2015 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid – Test Drive, Spec, Rating, Price

The Prius is the hybrid car you want to buy… if you don’t mind the cold weather.

There are a plethora of hybrid choices out there, but the Prius was one of the first. Being the first certainly has its merits, but having a conservative mindset can also lead to a phase of decadence.

If it’s working, why change it? This has always been the cultural belief of the domestic giant, and the this directly reflects the Toyota Prius. For over a decade, the overall shape and form of the 5-door hatchback remains relatively unchanged. Even the colors of the Prius are mostly limited to various shades of gray. Despite its stale visuals, there are a few sparkling new features hidden inside the Prius.

New to the 2015 Prius lineup is the Plug-in hybrid model that uses a lighter 4.4Kwh Lithium Ion battery pack as opposed to its heavier nickel-metal-hydride battery pack in its standard model.

Not as good as free energy, but close

What’s new is the all plug-in hybrid option. That means, those that make short and frequent trips on a daily basis can enjoy automotive transportation without the expenditure of a single drop of gas. That is, if you drive conservatively.

It’s not impossible though. Toyota claims that with a single charge, the plugin-hybrid can travel up to 11 miles with the ability to accelerate up to 62 mph without ever tapping the engine on the shoulder to do more work.

Is this a spaceship?

This was the exact question one of my fellow passengers asked. Albeit difficult to avoid the eye roll, and if I had said yes, she just might grab onto the oh-shit handle in preparation for lift off.

Ok, maybe that was a bit over-exaggerated, but the Prius employs some space-aged stuff. Not one, two, or three, but there are four display screens in the cabin space. Bolted onto the front center panel are two massive retro-style illuminated displays showing a plethora of real-time vehicle statistics. And in the center console, there’s Toyota’s standard infotainment screen with a simple two-row screen to display climate control settings.

The cluster screen can be a bit visually mesmerizing at first, but you get used to it. What makes the Prius a unique driving experience is the additional vehicle data made available on the cluster screen to help make better driving decisions to increase fuel economy. For example, I can monitor the current fuel consumption, or how hard I’m working the engine to minimize fuel consumption on the Prius.

Catered towards the equator

The Toyota Prius seems to be better catered towards the equator crowd. And I get it – the Prius is the best selling car in California.

But because the engine was designed to either idle or shutoff the majority of the time, there is essentially no where heat can be generated for the cabin space. And the miniature 1.8L engine size doesn’t help either. The Prius is still smart enough to run its engine to generate additional heat on demanding conditions, but even a full heat blast had difficulties calming my goosebumps in a near freezing weather.

Its archaic hatchback design also has a very limited rear window visibility.

But if it’s hot outside, you’re in luck. New to the Toyota Prius is a remote air-conditioning system that can be activated from your key-fob.

Usability Driving Impressions

The growing number of EV stations has allured the attraction toward a plug-in hybrid option.

In the case of the Prius, a 1.5 hour charge from a 240V (or 3 hour charge from a conventional 120V outlet) can earn up to 11 miles in pure EV mode. It doesn’t buy you a lot of gas-free distance especially if you live in the States, but this can be a major hit for small city residence. But even without pure EV mode, the Prius can achieve an astonishing EPA rating of 50 mpg!

If you’ve ever ridden in a taxi, you pretty much have a good idea of how the Prius drives. Despite the hybrid complexity, the Prius drives very naturally with a low but relatively consistent acceleration. Throttle response is also very well tuned to allow the driver to precisely control how much power to pull from the electric motor and engine.

Overall driving impression of the Prius is numb. But it’s a car that’s very easy to drive thanks to its suspension setup that offers a decent ride quality and a relaxed steering.

Conclusion

The Prius isn’t as fully polished as other hybrid vehicles out there such as the Ford Fusion. But with a starting MSRP shy of just 30k, it’s difficult to argue against its flaws. There are a few minor quirks in terms of the user experience, but what matters most is its robust and reliable hybrid platform that delivers excellent fuel economy.