Photo: Toyota
Have you ever met a Prius owner who told you that all-wheel drive is the highest option on his priorities list? Neither did we, but Toyota went ahead with the AWD-e setup on the 2019 model year of the best-selling hybrid of all time.
Here’s another question for you. When it rains or even snows, is all-wheel drive better for the Prius than replacing the low-resistance tires with winter or three-peak mountain snowflake tires? Regardless of answer, Toyota leveraged the Prius nameplate for this experiment although such a system would’ve been better suited to a crossover.
Presented at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show along with the mid-cycle refresh of the Prius, the AWD-e will arrive at dealers from $27,300 including the $920 destination charge. Cars Direct reports the next trim level – XLE AWD-e – will cost $29,740. Compared to the front-wheel-drive Prius, these represent premiums of $1,400 over the LE and $1,000 compared to the XLE.
It’s reassuring the price jump isn’t dramatic, but going for the AWD-e takes its toll on fuel consumption. Preliminary ratings put the newcomer at 50 miles per gallon on the combined cycle, which is six less than the FWD option. At speeds in excess of 43 miles per hour (70 km/h), the electric drive unit integrated into the rear axle doesn’t do anything, translating to excess weight that doesn’t pay dividend during highway driving.
Taking pragmatism into a different perspective, “the addition of all-wheel drive helps the Prius carve a niche for itself in the segment” according to Cars Direct. The motoring publication refers to the Crosstrek Hybrid as the closest competitor to the Prius AWD-e, but on the other hand, the Subaru is much more expensive at $35,970 before the government incentive.
Because the Crosstrek Hybrid is chunkier in every sense of the word, fuel consumption favors the Prius AWD-e as well. The combined rating for the Subaru is 35 mpg, but on the other hand, the Toyota can’t match the Symmetrical AWD, boxer engine, and raised suspension of the Crosstrek Hybrid.
Presented at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show along with the mid-cycle refresh of the Prius, the AWD-e will arrive at dealers from $27,300 including the $920 destination charge. Cars Direct reports the next trim level – XLE AWD-e – will cost $29,740. Compared to the front-wheel-drive Prius, these represent premiums of $1,400 over the LE and $1,000 compared to the XLE.
It’s reassuring the price jump isn’t dramatic, but going for the AWD-e takes its toll on fuel consumption. Preliminary ratings put the newcomer at 50 miles per gallon on the combined cycle, which is six less than the FWD option. At speeds in excess of 43 miles per hour (70 km/h), the electric drive unit integrated into the rear axle doesn’t do anything, translating to excess weight that doesn’t pay dividend during highway driving.
Taking pragmatism into a different perspective, “the addition of all-wheel drive helps the Prius carve a niche for itself in the segment” according to Cars Direct. The motoring publication refers to the Crosstrek Hybrid as the closest competitor to the Prius AWD-e, but on the other hand, the Subaru is much more expensive at $35,970 before the government incentive.
Because the Crosstrek Hybrid is chunkier in every sense of the word, fuel consumption favors the Prius AWD-e as well. The combined rating for the Subaru is 35 mpg, but on the other hand, the Toyota can’t match the Symmetrical AWD, boxer engine, and raised suspension of the Crosstrek Hybrid.
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