2025 Toyota Prius Review: Big on Mileage, Small on Space
By Jennifer Geiger
August 27, 2025
2025 Toyota Prius | Cars.com photo by Corey Watts
Is the 2025 Toyota Prius a Good Car?
- Sometimes! While demand for electric vehicles fluctuates, hybrids are having a moment, and one of the best when it comes to meeting its fuel-economy mission is the Toyota Prius. But while the Prius excels at being a hybrid — and a value-minded one at that — it’s a little odd; be ready to make some comfort and ergonomic sacrifices.
What Does the 2025 Toyota Prius Compete With?
- As a hybrid hatchback, the Prius doesn’t have many direct competitors. It goes up against nonhatch hybrids such as the Honda Accord Hybrid sedan, as well as compact SUV hybrids such as the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and Toyota’s own RAV4 Hybrid; see the models compared.
The Prius was redesigned from the ground up for the 2023 model year, with new styling that was much more radical-looking than the previous model’s chunky, wedgelike silhouette. For 2025, Toyota added a Nightshade version that makes the Prius look even more dramatic, with blacked-out trim, black 19-inch wheels and an exclusive, eye-popping mustard-colored exterior paint called Karashi.
Related: What Are the Best 2025 Hybrids for the Money?
What Fuel Economy Does the 2025 Toyota Prius Get?
1 / 102025 Toyota Prius | Cars.com photo by Corey Watts
The Prius does a couple of things well, primarily fuel efficiency. The base, front-wheel-drive Prius earns an EPA-rated 57 mpg combined; all-wheel drive is available, but it knocks that rating down to 54 mpg combined. XLE and Limited trims are rated 52 mpg combined (49 mpg with AWD), but even those numbers are super competitive: In their base trims, the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid is rated 48 mpg combined, the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is rated 38 mpg combined, and the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is rated 39 mpg combined. For those looking for even more efficiency, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is rated up to 52 mpg combined, with 45 miles of electric-only range. It doesn’t, however, offer AWD. The regular Prius has an EV mode, but it didn’t get me far: I was able to drive on electric-only power for just a couple of blocks at very low speeds.
The Prius’ drama-free driving dynamics are another high point. While it’s always flown its hybrid flag when it comes to styling, it has a very “normal car” driving feel — in the best of ways.
Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s coupled with an electric motor, good for a combined output of 194 horsepower with FWD (AWD versions get an additional electric motor for the rear wheels and make 196 hp). While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it fast or fun, the Prius has a lively quality to it. Acceleration from a stop is peppy, and it’s pretty maneuverable in around-town driving.
Drive modes add a bit more character or efficiency, depending on what you’re looking for: The Prius’ Sport mode makes for more aggressive acceleration, while Eco mode prioritizes fuel economy.
Overall, the Prius is very comfortable to drive, with suspension tuning that offers good bump absorption, natural-feeling steering and a well-integrated regenerative-braking system that lacks the odd lurchiness some other hybrids struggle with.
What Tech Does the 2025 Toyota Prius Have?
1 / 122025 Toyota Prius | Cars.com photo by Corey Watts
The Prius’ climate and infotainment controls have a straightforward design and are fairly intuitive to use. An 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard; a larger 12.3-inch screen is optional. The larger screen on my Nightshade trim was easy to use and responsive, with near-seamless connection to wireless Android Auto every time I got in the car.
Wireless phone charging is standard on the Nightshade, which sits just below the top Limited trim in the lineup. Limited-only options include a 360-degree camera system and autonomous parking. My test car came with an optional integrated dashcam that can record emergencies like accidents, but at $375, it was expensive.
In other ways, including its materials and design, the Prius’ cabin is largely forgettable. The Nightshade trim at least adds some visual drama, with black SofTex imitation-leather seats with gray contrast stitching, along with carbon-fiber paneling on the dash.
Shop the 2025 Toyota Prius near you
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What’s Wrong With the 2025 Toyota Prius?
My biggest issues with the Prius have to do with its shape. While the 2025 Prius is definitely a lot less nerdy-looking than the previous generation, its swoopy styling comes at the cost of practicality in terms of space and visibility. It looks cool but is a pain to live with, which will become apparent as soon as you attempt to get into it: It’s difficult to get in and out of the Prius due to its short stance and low roofline.
Once you make it inside, headroom is not generous in either row, especially in models with the optional glass roof. At 5-foot-6, I had enough headroom, but taller editors struggled — especially in the backseat due to the Prius’ sloping rear roofline.
About the make
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Toyota is one of the world’s largest automakers. Its Prius helped popularize hybrids, and its diverse lineup includes many hybrid models today.
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1 / 112025 Toyota Prius | Cars.com photo by Corey Watts
In our Car Seat Check, we installed two car seats with ease thanks to the Prius’ accessible lower anchors, but taller front passengers will feel cramped when a rear-facing car seat is installed behind them.
Visibility everywhere is another struggle. From the driver’s seat, it can be tough to see out of the Prius thanks to its super-low windshield, sloped rear end and small rear window. That said, this generation’s rear visibility is actually somewhat of an improvement over the outgoing model’s odd split-window design, but it’s still not great.
The placement of the gauge cluster also affected my view forward. It sits in a large panel mounted high on the dash; not only was the panel partially blocked by the steering wheel, it also impacted my already limited forward view.
Other ergonomic oddities that will impact your comfort include hidden exterior handles on the rear doors that are in an awkward, higher-up position, as well as a nontraditional gear selector that takes some getting used to.
More From Cars.com:
- What Are the Most Fuel-Efficient Cars?
- So You Want to Buy a Hybrid Car: 6 Things to Know
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- Research the 2025 Toyota Prius
Is the 2025 Toyota Prius a Good Value?
2025 Toyota Prius | Cars.com photo by Corey Watts
Toyota’s hybrid hatchback has long been a standard bearer when it comes to fuel efficiency for the money; it routinely makes Cars.com’s annual Best Hybrids for the Money list. The 2025 Toyota Prius starts at $29,545, and the Nightshade Edition starts at $33,755; AWD adds $1,400 (all prices include destination). Its rivals, meanwhile, start higher: The Honda Accord Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid both start around $35,000, while the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid starts around $34,000.
The Prius is also well equipped with safety features. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard on every Prius and includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering steering assist, automatic high beams and road-sign recognition. Blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and safe-exit assist are also standard.
Overall, the Prius is an excellent pick for value-minded hybrid shoppers so long as they’re ready to make some comfort and ergonomics trade-offs.
Related Video:https://players.brightcove.net/1578086878/HyOJ1bP6_default/index.html?videoId=6377461494112
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
News Editor
Is the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant a Good Car? 4 Pros, 2 Cons
By Jim Travers
August 29, 2025
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2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance | Cars.com photo by Brandon Lim
For the 2024 model year, Audi made some notable updates to the performance-focused RS 6 Avant wagon, not the least of which squeezed yet more power out of its already potent twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine. The juiced-up wagon’s other changes include a weight loss program that shaved about 60 pounds from its overall weight. The net result is a sharp-handling car with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of just 3.3 seconds.
Related: 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance Review: Long Roof, Long Fun
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The American market has never embraced the idea of a performance station wagon as much as its European counterpart, but we still have the privilege of choosing between upscale alternatives such as the BMW M5 Touring and upcoming 2026 Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid Wagon. All provide better handling and a more dynamic driving experience than an SUV while still offering seating for five occupants, more cargo room than a sedan and standard all-wheel drive. For 2025, the RS 6 Avant GT joined the Performance trim in the lineup and added goodies such as a carbon-fiber hood and front fenders.
Cars.com’s West Coast Editor Conner Golden spent time with an RS 6 Avant Performance on both the crowded highways and the twisty canyons of Southern California, and he came away impressed with this wagon’s performance — but not all is perfect. Tap the link above to read his expert review; for a quicker rundown, read on to learn four things we like about the Audi RS 6 Avant and two things we do not.
What Do We Like About the Audi RS 6 Avant?
2024 Audi RS 6 Avant | Cars.com photo by Brandon Lim
1. Old-School Powertrain
With a honkin’ twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 under the hood, the RS 6 Avant takes a more old-school approach to horsepower than most modern performance cars and their hybrid or all-electric powertrains. Instead of adding a battery and electric motors, engineers gave the V-8 larger turbos and other tweaks, sizzling the wick for another 30 hp. Combined with its 48-volt mild-hybrid system, the wagon’s total output increases to 621 hp and 627 pounds-feet of torque. With an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD, the RS 6 Avant is ferociously quick yet refined, all the while cranking out evocative V-8 thunder.
2. Commendable Cabin
The RS 6 Avant’s interior vibe is typical of a modern Audi, with quality materials and an upscale ambiance that combines traditional luxury cues with modern tech. A heavily digitized dashboard combines three vivid displays and Audi’s excellent MMI infotainment interface. If that’s not enough, an available Executive Package adds soft-close doors, extended leather and heated rear seats. Other options include a Bang & Olufsen sound system and night-vision tech.
3. Weight Loss Program
Reduced sound insulation, a new wheel design and a lighter center differential all add up to shave about 60 pounds in curb weight, which helps keep this Audi barely under the 5,000-pound mark. While it’s no lightweight, the RS 6 Avant is respectably agile for a five-seat wagon, and 621 hp is more than enough to make this car incredibly quick.
4. Canyon Carver
With massive P285/30R Continental SportContact 7 summer tires mounted on 22-inch wheels, the RS 6 Avant serves up buckets of grip and smooth power transfer to help rip through corners with ease. An adaptive air suspension helps smooth out the rough stuff, but it’s still on the firm side even in its most civilized setting. The Audi’s electric power steering is accurate (though it lacks feel), while massive disc brakes provide lots of stopping power and are easy to modulate.
Read More Audi News:
- 2025 Audi A5 and S5 Review: Bigger and Better
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What Do We Dislike About the Audi RS 6 Avant?
2024 Audi RS 6 Avant | Cars.com photo by Brandon Lim
1. Big-Tire Blues
The RS 6 Avant’s standard adaptive air suspension does a commendable job smoothing out rough surfaces, but it can only compensate for those big 22-inch wheels and fat summer tires so much. Even on the suspension’s softest setting, we experienced more road noise and impact harshness than expected.
2. Act Now
Wagons have been on the endangered species list for years, and that goes double for performance wagons. Add in that the RS 6 Avant is still powered by a V-8 when others have gone to more fuel-efficient powertrains and its days would seem to be more limited than most. If a long roof with the performance of a sports sedan is on your shopping list, it might be wise to start shopping soon.
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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored con
10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Toyota 4Runner Kia Sportage Hybrid
By Matt Schmitz
September 3, 2025
Share2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid TRD Off-Road Premium | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
They don’t air-condition the desert for Las Vegas visitors to win, you don’t go to McDonald’s for a great salad — and you don’t buy a Toyota 4Runner for the fuel efficiency. But culture, technology and a desire to do at least incrementally better for the planet have improved overall gas mileage markedly over the past several decades, and the expectation when you buy a vehicle with a hybrid powertrain — as Cars.com did when it purchased a 2025 Toyota 4Runner in TRD Off-Road Premium guise for its fleet of long-term test cars — is you get the hybrid-powertrain efficiency you paid for even in a rugged, asphalt-eschewing SUV. The verdict after 5,000 miles’ worth of ownership? So far … s’okay.
Related: Is the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Good for Families?
In one of Cars.com’s most popular news articles of the past week, we check in on how our 4Runner’s fuel-economy experience is going. In 5,320 miles of driving since taking ownership, we’ve burned through 253 gallons of gas for an average calculated fuel economy of 21 mpg. While that’s actually impressive for an adventure-oriented off-roader like the 4Runner, it is 2 mpg worse than its EPA-estimated 23 mpg rating for combined city and highway driving. Contributing to the mileage deficiency could be related to an aerodynamic component we’ve experienced issues with, a problem we’ll gain more perspective on after having that piece replaced, so stay tuned.
For full details on our 2025 Toyota 4Runner’s mileage check-in — including a rundown on how our service appointment went at the dealership — follow the link below to the No. 2 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
In other high-ranking hybrid SUV news, Cars.com reviewer Damon Bell offers his comprehensive critique of the refreshed-for-2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid. For the new model year, the compact Sportage sports a subtler, more squared-off exterior style; a 5 to 7 horsepower boost; a newly standard two-spoke steering wheel; an updated panoramic dashboard panel; wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; newly available tech, comfort and convenience features; a driver-selectable Terrain mode for all-wheel-drive variants; and an expanded lineup in the dark-themed S and X-Line trims. Acceleration is decent, power comes on smoothly and handling is comfort-focused with a generally composed ride. The interior of the as-tested SX-Prestige trim was upscale and well appointed, and both passenger and cargo room were generous.
“The Kia Sportage Hybrid was already a solid entry in a hotly contested class, and the updates it receives for 2026 enhance its standing,” Bell concludes in his review.
For our full take on the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid Review — including fuel economy figures, pricing and availability — follow the link below to the No. 4 article of the week.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Hyundai Palisade, Lexus RX, Subaru Outback and Forester, Audi RS 6 Avant and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. 2026 Hyundai Palisade Review: Growing Gains
2. Long-Term 2025 Toyota 4Runner Update: How Efficient Is the Hybrid After 5,000 Miles?
3. How Much Is the 2026 Lexus RX?
4. 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid Review: Styling Dialed Back, Features Dialed Up
5. What Does the 2026 Subaru Outback’s Pricing Mean for Shoppers?
6. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for Labor Day 2025?
7. Is the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant a Good Car? 4 Pros, 2 Cons
8. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
9. Here Are the Best Lease Deals Before the EV Tax Credit Goes Away
10. How Much Is the 2026 Subaru Forester?
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
Assistant Managing Editor-News
Former Assistant Managing Editor-News Matt Schmitz is a veteran Chicago journalist indulging his curiosity for all things auto while helping to inform car shoppers.
