2024 Toyota Prius Prime Best Car

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Күн бұрын

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Toyota Prius Prime Road Test Video: • 2023 Toyota Prius Prim...
Hi, this is Karl Brauer and I’m here to talk to you about what is the best car you can buy today for peak personal transportation in 2024 In case you can’t guess by where I’m standing, I believe that the 2024 Toyota Prius Prime is the best automobile you can buy today when you take everything into account.
We’re going to go into the details and see how I came to that conclusion, but first things first. I feel like there’s a lot of back-and-forth about what we’re all supposed to be driving now, and I think if you do some analysis -- and I’m going to walk you through that -- you’re going to realize that plug-in hybrids have the advantage when it comes to drivetrain types, and this is the best plug-in hybrid. And in today’s world, this car makes more sense than pretty much any other type of car if you’re just looking at cost-effective, high value personal transportation. So let’s get into it.
We’ve all been seeing and hearing a lot of pressure to get ourselves into electric vehicles as soon as possible. In fact, Jim Farley, the CEO at Ford, recently said that despite being a lifelong petrol head, he has totally fallen in love with electric vehicles. And he likes them not because of political pressure, he likes them because of how they drive. And I get that because electric vehicles do have some appealing driving dynamics. I appreciate that Jim Farley is not pushing something just because it’s the popular narrative. That he hopefully is suggesting people buy these products because they make the most sense for them. I’d like to think that any CEO who is producing consumer products is producing them and telling his consumers to buy them because he feels like they make the most sense and that they represent the best value for that person.
And that’s what we’re going to start to get into really is for this discussion. I’m going to focus tremendously on value. Value isn’t the highest priority for most consumers when they’re buying a car, but I think most consumers, and certainly I, would suggest that it should be the highest priority. So we’re going to talk about this potential powertrain technology battle, and which car makes the most sense in terms of value. Because at the end of the day, when you’re buying the second most expensive thing in your lifetime, typically after your housing it is your car, value should be your guiding principle. And it’s not going to be the guiding principle for people who are wealthy. They’re going to buy whatever they want and they should buy whatever they want. I love the idea that we’re gonna buy what we want and not be forced to buy what we should.
But I’m just saying that a lot of people actually want to know "What should I buy? I’m using my logical, right side brain. I’m trying to be cost-effective in personal transportation. I’m looking for high value in a car. What should I buy?"
And when it comes to value I want to help define that because it’s kind of a squishy concept. I believe there are six sub-categories that help define a car's value. They are as follows in this order of priority:
1. Reliability
2. Safety
3. Comfort
4. Flexibility
5. Performance
5. Ownership Cost
Let's jump into each one and talk about them. Reliability is critical because that’s what every car is supposed to do, right? It’s supposed to move you around when you want it to move you around. And if it can’t do that, it’s a really heavy, fancy paperweight, and I have no patience in today’s world with cars that are not reliable. So reliability is the number one thing that a car has to deliver. Number two is safety.

Пікірлер: 32

@smarternu Ай бұрын

Life long petrol head.... I am one of those. My daily is a Ford Cmax. 41 mpg and the thing is great. IT is a plug in hybrid and I bought it used. I have already made my money back just in MPG. It only has 141k miles and after 5 years of owning it nothing has broken. I have owned more than 1000 cars and I love my diesels but the Cmax has earned it's keep.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

Plug-in hybrids are brilliant. There’s just no denying it.

@gulfrasta5844 Ай бұрын

I get 37 mpg in my gas Honda Fit.

@AD-se7ty Ай бұрын

From here from Doug DeMuro's Dodge Demon 170 video. Subscribed.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

Welcome, and thanks for subscribing!

@mikeobrien3744 Ай бұрын

Intro is spot on keep it.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

I’m slowly figuring this thing out…😁

@TomLawlor-iq6gm Ай бұрын

Hi Karl, I also did not know the Prime is the least expensive PHEV available. We just never priced any others before ordering our third Prius (but first Prime), in 2022. Zoom ahead 21 months and our 2024 model finally landed. We could say a lot of good things about our choice but, I can sum it all up by telling you that after 5,000Km (3,125m), in four months we have visited a gas pump just once and bought a 1/2 tank. The dealer fill-up lasted over 2,000Km but, it was still cold here then. You mentioned the EV range being 44m. Yesterday, we got 91Km (56.87m) in EV Mode and most days we get close to that. And flat roads here are rare. The day we put gas in in aid of a road trip when the Traction Battery died, the car gave us 62mpg. We would have gone with a full EV except for the higher cost. Here an entry level BEV starts at $60,000. Our Prime was over $20,000 less. Gas here is $6.75 per gallon but, hydro is only .1325kwh. And, this thing is fast, 0~60 in 6.48, if that sort of thing appeals. Warm Regards.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your real-world experience with the Prius Prime. It confirms why the car is such a great value and the best option for most consumers. The idea of being mostly EV most of the time, with no range anxiety, is an unbeatable combination.

@TomLawlor-iq6gm Ай бұрын

@@KarlBrauerCars You are most welcome. The trick to getting such high range in EV Mode is to eliminate as many resistive loads as possible. That means no heat/AC and not using the heated seats or steering wheel. Not a big deal in our temperate climate thankfully. Having the SE's (LE in The US), smaller 17" wheels helps a lot too. BTW, if you pop-off one of those hub caps, you'll be surprised at what's behind it. Not the bland stamped steel rims that every other car with caps sport. There's actually a quiet nice set of alloy rims. I know your primary message with your effort here is the unrivaled economic advantages with this car (and other PHEV's), and that is clear to us. For us the lower costs was not the only reason to purchase one. The CEO of Toyota claimed that if all cars in NA were PHEV's, the carbon emissions could be reduced by 90%. Imagine that. Governments could save billions on the various programs aimed at trying to do just that. We have burned under 15 gallons of gas in four months and, we are super lucky here as 99% of our electricity is generated without any sort of fossil fuel. In fact, we're trying to sell our excess power into The US. In several Canadian provinces you can actually buy a Prime for less than a regular Prius Hybrid. We got a $5,000 rebate with ours but, in Quebec and (I think BC), you'd get $8,500 in rebates. And, recently I discovered that even if you buy a used PHEV (in our province), you can still get the rebate even though one was already claimed when it was new. Good policy.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

@@TomLawlor-iq6gm Agree on the potential cut in emissions if everyone (or even 50 percent of drivers) went PHEV. They say the best diet is the one you can stick to. Same with the best workout regimen. Guess what the best way to cut emissions is? The one you can sell to a majority of car drivers. That’s PHEVs, not EVs. 👍🏻

@TomLawlor-iq6gm Ай бұрын

@@KarlBrauerCars Totally agree, I don't understand why so many commentators on this site post such distain for PHEV's. We dove our first two Pius's for 16 years and neither gave one minute of issues with either the Synergy System or, with the ICE. Cars live a difficult life here so we have a lot of respect for the brand.

@brandononbrand 23 күн бұрын

Toyota's packaging is frustrating on the Prius/Prime... the base trim in your video does NOT get heated seats, which is a basic feature, especially at that price point But Toyota lets you get heated seats on the most basic Camry! (as an option) To get heated seats on a Prius/Prime, you have to get a LESS EFFICIENT higher trim, that forces 19" wheels and pleather seats on you. Range drops from 44 miles to 39 miles,... such a shame when automakers force "cosmetic upgrades" on you that actually hurt performance.... You should be able to get heated seats, 360 camera, etc WITHOUT the ridiculous wheels, etc.

@KarlBrauerCars 23 күн бұрын

One advantage the Germans retain over the Asian brands - freedom of choice. You can order a lot of German cars with the exact features you want. Most Japanese cars have two or three trims, and that’s it.

@brandononbrand 22 күн бұрын

@@KarlBrauerCars true... would just like consistency at least. For instance, if heated seats are available on a base Camry LE, then they should also be available on a base Prius/Prime. (I think Canada gets the heated seats on its base Prius, fwiw) Also, why can't larger wheels be OPTIONAL like they used to be?... These are hybrids after all, so why does Toyota compromise efficiency just because you want some basic features or safety features like heated seats, 360 camera, etc? dropping from 44 mile range to 39 mile range, etc may not sound like a lot, but it is quite significant in terms of percentage. At the very least, Toyota should offer a slight discount to swap the 19's for the 17's... I would tolerate the pleather over the cloth if I could at least get the 17's on the XSE/Premium

@dorinvesa1109 9 күн бұрын

Europe here!Yes,Sir!I have one and i can told you!Is a truly winner!My Prius prime rules!🫵👏

@KarlBrauerCars 9 күн бұрын

The cars are too capable in too many areas not to be celebrated, Including great value.

@johnantonopoulous6381 Ай бұрын

4 fillups from the Red Ball to the portofino. Not bad.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

No kidding. I’m a huge fan of big range cars. Yet another check mark in the Prius’ win column.

@uptoolayte1 Ай бұрын

Toyota Dealers are selling the XSE for 45.5k. For 2k more I can get a Tesla Model 3 Performance that seems to offer SO much more. Maybe the base Prime is a better deal but not 45.5k.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

Depends on your priority. The Prius isn't about speed, though at zero-to-60 in 6 seconds it's not slow, and with the electric motor doing much of the motivation it feels fast, just like EVs do. But if you want to make a road trip from Los Angeles to Denver, or any other 400-plus-mile trips (which I do regularly), the Prius has it all over a Model 3, or any other EV.

@uptoolayte1 Ай бұрын

@KarlBrauerCars I suppose. 3k and One extra stop for long ranges is worth it to me to get so much more than the prius has to offer. 32k yes, 45k no.

@Frank71 12 күн бұрын

Problem with EVs Those unplanned detours and cross country trips not on the interstate. All those small towns won't have a fast DCFC/Supercharger network. They all hace at least a gas station nearby. Even Mayberry has a gas station. If you're not pulled over by Barny Fife so he can look at your EV.

@soulsurfer6438 Ай бұрын

44 miles doesn't sound good to me, that's going cross town and back home to charge it before I head back out again or just let it run on the gas engine for a few days before I charge it back up. I like Toyota I got a Camry I had a friend that had a Prius and he really loved that he had to travel a lot further than I did to get to work saved hundreds of dollars a month in gas.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

That's the great thing about plug-in hybrids. It doesn't matter what your use case is -- no matter how you drive them they use less gas while never causing range anxiety.

Ай бұрын

Talking about 0 to 60 and then mentioning 50,000 car accident deaths. You are part of the problem buddy. Also reliability is not that close between car makers. Toyota still has huge reliability lead on everyone.

@KarlBrauerCars Ай бұрын

Talking about zero-to-60 causes accidents. You’re funny.