2016 Toyota Prius review

Color options

Exterior colors:

• Blizzard Pearl

• Blue Crush Metallic

• Classic Silver Metallic

• Hypersonic Red

• Magnetic Gray Metallic

• Midnight Black Metallic

• Sea Glass Pearl

Interior colors:

• Black

• Harvest Beige

• Moonstone

Interior details

Getting into the 2016 Toyota Prius, you'll notice the excellent outward visibility, thanks to large windows and an upright design. This also lends itself to impressive space, with 39.4 inches of headroom. The other immediately eye-catching detail is the driver's display, far back on the dash by the windshield, instead of behind the steering wheel. This unique treatment lets you keep your eyes on the road, rather than looking down at the speedometer.

The white trim accents on Prius Three and higher trims add an upscale touch, and the SofTex leatherette is convincing even up close. The shift knob/gear selector is in an unusual place, located on the dash, but it's surprisingly ergonomic and easy to get used to. The 2016 Toyota Prius is filled with clever storage solutions that make it an easy daily driver.

Child seat details

The 2016 Toyota Prius interior seats four adults comfortably, or five adults if they aren't shy and the trip is short. Alternatively, you can fit three kids in the rear seats. However, the center rear seat is too narrow to accept car seats or boosters, so that seat should be reserved for kids who have aged out of booster seats. The rear left and right seats accept LATCH car seats, infant car seats, rear-facing convertible car seats, forward-facing convertible car seats, and booster car seats. The rear doors open wide, upper anchor points are easily visible, and lower anchors are cleverly hidden under a flap. If you have one or two children in car seats, the 2016 Prius makes family taxi duties simple.

Performance

While the 1.8L engine and electric motor combined make 121 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque, the 2016 Prius is light enough to feel spirited. Pulling away from stoplights or even highway on-ramps is no problem at all, and the zero-to-60 time is 9.6 seconds (according to the manufacturer, when new).

Note that Touring models have larger and heavier wheels, and run from zero to 60 mph in 10.5 seconds, with a top speed of 112 mph (according to the manufacturer, when new). Front-wheel drive and a continuously variable transmission are the only choices for the 1.8L engine in the 2016 Prius, but the Eco package makes the car lighter, which improves handling. The impressive stats come from the gas-sipping drivetrain, starting at an impressive EPA-estimated 52 mpg combined.

Year comparison

2010-2015 Toyota Prius (third generation)

The 2010-2015 Toyota Prius delivered more restrained and contemporary styling than previous generations, with a more powerful engine and battery combo, more mpg, and more cargo space. Unique to this generation is the selectable drive modes, with Sport for improved acceleration, Eco for thrifty cruising, and EV for low speeds, letting you glide into the garage at night without waking little ones. 2012 saw a minor update to the exterior, with more extensive additions to standard tech, including a larger infotainment screen, USB ports, and Bluetooth^® connectivity. This generation also added to the Prius lineup, with the subcompact Prius C and larger Prius V wagon complementing the line.

2016-present Toyota Prius (fourth generation)

The big news for the 2017 model year is the Toyota Prius Prime, with a visually upgraded exterior, upscale interior, and double the battery capacity. 2018 offered only one change, with the regular Prius model gaining the Prime's 11.6-inch center touchscreen. The 2019 Toyota Prius gained optional electronic all-wheel drive. The system only works in slippery conditions, so an AWD-e Prius is usually FWD. Trims were renamed to match Toyota's other vehicles, from the L Eco base model to the range-topping Limited. For the 2020 model year, the Prius gained Amazon Alexa^™ and Apple CarPlay^® connectivity.