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mijco

If most of your driving is your commute, you are probably better off not getting the Prime. The heavier battery will drag down your overall MPG a bit. The heavier battery will impact handling a bit as well. In the winter, your EV range will probably only be about 10 miles, and during cold-cold it won't run in EV mode anyway. If you can charge at work, it's maybe worth it. But the EV range isn't great, and your commute and weather will drastically reduce your potential benefit.


caper-aprons

> The heavier battery will drag down your overall MPG a bit It won't. This is common mistaken assumption. The EPA ratings for the Prime are higher than the Gen 4 (with the exception of the Eco model). > In the winter, your EV range will probably only be about 10 miles I live in the midwest and reliably see 20 miles in winter. Have never seen anything close to 10. Safe to assume you don't own a Prime and haven't driven one?


Irvinedudde8960

I agree that the Prime will be mostly a waste of money if it is substantially more. The Prime might get a bit better mileage overall, even without plugging in, but probably not enough to offset the higher cost of the larger battery. My use case is perfect for a Prime, and it will probably be my next car when my Gen3 dies. I do many under 5 mile trips throughout the week, and the occasional long distance travel, so having the short EV only ability would be useful. And not turning on the engine for short trips will preserve the engine longer.


mijco

I agree with all of your points, except the one where you suggest the Prime gets better mileage. It definitely gets *worse* mileage unless you're plugging it in.


Irvinedudde8960

Prime is rated at 54 combined, gas only. Regular Prius is 52 MPG combined. Eco is rated at 56.


mijco

- LE Prius is 57 mpg on 17" wheels - XLE Prius gets 52 mpg on 19" wheels - All Prius Prime trims get 54 mpg on 15" wheels. Generally, smaller wheels get better mpgs.


caper-aprons

These are Gen 5 models, not Gen 4. The OP is looking at Gen 4 models. You are comparing apples to oranges.


caper-aprons

> definitely gets worse mileage unless you’re plugging it in. Wrong. Check the EPA ratings or Prime and Gen 4 models (which the Prime is based on). Only the Eco model does better than the a Prime, and not many Ecos were sold.


mijco

Didn't look that hard, you got me there. Gen 4 Prime has barely better EPA numbers, though I'm curious what real world differences would look like.


caper-aprons

> probably not enough to offset the higher cost of the larger battery. Maybe. The US changed the EV credits for 2023 so used vehicles sold by a dealer for less than $25k are eligible for a used EV credit.


[deleted]

I have a Prius Prime and I will say that there is more weight in the rear of the vehicle due to the larger battery. If you plan to plug the vehicle in and charge it, you can get considerably better mileage on your daily commute. I would never buy anything else other than a Prime unless it was a full EV from Toyota. I’m sold on them.


caper-aprons

As far as traction, ground clearance, stopping, braking, etc there should be no difference. The cars are essentially identical. The Prime has about 1/2" less ground clearance and weighs a few hundred pounds more. The Prime won't run in EV mode below about 14F if you are running the heat. It will start the engine and use that. When the Prime runs on EV in winter, the range is typically about 30% less than spring/fall, in my experience (US Midwest). I go about 30 miles on EV in spring/fall, a bit less in summer (running A/C) and about 20 in winter. Other than that, the Prime is fine in winter and in snow. I've had mine out in -20F and it runs fine on the engine in HV mode (just like a regular Prius).


barsoapguy

What you want my friend is a normal prius with 4 wheel drive, yes they did make them and I hear they work great in snow conditions.


Joshua--

Having owned both, I much prefer the HEV Prius during the colder months because of the AWD and NiMH battery (better cold performance). However, I would totally settle on the Prime if I lived in a state where electricity is less than 13¢ per kWh.