The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Premium Hatchback is unique with its bridging technology that is between conventional hybrids and emission-free vehicles. In a nutshell, the guys at Toyota of Orange, a dealer of used cars in Orange County want to let you know that this car is a plug-in hybrid.
Driving
The Prime utilizes a 95-hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder and two motor/generator units (MGUs) that combine to produce 121 horsepower. These three power sources are equipped for the front wheels through a planetary automatic transmission.
To save even more fuel with your Prius, Toyota made sure the gas engine operates on the Atkinson cycle, and the reverse movement is only on electricity. Similarly to the Prius hybrid, the electric motors also act as generators, converting kinetic energy (movement) into electricity that is usually turned into heat when the brakes cause friction. You can find the battery pack under the rear seats and it weighs 265 pounds.
Normally, plug-in hybrids are based on tried and tested platforms, such as the old skool Prius. However, the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime at an Orange County dealer of used cars for sale is a lot more than that since it isn’t just a Prius with a bigger battery stuffed jammed into it! It’s actually an exceptional vehicle in many instances and the dealer of used cars is going to let you know.
So, how does the Prius Prime drive differently from the normal Prius? First of all, it uses another type of suspension system. Although the Prius Prime has a 77-pound weight penalty, it still feels very stable while driving on the highway, and we could not ignore its smooth ride either. This redesigned suspension, which is combined with a low-mounted lithium-ion battery pack, helps the Prime change direction as fast as the standard Prius.
The Prime’s estimated fuel economy is 55 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway. Although the Prime’s 25 miles of electric range isn’t cutting-edge, the battery pack delivers enough electric driving range to handle the daily commutes of average customers of the dealer of used cars, especially if you have charging facilities at work.
Where the Prius Prime really stands out is when it comes to charging. It is compatible with a 240-volt level 2 charger, but its attraction is the car’s four basic recharging process. All you have to do is plug-in the supplied charge cable to a traditional three-prong outlet and within five and a half hours later you have a fully charged battery.
There is no need to purchase an expensive 240-volt system for your home or have the hassle of driving around looking for a dedicated EV charging station.
Technology
The Prius Prime with the standards that most of us have now come to expect such as Bluetooth, alloy wheels, and a backup camera. Also, Toyota has included LED headlights and taillights, heated door mirrors, automatic grille shutters, a 7-inch touchscreen with navigation, a proximity key with push-button start, a smartphone activated air-conditioning system, an ultra Trek carbon fiber liftback, and Toyota’s safety sense suite in all base models.
The safety suite includes many active safety aids such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure prevention, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic pre-collision braking, and automatic high beam control and an adaptive cruise control system. There’s even an optional intelligent parking system that can steer the Prius Prime into a parallel parking space or put the vehicle back into a perpendicular one.
There are extra technological features for higher-level models. For instance, the winter months will feel less dreary with the car’s heated seats and heated steering wheel. Additionally, the Prime comes with automatic headlight control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, an eight-way power driver seat, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, and a larger 11.6-inch touchscreen center that is connected to a 10 speaker premium audio system from JBL. other upgrades consist of SofTex faux-leather seat upholstery in place of cloth, proximity-key sensors for the front passenger door, and the trunk to augment the Plus’s one in the driver’s door and an inductive phone-charging pad in the center console.
Comfort
The car’s cabin has a sleek, clean design that helps a lot if you have OCD about clutter. As soon as you get into the driver’s seat you will notice a vertically oriented 11.6-inch tablet that serves as the primary control interface for media and efficiency tools such as climate, audio, and navigation functions, as well as acting as a display for charging and battery info.
So, if you like to play around with buttons, you won’t find many in the Prius Prime. However, on the positive side, the tablet is very responsive and the menu has an intuitive structure, modern graphics, and very useful pinch and swipe capabilities for the map feature.
Also, the screen is split into two so different functions can be shown at the same time in large sections. That way you don’t have to switch away from the navigation just to change your climate settings.
Keep in mind that the Prius Prime has only seating for four rather than five in the regular Prius. The rear seats can fit two average-sized adults and come equipped with a multifunction center console, which is essentially an armrest with cupholders and a large storage box, instead of a three-passenger bench. There is ample legroom in the rear and good headroom even though the vehicle’s battery sits under the rear seats.
Behind the rear seats, the hatch has 19.8 cubic feet of cargo space, which you can enlarge when you fold down the 60/40 split backseat. It is honestly less than the normal Prius’ 24.6 cubic feet, but that is because of the Prius Prime’s larger battery.
Overall
You pay next to nothing for a fully loaded Prius Prime. Plus, it has better styling than a standard Prius, and because the vehicle has low emissions it qualifies for tax credits. So, why procrastinate any longer about test driving one today at Toyota of Orange, a dealer of new and used cars?