The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced is a ball of technology and style wrapped up into one serious ride. The first thing that stood out to me was the interior of the vehicle. I mean don’t get me wrong the exterior looks great. Its color is Titanium Glow/ Ash and has a futuristic look and feel but, when you get inside the car I was blown away by the SofTex Trim heated front seats. The rear seats have a 60/40 split fold down option with center console. Oh… The interior is black & white! It looks so GOOD!
You can’t miss the Head-Up Display (HUD) or the 11.6 inch HD multimedia display with premium JBL audio with navigation. You also have access to the Entune app suite, backup camera, 10 speakers and Bluetooth. I won’t deny that I spent a lot of time playing with the multimedia display and all it had to offer. I really enjoyed seeing the vehicle performance on the screen while you’re driving. It also gives you a few options of how you can view it and explains exactly what you are looking at and how the energy is being used.
My learning curve was definitely the gear shift. It’s placed right under the multimedia display and you need to be in neutral before switching gears. It’s set up a little differently than a regular gear shift being (park, reverse, neutral and drive). The Prius is set up with Reverse, Neutral, Drive and a Braking feature as well as a separate button for when parking. Needless to say I was turned around until I found my groove. So, once I had everything down I decided to head to the beach and take a mini road trip!
Did I mention that the engine is so quiet that you have to do a double take to see if you even started the car! It has push button start with remote entry as well as a three door smart key system. Let’s talk about this almost very silent engine for a moment. I honestly said on more than one occasion… Is it on?!?! Lol! First and foremost the Toyota Prius Prime advanced is a hybrid vehicle which runs off of electricity and gasoline. Imagine how much you can save when you decide to just plug-in!
You’re equipped with a hybrid synergy drive system, 1.8 liter 4-cylinder Aluminum DOHC 16-valve with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) EV/ECO/POWER Modes; 95 hp @ 5200 rpm (71 kW @ 5200 rpm) 105 lb. ft @ 3600 rpm (142 N.m @ 3600 rpm). Active grille shudder, 15†alloy wheels with covers, electric power steering and 4 wheel disc brakes. You get (EPA Estimated) up to 54 mpg with gasoline and when you charge EPA Estimated 133 MPGe. There’s an EPA-Estimated 640 total driving range.
I had a very smooth ride to the beach. It took roughly two hours to drive to Wilmington, NC from RTP and I have no complaints! The blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert is a great feature. I enjoyed listening to the radio and then switching to streaming music from my sons iPhone. I also liked the wireless smartphone charging feature for Qi-compatible devices. It comes in handy when you are traveling with a few people and everyone needs to charge. There was a USB and 12 V outlet for charging as well as an aux cord adapter.
The Toyota Prius Prime is stylish, efficient and full of all the conveniences you like and need. It has everything from the stylish LED headlights with auto on/off along with the fog and accent lights. I’m so excited about the heated power outside mirrors. That’s such a time saver in the winter when your mirrors are all frosted! The trunk is fairly spacious and has a privacy screen since the rear is glass and you don’t want everyone looking at what’s in your trunk. It came in very handy at the Mall!
Let’s Talk Money: You save around $4000 in fuel costs over 5 years and spend about $600 annually. I spent $20.00 to fill it up! The MSRP is $33,100.00 for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced.
I had a last driving the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime! I even lucked out because we stayed at the Homewood Suites – Mayfaire and they had an electric vehicle charging station available to their guests!
What do you think about the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced Hybrid?
Disclosure: I received the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced on loan for 7 days to facilitate this auto review. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and completely my own. #DriveToyota #Partner