2019 Toyota Prius Prime Owner’s Manual

The Prius Prime is the name given to Toyota’s line of plug-in hybrid Prius. The 2019 model featured 3 trim levels: Plus, Premium, and Advanced with prices ranging from $28,305 to $34,305.

The main attraction to the 2019 Prius Prime at the time was that even though it only offered up to 25 miles of driving range --- behind several others in its class, including the Chevy Volt --- it came in at such a better price tag, beating the Volt by almost $6,000. The great value made it popular.

In terms of powertrain, the 2019 Prius Prime featured a 1.8L 4-cylinder engine paired with dual electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. The transmission was a CVT and the Prime was credited with having truly seamless switches between gasoline and electric power. At a maximum power rating of 121-hp, however, it was hardly an awe-inspiring or dynamic drive, but then again no Prius was and it’s not what people bought it for.

Fuel economy was a big pulling point for this car, with the Prius Prime making about 55-mpg in the city, and 53-mpg on the highway when using its gasoline engine. The combined rating when factoring in the electric powertrain is 133 MPGe.

Just 25 miles of electric-only range isn’t the best, but it’s enough to run most daily errands, complete a simple commute without having to dip into the gasoline engine as much. If the car is used only as a daily runaround, then there’s a chance one full tank of gas could go on for a long time indeed.

On the inside was a 7-inch infotainment display as standard, but that augmented to 11.6 inches if you opted for the Premium or Advanced models. The system is a little dated but easy enough to use. Drivers and passengers alike enjoy a spacious cabin and about 19.8 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear. It’s nothing if not practical and comfortable!