Toyota Prius+ (2012 – 2020) Review

Fortunately, Toyota knows a thing or two about hybrids, so the Prius+ is pretty good at what it sets out to do. This means good economy, plenty of standard equipment and flexible seating for seven people. It’s based on the previous-generation Prius, so it’s certainly showing its age, but if you favour practicality over excitement, the Prius+ is worth a look. Because it’s expensive when new, we’d recommend buying a used example.

Even in this age of electrification, seven-seat hybrid vehicles are thin on the ground. We could point you in the direction of the Lexus RX L, but you probably don’t fancy spending the best part of £53,000 on a luxury SUV.

For now at least, the Toyota Prius+ is the best car in a class of one. The only seven-seat hybrid MPV you can buy. Given the dwindling popularity of the MPV, it’s likely to be the sole occupant of this niche for a little while longer.

Because it’s based on the previous-generation Toyota Prius, you need to ask yourself if you really need seven seats. If you don’t, the current Toyota Prius or Toyota Corolla Touring Sports would make more sense. They’re more efficient, nicer to live with and come with the latest tech.

Not that we’re about to declare the Toyota Prius+ null and void in 2020. Although it’s clearly on borrowed time, the 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is smooth and relatively efficient, even if it can’t live up to the optimistic fuel economy claims of when it was new in 2012. Up to 48mpg is respectable, but we’d recommend a diesel car if you spend most of your time on the motorway.

It’s a good car for the city, where the excellent visibility, light steering and relaxed CVT transmission combine to make driving a stress-free experience. The CVT is frustrating and noisy once you’re beyond the city limits, but adopt a relaxed driving style and it’s perfectly adequate. It actually drives quite nicely – far better than you’d think.

Inside, the Prius+ offers seating for seven, although the third row is best reserved for children. Although it’s possible to slide the middle row of seats forward to provide more room for people in the very back, the Prius+ works best as a ‘5+2’ MPV. There’s a huge amount of boot space available with the third row of seats folded down, while the luggage capacity is positively van-like with all five rear seats folded down.

The cabin itself is a little sombre, with the dashboard, doors and centre console finished in hard-wearing materials. It feels built to last, but you won’t find any of the fancy materials you might see in a family car with a premium badge. A touchscreen infotainment system is standard across the range, but the display is small and dated.

Even the entry-level Icon model is well-equipped, but we’d recommend the more lavish Excel if you’re buying a used Toyota Prius+. In fact, we wouldn’t recommend buying a new Prius+. It’s too expensive and suffers from steep depreciation. Insist on a big discount if you decide to buy an unregistered example.

Is it worth the money? Based on the sombre cabin, the old powertrain, dull styling and cramped third row, probably not. But if you’re after a seven-seat hybrid MPV, this is your best and only option.

The Prius+ suffers from the same problem as many MPVs: space is limited in the third row. The seats are fine for children, but adults won’t enjoy spending too much time back there. You can slide the middle seats forward to provide more legroom for the people in the cheap seats, but this simply reduces the space for anyone in the middle.

In fairness, the Prius+ offers a cavernous 768 litres of luggage capacity with the third row of seats folded down, while Toyota’s Easy Flat 7 system means you’re presented with a totally flat floor when the five rear seats aren’t in use. For such a relatively compact car, the amount of boot and cabin space is impressive, especially when you take into account the petrol-electric hybrid powertrain.

The Prius+ also scores well for its large door pockets, five cupholders, two gloveboxes and big centre storage bin.

Materials designed to withstand countless Happy Meals, boiled sweets and skinny lattes are more important than fancy stuff that looks great in the showroom.

Crucially, all versions get a leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, front and rear electric windows and cruise control, so the perceived quality is good.

The Excel model adds heated front seats, rear privacy glass, rear sunshades and synthetic leather seat bolsters. It’s all rather acceptable rather than impressive, but we can almost guarantee that the cabin will feel just as good after 150,000 miles as it did when it left the showroom.

All versions come with a 6.1-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, reversing camera and a CD player. The Excel trim adds sat-nav, real-time traffic information and a range of connected services.

The system feels a generation or two behind rival infotainment units. The screen is too small, while the absence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto puts the Prius+ at odds with many of its competitors. Earlier versions could be equipped with one of five Entertainment packs, one of which included a twin DVD system. A CD player and a DVD player – a lot has changed in the eight years since the Prius+ launched in the UK.

The entry-level Prius+ Icon costs £27,835, while the Prius+ Excel costs £30,180. Options are few and far between, but the list includes metallic paint (£545), pearlescent paint (£795), Toyota Touch 2 with Go (£649, but standard on Excel), rear parking sensors (£299) and a couple of protection packs.

These prices put the Prius+ roughly in line with the most expensive versions of the Prius and Prius Plug-in Hybrid, but it’s worth remembering that the Prius+ is based on the older Toyota Prius.

We wouldn’t recommend paying full price for a new Toyota Prius+. These cars suffer from heavy depreciation, so you’ll lose thousands of pounds within the first few months. Besides, Toyota dealers offer substantial discounts, even before you’ve started haggling. We found unregistered examples with discounts of up to £2000.

A post-facelift Prius+ will cost at least £13,500, but because the powertrain was upgraded in 2015 to comply with Euro6 emissions standards, these versions make more sense.

Finance deals start from less than £200 when buying on a hire purchase (HP) contract. Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) deals are available for between £300 and £350 a month. Because the Prius+ suffers from heavy depreciation, the monthly payments are a little on the high side. Buying a more popular MPV would save you money.

The Toyota Prius+ could return up to 48.7mpg on a combined cycle. Real MPG data suggests you should see around 49.9mpg, so the official figure is not only accurate, it’s possible to beat it. Don’t be fooled by the old claims of 64.2mpg to 68.9mpg. These figures were based on the NEDC test, which is less accurate than the current WLTP method.

Insurance is inexpensive, with the Icon model slotting into group 11. Even the Excel model is group 12, which is low for a seven-seat MPV. For context, the rates for the Renault Grand Scenic range from 12 to 21.

First-year Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is £140 for the Icon (106g/km CO2) and £160 for the Excel (112g/km CO2). The rate drops to £140 from year two. You’ll pay the same for Prius+ models registered on or after 1 April 2017 and before 31 March 2020.

How much you’ll pay for an earlier car depends on whether the Prius+ was registered during the NEDC or WLTP test cycles. For example, some early examples are listed with CO2 emissions as low as 96/gkm. As a result, these cars are exempt from VED.

It corners well, with less body-roll than many of its MPV rivals. This is good news for your passengers, but don’t push it too far. If you want to buy a more exciting Toyota, we’d recommend the GT86. Just tell your passengers to take the bus.

The Prius+ is great in the city, where the good visibility, light steering and relaxed CVT transmission combine to make it easy to drive and park. Thanks to the 16-inch alloy wheels, the Icon model provides the best ride quality, although the Excel is far from uncomfortable on 17-inch rims.

The car starts in electric mode, so you’ll enjoy near-silent acceleration in the city. Overall, the Prius+ feels quiet and refined, but the experience is less polished on faster roads.

There’s a fair amount of wind and road noise on the motorway, while the CVT gearbox is frustrating and annoying when you’re trying to make swift progress. If you intend to spend most of your time on a motorway, an MPV with a diesel engine would make more sense.

The Prius+ is powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine and an electric motor. It’s not possible to recharge the battery by plugging the car into the mains, but around a mile of electric range is available at low speeds.

Although it’s far from quick, the petrol engine delivers smooth acceleration, but the CVT is a source of constant frustration. It does its best to put a stranglehold on the engine, which, when combined with the weight of the battery pack, makes the Prius+ feel heavy and unwieldy.

There are three on-demand driving modes: EV, Eco and Power. Sticking the car in Power mode improves things a little, but it only serves to make the CVT even more whiny.

On the other hand, Eco mode creates a driving experience that’s akin to wading through treacle in a pair of wellies that are a size too big. Don’t ask us how we know this.

Although the Toyota Prius+ hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, the previous-generation was given a five-star rating in 2009.

Standard features include hill-start assist, a tyre pressure warning system, seven airbags, whiplash injury lessening seats and Isofix points on the outer second row of seats. Rear parking sensors are an option.

All versions of the Prius+ benefit from Toyota’s Safety Sense system. This comprises road sign assist, pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beam and adaptive cruise control.

It’s not possible to tow anything with the Toyota Prius+. This was confirmed on the Toyota website: ‘We do not offer bike racks for the back of the Prius Plus as it has no towing capability, meaning that there is no tow hitch for this to attach to.’

The Toyota Prius+ would suit someone who spends the vast majority of their time ferrying two or three children to locations in the city. The hybrid powertrain feels at home in urban environments, while the extra seats in the back will come in handy if you’re asked to take your children’s friends home from school.

The Icon trim covers the essentials, but Excel is worth the added expense for the sat-nav, heated seats and park assist. Just don’t pay full price for a Prius+ – it makes more sense as a used MPV