Key Highlights – 2025 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid
⚡ EV Range: Up to 45 miles (SE trim)
🔋 Hybrid Efficiency: Rated 52 mpg, tested 63 mpg
🚗 Power: 220 hp from 2.0L engine + electric motors
💺 Features: Standard heated steering wheel, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto
💰 Price: From $34,570, cheaper than Kia Niro PHEV
📦 Cargo: ~20 cu ft, smaller than crossovers
The Perfect Commuter Hatchback
Plug-in hybrids occupy a unique spot between fully electric vehicles and traditional hybrids. They deliver enough battery range to handle most daily drives on electricity alone, while the gas engine stands ready for longer trips where you want to hit the road without planning charging stops.
The 2025 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid is a subcompact hatchback in a market dominated by crossovers and SUVs. That slippery shape and modest weight pay off: it offers standout electric range from a relatively small battery, impressive fuel economy when the gas engine kicks in, and a price tag that undercuts just about every rival.
In short, the Prius PHEV is in many ways the perfect commuter car.
Priced — And Styled — To Sell
The Prius PHEV is a genuine looker, the kind of car that'll turn heads. But its looks aren't the only things that impress. Even base SE trims, like the one I drove, feel well-equipped. Standard gear includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, spiffy red piping on the seat covers, plenty of USB charging ports, and a heated steering wheel. That’s on top of a longlist of standard safety gear (which Toyota markets as Toyota Safety Sense 3.0),and an 8-inch infotainment system.
Stepping up to higher models like the XSE introduces nice-to-have equipment like parking assistance, a keyless entry system for both front doors, synthetic leather upholstery, front seat heaters, and wireless device charging, while the top-tier XSE Premium adds ventilated seats, a power liftback, and a 12.3-inch infotainment system as highlights.
Compare Prius Plug-in against rivals side by side with our EV Comparison Tool
I never felt like the SE I drove was lacking in terms of features, so I’m not sure I’d spend the extra cash. The base Prius Plug-In Hybrid checks in at an MSRP of $34,570 (including delivery fees), which is about $3,000 less than the mid-trim XSE and roughly $6,500 below the XSE Premium. More importantly, it’s round $1,300 less than the next-cheapest plug-in you can buy — the larger, and less efficient, Kia Niro.
Stick With Base For The Best EV Range
There’s another reason to stick with the entry-level Prius PHEV: higher trim levels don’t offer the same all-electric range. The difference isn’t enormous — 45 miles of SE battery-powered driving versus 40 for the XSE and XSE Premium — but it’s a more than 10 percent drop.
I was easily able to match the vehicle’s EPA range rating even with the AC blasting and the regenerative settings at their most moderate, as I discovered when piloting the Prius up and down the hilly roads that circle my rural home during some of the hottest weather we’ve had to endure so far this year.
The Toyota’s gas engine never once kicked in when I had EV mode selected. Even with the pedal floored or while traveling at70 mph down the highway, the electric side of the drivetrain was up to the task. The trade-off is acceleration that’s a little slower than you’d get when driving in hybrid mode.
Hybrid Mode Delivers Extra Oomph, But Regular Plug Time Is The Key
With both the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and the electric motors operating in tandem, the Toyota Prius PHEV delivers a substantial 220 horsepower. In hybrid mode, the car feels just this side of lively and certainly up to whatever passing task or elevation ascent it might face.
Unlike some CVTs, the Prius PHEV doesn’t suffer from the stretched-out feeling that can come with the transmission seeking out the right powerband. It’s also substantially quieter than I expected.
What I liked best about the hybrid system, however, was its absurdly frugal fuel efficiency. Officially, the Prius is rated at 52 mpg in combined driving, but I saw an incredible 63 mpg across 300miles of travel, including a substantial percentage on the highway.
The secret to my success? I plugged the Prius in at the end of every day. With my Level 2 connection, a full recharge took about two hours; with a standard plug, it's four. I was able to cover almost all of my regular trips on electrical power alone. Even long-distance drives used the gas engine only about half the time, keeping fuel consumption for the week at just 1.5 gallons.
That’s outstanding performance. With regular plug time, your trips to the gas station will be few and far between.
Advanced Safety Gear Helps Out On Longer Trips, Too
In addition to good power in both hybrid and EV drive modes, the car’s compact dimensions and reasonable weight give it excellent road manners. The Toyota’s handling at the limit is reined in by it slow-rolling resistance tires, but it’s civilized even on rough roads.
I was impressed by features like Traffic JamAssist (which allows hands-free, eyes-on-road driving at low speeds in bumper-to-bumper traffic) and Lane Tracing Assist that was quite good at keeping the Prius from drifting over the lines. The one exception was the driver-attention monitor, which was so oversensitive to my eye movement that I had to shut down its nagging entirely just to use the infotainment system.
Sized For Efficiency
If there's a trade-off to choosing the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, it's cargo space. The trunk offers a little over 20 cubic feet of storage, with a very low hatch cutting its practicality considerably. While folding down the back bench helps, the Prius pales in comparison to the cargo capacity of a crossover or a more traditional hatchback.
That said, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid's compact size is part of what gives it such incredible fuel economy. And at $34,570,it's far more affordable than most PHEVs, nearly all of which are bulkier and less efficient SUV designs.
The Prius’ excellent real-world battery range and gas-sipping hybrid performance are a compelling combination for anyone seeking to take that first step towards cutting the fossil fuel cord — and its stylish silhouette will only make you feel better about your choice.
🌱 Smarter Driving Starts Here
What a PHEV is, how it works, and who it’s best for.
Read More ➜
Home vs public charging, timing, and best practices to save time and money.
Read More ➜
Federal and state perks that can lower your effective payment.
Read More ➜
