The undersigned had the honour of being among the first journalists to see Toyota’s first-generation hybrid drive in a Quebec winter. It’s the turn of the millennium and the automotive world is about to notice a whole new vocabulary: electric motors, hybrid propulsion, fuel consumption of less than 4. 5 l/100 km. . .
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At the time, of course, the Prius was a compact sedan — by today’s standards, perhaps even a subcompact one — and not very pretty. It had only one competitor: the Honda Insight. But while the Honda Insight was to enjoy a rollercoaster career, the Toyota Prius saw its popularity soar — even a certain Leonardo Di Caprio chose it to cruise the boulevards of Los Angeles.
Whatever the reason, about five million Priuses have been sold worldwide in the last 25 years. Popular, fuel-efficient, affordable, and with a Canadian value that has long been under $30,000 — there are plenty of reasons to park a Prius in your driveway. . There was almost the whole look.
At least, until now. The fifth-generation Prius (and its plug-in version, the Toyota Prius Prime) is a revelation. Perfecting its hybrid expertise, the Japanese automaker has succeeded in infusing the car with what it lacked: power. Abandoning the 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, which delivered just 121 horsepower, the new Toyota Prius has (finally!) entered the modern era with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Still using the Atkinson cycle and paired with the continuously variable CVT transmission, it delivers 196 hp (or even 220 hp in the PHEV variant). In short, it boasts practically double the power.
Despite this, Prius fuel consumption remains one of the most frugal on the market, with combined city and highway fuel consumption of 4. 8 l/100 km for the “traditional” hybrid. The Prius Prime, on the other hand, claims up to 72 kilometers of electric diversity between rates and a fuel consumption of 1. 8 Le/100 km. (For more details on what this next-generation Prius has to offer, read here. )
With more power, more range, and better-equipped models, it’s not surprising that prices have kept pace. Whereas the previous-generation hybrid was (still) available as a base model for under $30,000, the new 2024 Toyota Prius is now available only with all-wheel drive, and only in two, top-of-the-range variants.
For example, the “entry-level” Toyota Prius XLE AWD is priced at $40,365 and the Prius Limited AWD is priced at $46,465 (Ontario price). You read that right: If you think you can get a new Prius for less than $40,000, all expenses included even before taxes, you still haven’t known how much car costs have risen over the past 18 months. As for a 2024 Toyota Prius Prime with charging to charge, its features range from the SE (starting at $42,265) and XSE (starting at $46,965) to the XSE Premium (starting at $50,765).
These are costs that are not too far from those of the new Toyota Crown, as we will see below. The Toyota Crown doesn’t ring a bell (yet)? Well, this car is kind of automotive royalty.
For starters, it was one of the first Japanese-made cars to arrive in North America in the late 1950s, a continent it abandoned more than a century ago (1972). It is also one of the oldest Toyota models; Launched in 1955 as the Toyopet Crown, the “Crown” is the second oldest of the patriarchal Land Cruiser.
So, the Crown that most of us are seeing for the first time on this side of the Pacific is actually the car’s 15th generation. And while it retains the architecture of a car, it wears the attire of an SUV, including (slightly) higher ground clearance and (very much) contrasting rocker panels. At a time when more and more SUVs are adopting the flowing silhouette of two-door coupes, the Crown goes against the grain by giving itself the air of a crossover. And, like the non plug-in Prius, this new full-size sedan has only two variants on offer. Both are hybrids and both have all-wheel drive… but that’s where the similarities end.
On the one hand, you have the 2024 Toyota Crown Limited (starting at $55,205), with its 2. 5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 236 horsepower thanks to a CVT and e-AWD transmission. And on the other hand, you have the Toyota Crown Platinum (starting at $64,905), equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine (2. 4 liters) capable of generating 340 horsepower, 400 pound-feet of torque, and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5. 8 seconds. Toyota’s new “high-performance” Hybrid Max engine features a six-speed automatic transmission and, this time, permanent all-wheel drive.
Admittedly, this all-powerful variant of the Toyota Crown at the moment probably won’t appeal to Prius buyers. But if you’re walking through Toyota’s showrooms looking for a hybrid car, and you’re taking the plunge in the face of emerging costs after a pandemic and chip shortage surely hit us: here’s why (and for how much money) it might make more sense to favor Corona.
For its sexy silhouette: Throughout our test drive, we received a lot of praise for the sleek and flowing silhouette of the new Prius. Almost each and every one of us thinks the car is sexy. Some have even discerned the rear finish of a Tesla. Regardless of the origin of its new beauty, every time someone stopped to talk about the hybrid, the same question kept coming up: “Is this a Toyota?Oh, really?
For its frugal fuel consumption: As mentioned earlier, the Toyota Prius is one of the most frugal vehicles on the road — electrified or not. Officially, its city and highway fuel consumption ratings, as reported to Natural Resources Canada, are 4.8 L/100 km and 4.7 L/100 km respectively.
Generally speaking, in real life, our cars consume more than advertised, but with the Prius, the difference is minimal. Between the mountainous Laurentians and urban Montgenuine, where we drove for two weeks, our test Prius had a combined fuel burn of 5. 3 L/. 100 kilometers.
For its rechargeability/electric range: As you may have understood, the above considerations refer to the “traditional” hybrid Prius. The Toyota Prius Prime, which can store up to 72 kilometers of electrical power. Tested in similar road conditions, i. e. in the mountains and in the city, the plug-in hybrid showed almost zero fuel consumption. And that’s the appeal of PHEV cars: electric propulsion for their use and a backup fuel engine for long trips. Say what you will, but driving 525 miles and only having to pay $22 in fuel to refuel is hard to beat.
After reading the above paragraph, one would think that his favorite pick is the Toyota Prius Prime, right?This is especially the case in Quebec, where provincial and federal rebates that encourage “green” purchases reduce your bill by $7,500. Except that the Toyota Prius Prime can’t come with all-wheel drive. In our opinion, this protective feature is just as essential for winter driving as winter tires are.
For this reason, and because low inventories mean you’ll have to wait months for delivery of any plug-in model, we suggest opting for the classic Prius Hybrid, and its best-equipped edition.
Admittedly, there’s a big $6,100 gap between the Toyota Prius Limited AWD (starting at $46,465) and the “entry-level” Toyota Prius XLE AWD. But for that sum, you get a larger central display (12. 3-inches versus 8-inches); the canopy (though fixed); ventilated front seats; heated rear seat; the panoramic view monitor that makes parking easier; force open the tailgate; and the wireless charger, which is especially attractive in the Prius because of its vertical layout.
Still, before you buy a Toyota Prius for roughly $45,000, as is true with us, you should take a look at the new Toyota Crown. Here’s why.
For its (greater) soundproofing: Overall, we found the Crown to be a better tourer than the Prius. And it starts with greater soundproofing of the cabin: since we are dealing with a car with the trunk closed, and a hatchback like the Prius. , the Crown barely allows road noise into the cabin. In addition, the Toyota Crown is supplied with more insulation, acoustic glass, and sealing materials, all of which act as sound barriers than the Prius.
For its more docile suspension: Without detracting from the Toyota Prius, a revised suspension calibration improves the damping and ride comfort of the (larger) Crown sedan. Undoubtedly, the comfortable front suspension pads, polyurethane-coated coil springs, and reinforced seat supports make a wonderful job of cutting out tremors and vibrations.
As for the driving position: in the Toyota Crown we were able to adjust the seat and guide wheel in an instant and not touch them again. In the Prius, on the other hand, we never find the right driving position. The explanation for this is that in order to have an unobstructed view of the Prius’s instrumentation, hidden through the spokes of the idler wheel (see our photo below), you need to “raise” your seat. If you are taller than 5. 7 feet, place your head in the overhead light.
For (more) comfort: The Prius relies on affordable fabrics, Softex, and uncompromising plastics, all of which feel like you’re sitting in a taxi. The Toyota Crown, on the other hand, uses softer upholstery, combining leather and more. Sumptuous accents to create a pleasing look and feel.
For more generous rear seats: When it comes to space, don’t expect major differences between the Crown and Prius, at least for those who sit in the front seats. However, if you seat passengers in the back seat, you deserve to know that the Crown is 17 cents more generous with 988 millimeters of legroom versus the Prius’ 848 mm.
In terms of shipping volume, the Crown and its enclosed trunk would only fit three-quarters of what the Prius can hold under its sedan (433 liters vs. 574 liters). At least that’s on paper. However, in either case, the height restriction reduces the versatility of this shipping area, a disadvantage that applies to either.
Because of its robust appearance: Did we tell you before that the new Prius attracted attention in our tests? Surprise: The Toyota Crown attracted even more admiring glances. With its muscular silhouette, sloping roof, contrasting black appliqués and flowing stern, the Crown has a robust appearance. but sublime look at the past of “Subaru Outback”, a flavor that has no equivalent in the current market.
In terms of functionality and fuel economy: The Toyota Crown Limited AWD has 40 more horsepower than the Toyota Prius, so it’s no surprise that it consumes a bit more: a combined fuel consumption of 5. 7 L/100 km, according to Natural Resources Canada. As expected, in real life the Crown consumed 6. 4 l/100 km in the city, which is impressive for a giant all-wheel-drive (AWD) sedan.
(For those interested, the Toyota Crown Platinum, with its Hybrid Max system and 340 hp, delivered a combined 7.7 L/100 km. In any other car, we’d say that’s reasonable consumption, but because Toyota has accustomed us to such low fuel consumption, we were still more impressed with the base version.)
I don’t want to rack your brains here: introducing the Toyota Crown Limited AWD trim level. Starting at $55,205, it has all the “essentials” we indexed above for the Prius Limited, plus a few niceties: Think expanded virtual instrumentation and force adjustment for the front passenger seat.
Yes, it’s a tall order: about $10,000 between the two Limited AWD hybrids. But you’ve probably already noticed, thanks to our long list of reasons for the Toyota Crown, that we’ve definitely loved the giant sedan and it’s worth the extra money.
While nothing related to a possible Toyota Crown Prime has (yet) been announced, we think such a plug-in configuration of the sedan would make a lot of sense. If you signed up for the Toyota family and the “green” discounts were still available, this would be the edition we would prefer.
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