Summary
The Toyota Prius is a medium-sized saloon, famous for being the original hybrid car, with the original model first launched back in 1997 in Japan. This is the fifth-generation model, which is a plug-in hybrid and became available to order in the UK in Spring 2024.
The new Prius was not originally slated to come to the UK, but a combination of strong reviews from other markets and Toyota needing more plug-in hybrid sales to help its zero-emission government targets saw the company changing its mind.
Previous Prius generations were hugely popular for taxi drivers across the UK, and Toyota will be hoping that the new model will grab a chunk of this market once again.
Parker’s Keith Adams explains that the car “looks great inside and out, is devilishly efficient and even reasonably quick.”
“Shame there’s not much room in the back seats”, the Carwow team says, one of a few outlets that point out that rivals offer more rear headroom and boot space. Reviewers also note that, while the Prius can provide up to 44 miles of electric-only driving, other plug-in hybrid competitors offer a longer range on a single charge.
As of March 2026, the Toyota Prius holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 69%. This score is bolstered by good review scores and an excellent eco rating.
- Toyota Prius (2016 to 2022) – Expert Rating
- Toyota Prius Plug-in (2017 to 2022) – Expert Rating
- More Toyota Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
Prius highlights
- Efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain
- Quiet and comfortable driving experience
- Polished, user-friendly interior
Prius lowlights
- Restricted rear headroom
- Rivals offer a longer electric-only range
- Not many model options to choose from
Key specifications
Body style: Mid-size saloon
Engines: plug-in hybrid
Price: From £37,315 on-road
Launched: Spring 2024
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Sharp looks are matched by the best-ever driving experience to be found in a Toyota Prius.”
Author: Alex Ingram
Read review
Auto Trader
Score: 9 / 10
“The Toyota Prius is back, more stylish than before and successfully blurring boundaries between electric car and hybrid.”
Author: Dan Trent
Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It looks great inside and out, is good to drive, devilishly efficient and even reasonably quick. These are qualities not normally associated with the Prius, and mark a welcome change in direction for this popular family car.”
Author: Keith Adams
Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.6 / 10
“Forget its reputation as an Uber-driver favourite – it’s now a car aimed at private buyers and is much more fun to drive. The problem is, it’s not particularly practical, and a high entry-level price means some buyers will need convincing.”
Author: Charlie Harvey
Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
“Super-efficient hybrid with rock-bottom running cost potential – shame there’s not much room in the back seats.”
Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The car that started the shift to hybrid and EV power is much sleeker than ever before as the Toyota Prius adds style to its many other talents. It’s also enjoyable to drive rather than just worthy in the way earlier Prius generations were. This is a truly desirable car.”
Author: Al Suttie
Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The fifth-generation Prius Plug In might not be as practical as its predecessor, or more accommodating rivals, such as the Skoda Octavia, but we’re happy to trade a bit of space for some genuine desirability. More importantly, it offers an interesting choice in a family car market that’s reliable, dependable and available with up to 10 years of warranty cover.”
Author: Keith Adams
Read review
The Scotsman
Score: 10 / 10
“For eco-conscious buyers not quite ready to take the plunge into all-electric motoring, the Toyota Prius should be one of the cars at the top of your test drive list. And for the non eco-conscious? Honestly, it’s worth a test drive too.”
Author: Steven Chisholm
Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The fifth version of the petrol-electric exemplar is better to drive and even looks good – but other Toyota hybrids might suit you more.”
Author: Andrew English
Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“That it drives reasonably well, is tremendously efficient and has very useful electric-only range should ensure that interest in the Prius is strong. The price tag looks extortionate until you realise it undercuts most of the competition.”
Author: Joe Holding
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of March 2026, the fifth-generation Toyota Prius has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of March 2026, the Toyota Prius has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of March 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Toyota Prius to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Prius, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Fuel consumption | Average | Score |
| Plug-in hybrid models | 484 mpg | A |
| CO₂ output | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| Plug-in hybrid models | 15 g/km | A |
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| Plug-in hybrid models | 49 miles | D |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 31 | C |
| Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
| Year 1 | £220 | C |
| Year 2 | £518 | B |
| Year 3 | £851 | B |
| Year 4 | £1,008 | B |
| Year 5 | £1,318 | B |
| Overall | £3,915 | B |
The Toyota Prius is a reasonably affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
Only available as a plug-in hybrid, the latest Prius is very fuel-efficient, going by the data. That said, all plug-in hybrid models look amazing on paper, but this is largely thanks to ridiculous EU/UK government lab tests that are completely inadequate for plug-in hybrids. There is no way you will ever travel for 484 miles on a single gallon (4.5 litres) of fuel and some electricity…
Compared to other plug-in hybrids of this size, the car’s battery range is a little below average, and its insurance bracket is about average too.
The car’s servicing and maintenance costs for the first five years of ownership from new are good to excellent, too.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Toyota Prius
As of March 2026, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Prius. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Toyota dealer.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Toyota Prius has received.
2024
- Carbuyer Awards – Best Plug-in Hybrid
- Red Dot Design Award
- Top Gear Awards – Best Plug-in Hybrid
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Toyota Prius, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta | BMW 3 Series | Citroën C4 | Citroën C4 Cactus | Fiat Tipo | Ford Focus | Honda Civic | Hyundai i30 | Kia Ceed | Mazda 3 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | Mini Countryman | Peugeot 308 | SEAT Leon | Skoda Scala | Skoda Octavia | Toyota Corolla | Vauxhall Astra | Volkswagen Golf
- Toyota Prius Plug-in (2017 to 2022) – Expert Rating
- More Toyota Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Toyota Prius Plug-in at The Car Expert
Buy a Toyota Prius
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Lease a Toyota Prius
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Subscribe to a Toyota Prius
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