What kind of vehicle is the 2022 Toyota Prius? What does it compare to?

The 2022 Toyota Prius is a paragon of fuel-efficient driving. Although Toyota has for most of this green-car icon’s two decades positioned the Prius as the greenest, most technology-advanced vehicle in the Toyota fold, that status has faded a bit as environmentally aware shoppers shift to EVs and Toyota spreads its hybrid tech throughout the lineup. Today’s alternatives include the Honda Insight, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Corolla, as well as hybrid versions of the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4.  

Is the 2022 Toyota Prius a good car?

Review continues below

Although the market shift to crossovers has marginalized the Prius, it still performs reasonably well, and has a roomy cabin plus impressive standard safety features. That adds up to a TCC Rating of 5.5 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

What’s new for the 2022 Toyota Prius?

The Prius gets a Nightshade Edition for 2022 that brings blacked-out wheels, door handles, and badges, plus black trim accents inside and out. It also adds a heated steering wheel and heated black synthetic leather seats.  

The current Prius wears triangular shapes, creases, and smooth surfaces that few people find appealing or settling—but it is aerodynamic in the ways that help it achieve high fuel economy. The rear styling is perhaps the most interesting, as sculpting along the sides converges into a split-glass hatchback. The cabin styling is a mashup between a cost-conscious entry model and a quirky eco car, and upscale versions with the larger 11.6-inch screen look a bit more cohesive overall. 

The 2022 Prius is offered as a hybrid, in front-wheel-drive or AWD-e form, or as a front-wheel-drive Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. The Prius is perky but not downright quick, with dual electric motors packaged as part of a planetary torque-split transmission, incorporating a 1.8-liter inline-4 and making a combined 121 hp. Look to your fuel budget as the big beneficiary; the Prius returns up to 56 mpg combined. Prius AWD-e models add another small motor to the rear axle to help with grip and boost performance slightly. 

Technically the Prius can seat five, but the sloping roofline cuts headroom in back and there’s not enough width for three adults in back—so it’s a good fit for two, or for a small family of four at the most. Rear seats fold neatly to expand cargo space, with volume that’s comparable to some of today’s popular crossovers. 

The Prius comes well equipped with a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/Amazon Alexa compatibility, keyless start, USB ports, and driver assist features including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control.  Last year brought Android Auto compatibility to complement Apple CarPlay. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection now includes traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control that can go down to a stop and restart without driver intervention. 

How much does the 2022 Toyota Prius cost?

The Prius comes in L Eco, LE, XLE, or Limited trim with all-wheel drive available in LE and XLE. The L Eco started at $25,520 for 2021, including $995 destination fee, and ranged up to the $33,645 Limited model. We don’t expect 2022 prices to change significantly. 

The Prius Prime follows the same logic with a $2,300 upcharge on LE, XLE, and Limited trims. But it’s eligible for a federal tax credit of $4,502. 

Where is the 2022 Toyota Prius made?

The Prius is made in Japan.

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