stops at gas stations overall? Over 7-10 years, I think so?

[@Realistick]

I think the surprise to me too was that the fuel savings is not what justifies the cost, it is that acceleration and the green factor. I'd still recommend the regular prius to more folks but for some, the prime has a strong argument (even if not a financial one)

[@XMG3]

in BC vancouver, this thing still has a 4 year waiting list and if one does turn up, be ready to spend $3 grand on dealer markup as required service package. Its not worth it at all

[@zerokool-2058]

I wish Toyota did this with the Corolla Hatchback! Here in the USA oh man I’ll get one right away. If this was named a Corolla it’ll sell more.

[@begley09]

Song Canadian here, I drive 164 km a day back and forth to my work. I have level 2 charging in my garage and level one charging at work. This means I'm roughly able to get about 120 km on EV range making it so it's most definitely worth the extra 5000 for a plug-in

[@Realistick]

As long as you aren't paying for the electricity, it should recuperate the funds!

[@begley09]

​@@Realistickelectricity is is kind of expensive here in Ontario. Depending on how you plan it out, we pay time of usage and it works out to 8 cents /kw

[@begley09]

​@@RealistickI'm really not sure what you got against it because I did the simple math and it certainly makes sense. Yes of course if worst case scenario goes where you have to replace a battery pack then none of this makes sense.

[@Realistick]

@@begley09 I don’t have anything against it, it’s a great car, I laid out why it doesn’t make financial sense in this video so I don’t have anything else to say.

[@begley09]

@@Realistick Yeah... maybe for some! Guess for some plug in certainly will make sense if you charge everyday. Price for fuel here is very expensive in Ontario.

[@Unchainedmaple888]

Honestly, regular hybrids just make way more sense. Companies like Mazda should stop focusing so much on super expensive plug ins and focus on improving regular hybrids to be even more powerful and fuel efficient. One way is to increase battery size and motor output by let's say like 10%

[@Realistick]

Id agree, i think Mazda does it because it looks better for their emissions😓

[@Unchainedmaple888]

You're so right about that. There's also Toyota's calculations that for every EV they build, they could've built 10 PHEVs or 100 hybrids. That means for every PHEV, Toyota could've made 10 hybrids.

[@fikes73]

As infrastructure grows, more people get solar, and house chargers increase, plug ins make more sense. Not there yet, but we will be

[@DearSX]

Makes a lot of sense to me. I usually just drive 10 miles each way in the morning, don't need gas most days.

[@Realistick]

Even if you only drove EV, it still wouldn't make financial sense for nearly 200,000 miles (given you are paying for your electricity), it makes the most sense if your goal is to reduce emissions!

[@gymjoedude]

We need the Yaris hybrid with 80mpg plus and cheap in Europe and Australia.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

We had a Prius C for 12 years. Our best milage was around 55mph (in summer). The Model C was the same size and shape as a Yaris. With their current Tech., a hybrid Yaris would not get 80mph.

[@ifzarik]

nice!

[@wholeNwon]

Well-written and very well-presented review...as usual. I did the math last year and came to the same conclusion.

[@Realistick]

Thank you! The math caught me off guard. I love the powertrain, but the Prime made me appreciate the regular Prius even more (especially as electricity charges inflate).

[@dayoadeosun1520]

I feel the prime would win if you drive 20k plus miles per year and you charge daily at home or you tax incentives.

[@hollypark2752]

PHEV for most people only made financial sense with some sort of incentive. The real premium is actually higher than $5k as dealers mark up the primes like crazy at the moment. If one can drive most if not all of the miles in EV mode and you got free charging, might as well go for a full EV and pay less with tax incentives. but of course, its not a toyota.

[@esqu1re]

I couldnt justify the amount of money they wanted for a regular prius. Bought a manual jetta. Gets an average of 44mpg on my 100 mile round trip commute and paid less than 25K out the door. We will see about long term reliability, but I have the price difference invested. 😅

[@terrancecloverfield6791]

I would've loved to try out the XSE Premium with that solar roof. It's a stupid idea, but I want to be able to talk about it 10 years later and say how stupid it was. And how far we could come. I've been spoiled by the AWD of EVs, but well.....haha.

[@Parker--]

Right now it's the same to get a used Tesla Model 3 in my area than it is a used 2023/2024 Prius. Used cars are going well over MSRP of new cars. The cost of markups is too damn high.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

I think your review is fair but (for us anyway), your operational cost breakdown is incorrect. We finally got our 2024 Prime ten weeks ago after a 21 month wait. Yes, we ordered a 2022 and wound-up with a 24 ! Had to pay for two model year price increases and, lost 2 grand on trade-in value for our 12 year old Model C Prius. However, here in Canada the Prime does qualify for a $5,000 rebate, so, the extra cost for the Prime vanishes. It also helped that the local dealer sold the car right at the MSRP. Our intention with buying a Prime (our third Prius but first PHEV), was to run in EV Mode as much as possible. With our first two cars we averaged around 4.4 liters per 100Km (53.45 MPG), great milage for sure. But, gas here is currently at close to $7.00 CAD a US Gallon. Hydro currently costs us .1325Kwh. That means we can charge from "dead" (the Traction Battery has a charge buffer at both the lower and higher ends, so, you only have access to around 70% of the battery storage, about 9.52Kwh), to full with 9.52Kwh's worth of hydro. That works out to $1.26 for power to go 50 miles. Our Prime is averaging 80KM (50 M), on a charge. As good as the regular Prius is on fuel, I'm sure you can't drive 50 miles on $1.26 worth of gas. We figure we'll drive 9,123 miles per year (14,600Km). We are retired so we don't drive a lot. Running in EV Mode all the time would cost us $ 229.95 for hydro per year. The same distance with gas would cost us $1,204.92 in a regular Prius. That's around $1,000 a year in savings with a Prime. As we plan to have this car for ten years the extra money we paid for the Prime would be paid back twice over. And remember, our rebate cancelled the premium we paid for the bigger battery. We are considering buying a Level 2 charger to replace the standard Level 1 that comes with the Prime. As a Level 2 uses 220VAC it's cheaper to charge and faster. A Level 2 for a BEV runs about $3,000 plus install. But a Level 2 for a Prime can be purchased for about $300USD. Cheers

[@Realistick]

In Canada it seems to be a no brainer with that rebate! My calculations are all US based as we no longer have any rebates. It’s still cheaper to run the prime in the US, but the recuperation time for your money upfront is much longer here. Still, better than most PHEVs, but that’s a topic for another video!

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

@@Realistick Hello Again, In Canada the rebate depends on your location as the funds come from both federal and provincial purses. With a BEV you get at least $7,000 everywhere. In some provinces you even get $7,000 for a PHEV. At .1325Kwh people here are always complaining about the cost. So, I was astonished to learn (from comments on videos on this site), how much hydro costs in some states. Well above .30Kwh in places. At those rates we'd have to reconsider a Prime for sure, especially sans a rebate. We've driven 1,400 miles (over 2,200Km), on the first tank of gas and it's still 1/3rd full. For some odd reason the gas engine has been starting when I can see no reason for it to start. For instance, this morning I drove my wife to her post retirement part-time job. To get there involves descending from an elevation of 500' to sea level. At the bottom of that hill is a stop sign. Rolling up to it at 35mph with a 100% charge in EV Mode (and still going down hill), the engine started. It then ran for the next 3 or 4 minutes. I don't understand why. It was not necessary. By the way; strange, but if you look under those plastic hubcaps you will find a fine set of wheels, not the plain stamped wheels usually found behind caps.

[@cliffli1165]

The car is almost perfect, i just hope they do something about the ugly headlights, its hedious! Also the wait time is unbearable, i was told to wait more than a year for it.

[@mrnarason]

I think the main issue is that if you use the electric only most of the time, why not just get a full electric car? The plug-in hybrid version only makes sense if you can only have one car, and you also do road trips a few times a month.

[@begley09]

Well I think it comes down to reliability. A Tesla is very expensive on insurance where is this isn't.

[@cfldriven]

Americans have range anxiety despite almost never driving enough to exceed it in an EV.

[@captiantim1]

Im getting a new Camry 😊

[@ballathug8404]

Test drove one and wasn't impressed. Noisy engine and road noise. Cargo space not great. But it gets good mpg

[@vikvc]

The Prius at 25k CAD after tax makes sense, but not at 55k CAD before fees and taxes.

[@alanpeyrot6471]

I can't buy an EV even though they are cheaper here (In Mexico) because there aren't a lot of charging stations outside big cities and main roads, it limits me a lot, that's why I prefer a PHEV or just a hybrid.

[@bleaujos9927]

Definitely not a car for you with all the negatives you throw away. But, the perfect car for me !

[@DDGreyduck]

Mazda CX 90 plug in hybrid is similar pricing structure. They want 5-9k premium over the gas version for 26 miles of range. Makes no sense to buy that.

[@Realistick]

I agree, except there is the lease credit which makes it weirdly cheap🤓

[@DDGreyduck]

@@Realistick yes! Another weird quirk of the law right? It’s very strict if you buy…not many vehicles qualify. If you lease they let you get it on any car! That is as long as the OEM passes the saving to the consumer. So in 24-36 months should be lots of cheap used hybrids maybe?

[@Realistick]

@@DDGreyduck There could be! Though the buyout might be cheap enough that people might actually hold onto them. Who knows, the used market is going to be extremely odd in the next 5-10 years.

[@channeltest6261]

our EV charging price at home is 0.38/kwh to 0.66/kwh..averaging 0.44 / kwh. Gas price is $5.00. Either way we are screwed. The national average price sounds too good for us.

[@Realistick]

Oh wow, even at 5 dollars a gallon, those charging costs would make most internal combustion cars cheaper to run than full evs

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

Jesus in the garden............... .38 ~.66. Where are you ? Here, we pay .1325Kwh and people are out of their minds over that amount. But, we do pay close to $7.00 a gallon for regular gas. We can get a full charge with our 24 Prime for way under $2.00 and drive 80Km (50 m), on that. Enough for our normal daily chores but if not the hybrid part is there.

[@johnminichielli8957]

You didn't figure in the lost opportuning cost of the extra $5K. Just put that $5K in a money market fund and it will pay you $250/yr , thus making the prime more expensive to drive than the standard Prius.

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

I wanted a Prius Prime phev, but bought a Tesla instead. Always better to pollute the air LESS if you can and most of just use our cars mostly for grocery grabbing.

[@jazzfan7491]

Very smart math

[@pointsource1]

I got ripped off by Sun Toyota but I love Toyota.

[@camgere]

I'm not buying the cheapest car I can. At an average price of $47,000, neither is the average buyer. My daily drive is less than 20 miles, mostly city. I would like to upgrade my hybrid Prius to a PHEV Toyota.

[@Realistick]

It's one of the best green cars I can think of (even if the regular prius is a better value)!

[@Fireballsocal]

Add a HV battery replacement after 15 years or so and you will see that the cost to upgrade to the prime doesn't make sense financially. I'm not sure if fuel savings in a standard hybrid recoups the battery replacement cost in them either fwiw. I am leasing a '23 prius xle and it is a fantastic car. I don't think I would buy one new however.

[@thunderb00m]

You know what does makes sense ? Used phev. Especially a used honda clarity. You get 4k in federal tax credit for used phev and ev.

[@brandononbrand]

No heated seats on SE… not even an option… other base Toyotas have heated seat option.

[@begley09]

In Canada the SE has heated front seats

[@brandononbrand]

@@begley09 I'm in the US, so that really chaps my hide ... When all I wanted was to char my hiney on some cloth seats and 17" wheels

[@ilollipop100]

Toyota is far more interested in selling regular Prius compared to the plug in.

[@MrKrugoval]

You are a US version of Autogefühl.

[@ishmamrahman877]

Plug in hybrids don't make sense. The reason to buy hybrids over ev is to save money without the hassle of charging and range anxiety.

[@sidehide1]

It makes more sense than your haircut

[@Realistick]

Well played😂 but I think your real beef is with Algebra🤕 it’s a great car but it doesn’t make financial sense over the regular Prius unless you’re not paying for the electricity.

[@Scottwilliamson-bi3vi]

I have a 2019 prime and I plug-in every chance I get.Ohio electric is cheap

[@begley09]

The other reason a Prius Prime can make sense is the $5,000 government rebate that you get when buying one

[@Realistick]

No longer applicable, at least in the US!

[@begley09]

​@@Realistick oh, so currently in Canada the Prius Prime Plug in is actually cheaper then the Prius Hybrid AWD. You're not getting the XSE package but you're getting a plug in EV at a cheaper price with $5,000.00 gov rebate. Today I just signed one out the door pricing of $43,075.00 CAD or $31,479 USD.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

@@begley09 I think that in BC and NS you'd get more than $5,000 someone told me. And, get this; here in NL, if you buy a used EV you, as a second owner also will get a government rebate ! I'm not sure if it's the same elsewhere. The rebate was the deciding factor when we ordered our 24 Prime. I know lots of people complain about the rebate program, but governments need to do more to make PHEV's "reachable" for more of the population. We would have bought an EV, but, here an entry level unit costs $60,000. The Prime was a lot less than 2/3d's of that and we can use it as an EV. Here's government action; a few years ago I visited Norway for an AGM. My work counterpart collected me at the airport with a Tesla X. In Canada that rig is priced around $120,000+, so like everything else in Norway, would have been more expensive. I knew the man enough to ask, "why spend so much for a car". He replied "if I had not gotten this SUV, I'd have purchased a G Wagon and that would have cost me $350,000 CAD". I said "in Canada the "budget" G Wagon goes for half that". Then he explained that in Norway, all ICE cars are taxed at 100%, all EV's are 0%. So for him the X was a huge bargain. Lots of EV's in Norway.

[@AM-jw1lo]

I won't buy a car that looks at me and then nags it can't see me (ie when conditions make the camera not work as intended). I don't like all the nag alarms that are already in place, i won't pay to have more.

[@tonypeng1815]

For $16,000 you can get the latest BYD Qin L with better MPG & bigger car & better equip. Prius is a rip off

[@escheidl]

Just get a Camry LE hybrid and be done with it.

[@terrancecloverfield6791]

Well...for those that are still fond of Sedans, yes! I'm hoping for something with a bit more ...utility.

[@escheidl]

@@terrancecloverfield6791 Oh me too. I long for the day that Toyota makes a "proper" station wagon of the Camry. One like they had in the 80's and 90's with a nice long floor space. Not a RAV4 or even the new Signia that have bloated fuel robbing SUV bodies and high unattainable price tags for many. But a station wagon that is 100% Camry with a proper squared off back that affords excellent cargo capacity with a minimal hit on fuel economy. And if they offer it at all trim levels they would sell off the charts. Imagine an affordable wagon in LE trim for young families that need the versatility but can't swing a 50k price tag. A base Camry LE wagon should be attainable for under $34k easy.

[@Parker--]

NFL kickers don't make a 5th of the average starting player, and receive constant criticism unless they are perfect and will be replaced if they aren't successful 95% of the time.

[@Realistick]

Ouch, I was just making a joke but now I feel bad for kickers. Though they don’t get the brain injuries so I suppose they have the last laugh 🤠

[@Parker--]

@@Realistick And on average still make $800k so I don't exactly have a ton of sympathy for them either. I mean, they make almost 7 figures to kick a ball, but yeah it's not the cushiest job; that would be IG model lol.

[@TheredmanMf]

Guys he ain’t lying about his elementary handwriting😂😂

[@Realistick]

I've always been a truther 😤

[@brandononbrand]

Shame on Toyota for forcing 19” wheels and pleather seats on us just to get heated seats and other basic features. I want the features of the XSE but with the 17” wheels and cloth seats.

[@davidglad]

PHEV seems like another FrankenCar made possible only by government incentives, but also why it's most easily found in those specific markets. Considering you will need to consume gasoline at some point to avoid it going "stale." And the Prius Prime that gets a few miles of range a day off a solar panel that costs 600 more sure sounds like another for the mathematically-challenged lol!

[@David_Journey]

PHEV makes more sense for SUVs, where it helps increase fuel economy, and they are already higher priced. In small cars like Prius the premium of PHEV sticks out even more as the base price is lower

[@pouryy7362]

It worth every penny

[@Realistick]

I'd agree if you're trying to minimize your carbon footprint and you want a more responsive powertrain!

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

Poor visibility , neither makes sense .

[@JP-nl6lb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYaQmoyKbc-mbKcfeature=shared&t=416 < I'm dead!

[@Realistick]

It’s honestly absurd, I was hoping an owner would catch that

[@z1az285]

no its absolutely not worth it, especially when compared to the 2025 LE or SE camry with AWD optionno rear vents? no AWD??Worse visibility than the Camry. no thanks

[@nicholasfigel4708]

Its about turning away from fossil fuels, not jus the immediate economic calculation.

[@David_Journey]

It’s also about stopping to speculate that cheap foreign gas will last forever and admitting that US government has no long term control over gas prices.

[@Realistick]

Yep, that was the conclusion of the video, I start off with the calculations because there’s a pretty big misconception that the PHEV will save you money over a regular hybrid.

[@David_Journey]

@@Realistick if traffic gets stop and go, PHEV will best a hybrid. It will have enough battery to run the A/C for a long time. Los Angeles traffic creeping at 5-15 mph gives better results for a PHEV than Hybrid in real world. Hybrid battery will run out of juice in this scenario when the car is stopped and cannot generate enough energy to recharge the minuscule battery. But EPA MPGs obscure this scenario

[@trillreef]

It’s a Prius I still hate it

[@terrancecloverfield6791]

I love it, especially the 2023+ one now that has a better 0-60 at 7ish seconds, compared to the older 10+ of the older 1.8L

[@MrBobbyBrown2006]

Honestly, I don't know why anyone who buy the Prius in general. A Tesla is about the same price when you consider the rebates. The Prius is a wildly overpriced vehicle. A vehicle that is supposed to be economical and save you money is insanely expensive out the gate. Doesn't make any sense.

[@Realistick]

I think teslas serve their purpose but a prius has many upsides like longevity, resale value, controls that don’t make you want a lobotomy! And depending on how expensive your electricity is, even with expensive gasoline, a prius won’t really cost more to fuel. Maybe I’ll crunch some numbers on that in specific and make a video on it!

[@BoopSnoot]

Per consumer reports latest mass scale reliability report, powertrains from most reliable to least reliable are: HEV > ICE > EV > PHEV... so avoid PHEVs for a variety of reasons.

[@BoopSnoot]

Basically, get the 2025 Civic hatchback hybrid instead!

[@Realistick]

Id agree that PHEVs should theoretically be at the bottom of a reliability list but the list is likely skewed a little as many unreliable brands put out PHEVs and EVs whereas the more dependable brands tend to put out more hybrids (like toyota and honda)! The need Civic hybrid looks great, im going to do my best to compare it to the prius!

[@Sammy-uv1kl]

Green scam

[@paulgemperlein626]

Ah yes PHEV, the worst of both worlds. All the fun of having to get a garage charger installed and plug your car in every time you park with none of the benefits of all-electric like less maintenance, Camp/Dog Mode, etc. Would actually be very worth it if you could just use the battery for Camp/Dog Mode and drive using only gas because then PHEV would actually be more capable than ICE or electric, with the range to get places and the battery to camp once you get there. Instead they just pretend PHEV is cheaper because bonehead legacy auto makers are too dumb and/or conservative to innovate in interesting ways.

[@TomLawlor-iq6gm]

You don't need a Level 2 charger in your garage (but, if you want one, you can). The Prime comes with a 115V charge system. Our first oil change was booked when we collected the Prime in March. It's scheduled for next March.

[@trex1448]

Not worth it. Get a Tesla or Ioniq 5

[@ccvr6]

Just get a Tesla. Their purchase process involves no humans. Don’t have to worry about and of the usual dealership games. This body style Prius should have been at least AVAILABLE as a pure EV to compete with the Model 3. Lost opportunity.

[@danymanchster1759]

idk why toyotas feel so cheep while costing so much

[@Anhedonis]

Your math is wrong if you compare an LE to an SE prime. Be fair.

[@Realistick]

You should research which one is the base trim of each. LE is to SE what XLE is to XSE.

[@fredEVOIX]

car manufacturers won't admit but know EV don't work so for 2025 they are all switching to plugin hybrids, big mistake a PHEV is still an EV you have the same heavy dangerous and very exposed under the car battery, it's price in case of replacement and the charging problem, HEV are the way especially those of Toyota

[@JacesOwnWorld]

I can’t believe there’s a large enough market of people willing to spend over $35k for a Prius. Ridiculous

[@BoopSnoot]

Bruh, average price of a new vehicle is $48,000. Dealerships were looking at me like Oliver Twist when I said I was shopping for new vehicles under $30K.

[@figmo7494]

Believe it MF’er!! 😅

[@zerokool-2058]

@@BoopSnoot I got my car under 30K and is amazing. Corolla Hatch XSE.

[@faikerdogan2802]

What's there not to believe it's an amazing car. And if gas price just increases a little it changes the math a whole lot. And especially if u compare to normal car rather then worlds most efficient hybrid. Also if u have solar.

[@menguardingtheirownwallets6791]

I asked ChatGPT this question: ((( "If a 2024 Toyota Prius gets 56 mpg on the highway, and the 2024 Toyota Corolla gets 41 mpg on the highway, and gasoline cost $3.75 per gallon, and both cars drive 10,000 miles per year. The Prius cost $7,000 more to buy than the Corolla. How many miles would the Prius have to drive so that it's fuel savings over the Corolla would be equal to the extra $7,000 price of the Prius over the Corolla? And how many years of driving would this be equal to?" ))) To which Chat GPT gave me this answer: (((To determine how many miles the Prius would need to drive to equal the $7,000 price difference through fuel savings, we need to calculate the fuel cost for both cars and then figure out how many miles would equalize the cost difference. Step-by-Step Calculation Results: For the Prius: MPG: 56 Miles per year: 10,000 Fuel cost per gallon: $3.75 Annual fuel consumption for the Prius: ≈178.57 gallons Annual fuel cost for the Prius: ≈$669.64 For the Corolla: MPG: 41 Miles per year: 10,000 Fuel cost per gallon: $3.75 Annual fuel consumption for the Corolla: ≈243.90 gallons Annual fuel cost for the Corolla: ≈$914.63 Calculate the annual fuel savings for the Prius: ≈$244.99 Calculate the total number of miles driven to break even: =285,700 miles Summary The Prius would have to drive approximately 285,700 miles to equal the $7,000 price difference through fuel savings. )))

[@Realistick]

That's a cool calculation though the Prius is also just a much nicer car than the Corolla! If you were looking for the most frugal toyota, the Corolla Hybrid LE/XLE is where it's at! (break-even is like less than 5 years)