Watching this in 2022, trying to make my 2012 Prius Plug-In Advanced with 135,000 miles on it still feel interesting by watching old review videos... Trying to avoid wanting a new car... Thanks, Alex!
One of the major perks (in my mind, anyway) of the Prius Plug-in is the amount of time saved by avoiding the gas station. That extra 10 miles I get each morning, and each night on the way home, reduces the number of times I would normally need to fill-up by about 400%. I go to the gas station so rarely now that it's starting to feel like a foreign experience -- I literally use the car wash at our local station about 3 times as often as I use their gas pumps :)
Thanks so much for this informative video! Your review confirms what I was hoping: under NORMAL driving (for me, that's around 90 miles each way, over many hills, but with charging capabilities at work), as opposed to ev only for very short periods, I can still get better mileage than I'm currently getting in my 2010 Prius. Thanks for the awesome review!
This is a fantastic, detailed review. Thanks so much for this. These are now affordable 2nd hand where I live. I wonder though what the Li ion battery longevity is like, and how much they are to replace if they fail.
Make no mistake, the new Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-In are a huge deal. If you compare them against the hybrid versions of the Camry and Fusion, you can see how dramatic the fuel economy improvement is. The Prius is a dedicated hybrid model so comparisons are tricky, but apples-to-apples the Accord makes a big mark.
Great review. The most useful one I've seen. Good real world mileage figures. Who knew there was no spare???? Great job. The one thing missing is a real world mileage comparison of the Prius Plug-in and the various other models of Prius. That would go a long way towards being able to figure out which model is the best value.
The Prius Plug-in (and the upcoming replacement Prius Prime) seems like it operates on an entirely different philosophy to the Volt, even if they do compare similarly. In the Prius, the name of the game has always been EFFICIENCY; maximizing every drop of fuel & battery power to go as farthest while consuming the least. The Volt emphasizes total EV RANGE, but in doing so sacrifices MPGe (the Prius uses power, again, more efficiently) and gas MPG which is nowhere near as high as the Prius. The fact the PiP & Prime can both get the highest gas MPG as the regular Prius while achieving EV capability is commendable. It isn't as marketable as the Volt, but if the daily commute is greater than ~50miles then the Prius Plug-in can make more financial sense than the Volt in the long run.
GREAT video, you bring up the points that I tell my friends. The Volt uses a regular OTTO cycle engine, the Prius uses a more efficient Atkinson cycle engine and so the Prius gets more MPG when the battery runs out. I hear that Toyota is working on Lean burning engines for the next Prius. I didn't know that the Volt rarely is a parallel hybrid (engaging that clutch), I thought it would turn into a parallel hybrid whenever most efficient.
hey dave go test drive a VOLT ... this one fly on the highway, they put 274lbs of torque so when you need speed you got it. I get 47 miles on a single charge on average weather which is amazing distance for battery.
Also if you live in the Los Angeles area certain city such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Downtown you get free street parking (with the HOV sticker), and up to 30% off your DWP bill on non-peak hours (8pm to 10am, all day weekends). The regular Prius hybrid does not qualify for all the incentives.
Now I just can't wait for both of them to come to my country (Malaysia)! We have import tax exemptions for hybrids with petrol engines of 2.0L or less but only last until end of this year, unless they decide to extend it once again........ Is it possible for your to make a review for the new Honda Accord Plug In Hybrid? Thanks man :)!!
Not the "first" time. The 2002/3 Civic Hybrid had higher MPG than the 2002/3 Prius sedan. The 2004/5 Civic Hybrid was tied on the highway MPG with the revised 2004/5 Prius hatchback . (And of course the original insight had 60mpg, which blew-away every other car) .
I have to make a comment, Dave is comparing prices on base plug-in which 32k to a base Prius hybrid (Prius 1) which is 22k.However the base plug-in has navigation standard, the Prius 1 does not. In reality you should compare the Prius plug-in to a Prius 3 which comes with navigation standard and is priced around 26k. So the plug-in base is about 5k more instead of 9k which Dave is stating to the Prius 1.
I understand that is was 2012 but "charging time is longer" is a good thing. And one can maximize Volt mpg on gasoline by not running stable speeds on highways on gasoline and all else on electric. Then that tiny clutch is used more.
The Honda Accord hybrid gets incredible numbers, but it isn't quite as efficient as the Prius. I think this has more to do with the Accord's size, aerodynamics and tires than the drivetrain.
This is an often overlooked point. Include the 2500 Federal tax credit and a base model Plug-in is really not a very big step up in price from a level III regular Prius.
Expensive at $35K, no matter how you look it these hybrid cars. Small 4 cyl car, like Ford Fiesta, Nisan Versa or other small cars can be bought for less than $15K and gas millage is up in the 30 mpg. VW beetle or Golf diesels are over 40 mpg!One may save some on the fuel with the hybrids, but the price of the car exceeds the savings!
And as of right now they are offering a 2k rebate from toyota plus 1500 state refund (California only) and 2500 federal tax credit on the 2012 base plug in. Add all that up is 6k which will reduce the price on the vehicle to 25k. 1k less then the Prius 3. food for thought.Also did I mention it comes with a white HOV sticker which is good until 2016.
Will the 2013 Prius Plug-in get more electrical range than the 2012? Just checking, because I am considering a purchase. I almost went for a Volt, but I do think the Prius has a higher quality control factor. Back to the Volt, did you ever get the 40 mile electrical range? Did it happen under any other circumstance?
Nice review, thanks. Honda also launched their first Plug In Full Hybrid, the Accord Hybrid in USA/Japan. It is using a more technologically advanced Lithium Ion battery with an electric only range of up to 25km (more than Prius plug in?) if I remember correctly, a two motor system paired with a 2.0L Atkinson cycle i-VTEC engine. It should be even more efficient compared to Prius plug in right??
Alright but for the first time Honda is getting amazingly close to battle with the Prius, I would like to see them compare the EPA ratings of these two super efficient Hybrids side by side. The shape of a sedan is just a bit less aerodynamic compared to hatchbacks like Prius/Insight? I am personally driving a 2013 Honda Insight Hybrid Facelift in light blue, thanks for the reply :)...!!!
I respect his opinion and knowledge but I take the colt over this any day. I average 55 miles charging the battery only once or twice per week and the interior, infotainment system and graphics, screen resolution, the leather and the exterior looks are all a lot better than the Prius
Well no new cars in the USA have had lean burning engines for a while. Honda stopped when they stopped making the 1st gen Honda Insight (the manual transmission models) in 2005 or so. The tricky thing is emissions. That Insight only got ULEV emissions rating, the non lean-burn version got SULEV rating which is what all cars are today or better. So ifthey canfigure out the emissions with magic catalytic converters or something they'll bring it back. ThePrius wouldbe Atkinson lean-burn not OTTOlb
The hard cheap and or flimsy plastic of the PriusHybrid feels very cheap indeed. The interior, material, layout, and characteristic of the Volt's dashboard feels upscale and high quality. The performance and acceleration of the Volt is orders of magnitude better than that of the PriusH. Moreover, nobody can beat a completely smooth and silent electric engine with amazing torque and acceleration all the way at all steps and speeds. The only aspect of the PriusH that would be advantageous in relation to the Volt is its interior space, since the PriusH is certainly more roomy and spacious. Plus nobody would content that the exterior of the Volt looks really sharp compared to that of the PriusH eccentric looks. And performance wise the PriusH is really subpar. As of now, it seems that the PriusHybrid was discontinued by Toyota. In hindsight, it seemed very predictable since this vehicle lacked any identity to begin with (EV for 11 miles range, at low speeds only; it sounds like a predictable flop...) By the way, I happen to have a 2013 Volt; it consistently gets over 40 mile range with battery only. This 20miles range is a non-sense thing.
Let's see how many miles your Chevy gets. Prius's get over 300 000. I put 343000 on an 89 s 10 with 2.8 litre, hard to believe but I sit you not. Drove it to scrap yard and pulled battery. Wore out well driller daily driver, 1 hour 1 way racks up the miles
It is recycled material. Once I found that out I was appreciative. I am looking for something that is green. That means it has less of a carbon footprint.
only 13 pure electric miles isn't all that impressive, if it was something like 40 on the other hand, then it would totally justify the price difference.
9:50 Alex this is apparently not true at all. Apparently I learn that this doesn't have regenerative braking for the larger battery. You cannot recharge it going downhill much more than a regular Prius. Apparently - and correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I've read - the battery pack is divided into 3 parts: a larger one for EV only, and a 1.6kWh one for driving in hybrid mode (same as but slightly bigger than the 1.3kWh for a regular Prius), and I'm not sure what the 3rd one is for. But according to what I've read, the regen only goes to the 1.6kWh battery not the larger EV traction battery. Please correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I've found on the issue so far. This is a bit disappointing and will probably prevent me buying this car on the second hand market. Source: www.greencarreports.com/news/1044960_why-cant-toyotas-plug-in-prius-recharge-its-larger-battery
Unfortunately not. There is some charge from braking only as far as I can tell. How much you get depends on how much downhill on your route but it's cancelled out by the uphill pretty much. Drove 14 miles uphill yesterday starting with full charge and got 68 mpg (UK) and 112 on the way back in hybrid mode.
Interesting review, but I question his cost comparison. The 10K difference is against the fleet purchase only Prius One. Based of features the comparison should be against the 26K Prius Three. This gives a much smaller 6K price difference for the Plug-in Prius.
Alright sure, o ya I forgot that the 1st Gen Insight was the most efficient car in the world :)!! Even though my 2nd Gen Insight is not the 'most' efficient but it's still very efficient and I love the design compared to Toyotas :]................
the dash of chevy volt looks like can-spray-painted by a spoiled child. and no, ain't smokin' nothing here. plus, listen to alex - depending on your commute, PIP makes more sense way cheaper!
This guy smokes a "Crack Rock" I think ...... VOLT Dash is "Cheap" ?? Yeah RIGHT !!! The Dash on the Volt is amazing and very advanced ..... The VOLT is also a "Series/Parallel" Hybrid depending on condition and far far more efficient and advanced then a Prius , and it doesn't just get 20 miles on a charge (Unless a REPUBLICAN is behind the wheel) It gets an easy 40 Miles per charge ...... Drive a VOLT then decide, Prius feels cheap and noisy , the Volt is a very solid car with amazing driving characteristics ........ This video was almost IDIOTIC !
Where are you getting your information from ? A box of cocoa puffs ??? The volt is regarded as a highly reliable and safe vehicle the prius plug in has been a "Failure" vehicle even by Toyotas standards ! You either work for Toyota or are very misled !
Kha Led According to Consumer Reports and True Delta, the Volt has been less reliable than the Prius or Prius plug-in averaging three times the number of repairs per 100 cars. Although the Volt outsold the Prius plug-in in 2012 and 2013, for 2014 the Prius plug-in is outselling the Volt. It is important to keep in mind that Toyota has sold every Prius plug-in they are capable of building, their factory is running at 100% capacity which is why for the first 18 months it was only sold in 14 of the 50 states. I anticipate that the next-generation Volt is likely to regain sales leadership and will likely beat the Nissan LEAF again. (LEAF sales have topped the Volt in 2012 and in 2014).
I guess you live in a different world then I do. Talk to a volt owner and ask them how they feel. You'll understand then. Drive a volt and then drive a Prius. Night and day difference.
+Kha Led I have the prius plugin 2013, and have driven volt as well. I agree with you the dash and outlook probably much better in Volt. However, space, mileage, price, reliability, comfortness, Prius beats volt all the way!
Watching this in 2022, trying to make my 2012 Prius Plug-In Advanced with 135,000 miles on it still feel interesting by watching old review videos... Trying to avoid wanting a new car... Thanks, Alex!
How's the battery held up over the last decade?
@@TheJoncic not bad! Still getting about 8 miles electric range.
One of the major perks (in my mind, anyway) of the Prius Plug-in is the amount of time saved by avoiding the gas station. That extra 10 miles I get each morning, and each night on the way home, reduces the number of times I would normally need to fill-up by about 400%. I go to the gas station so rarely now that it's starting to feel like a foreign experience -- I literally use the car wash at our local station about 3 times as often as I use their gas pumps :)
Still so useful. Picked up one of these for $10,500. Great little car! Wife loves it.
Thanks so much for this informative video! Your review confirms what I was hoping: under NORMAL driving (for me, that's around 90 miles each way, over many hills, but with charging capabilities at work), as opposed to ev only for very short periods, I can still get better mileage than I'm currently getting in my 2010 Prius. Thanks for the awesome review!
This is a fantastic, detailed review. Thanks so much for this. These are now affordable 2nd hand where I live. I wonder though what the Li ion battery longevity is like, and how much they are to replace if they fail.
Make no mistake, the new Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-In are a huge deal. If you compare them against the hybrid versions of the Camry and Fusion, you can see how dramatic the fuel economy improvement is. The Prius is a dedicated hybrid model so comparisons are tricky, but apples-to-apples the Accord makes a big mark.
Wow! Alex looks so young!
Had a 2012 since 2015. Worth every penny. It’s a gem
Great review. The most useful one I've seen. Good real world mileage figures. Who knew there was no spare???? Great job. The one thing missing is a real world mileage comparison of the Prius Plug-in and the various other models of Prius. That would go a long way towards being able to figure out which model is the best value.
The Prius Plug-in (and the upcoming replacement Prius Prime) seems like it operates on an entirely different philosophy to the Volt, even if they do compare similarly.
In the Prius, the name of the game has always been EFFICIENCY; maximizing every drop of fuel & battery power to go as farthest while consuming the least. The Volt emphasizes total EV RANGE, but in doing so sacrifices MPGe (the Prius uses power, again, more efficiently) and gas MPG which is nowhere near as high as the Prius.
The fact the PiP & Prime can both get the highest gas MPG as the regular Prius while achieving EV capability is commendable. It isn't as marketable as the Volt, but if the daily commute is greater than ~50miles then the Prius Plug-in can make more financial sense than the Volt in the long run.
OMG! Look how skinny Alex is in this....didn’t realize this was from 2012! Nice video as usual!
What is that 8-bit music playing in the background? Ice cream truck? LOL
GREAT video, you bring up the points that I tell my friends. The Volt uses a regular OTTO cycle engine, the Prius uses a more efficient Atkinson cycle engine and so the Prius gets more MPG when the battery runs out. I hear that Toyota is working on Lean burning engines for the next Prius. I didn't know that the Volt rarely is a parallel hybrid (engaging that clutch), I thought it would turn into a parallel hybrid whenever most efficient.
hey dave go test drive a VOLT ... this one fly on the highway, they put 274lbs of torque so when you need speed you got it. I get 47 miles on a single charge on average weather which is amazing distance for battery.
Also if you live in the Los Angeles area certain city such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Downtown you get free street parking (with the HOV sticker), and up to 30% off your DWP bill on non-peak hours (8pm to 10am, all day weekends). The regular Prius hybrid does not qualify for all the incentives.
Excellent review, I just bought one on Friday. I think your review was right on.
very comprehensive review
Ah the Prius plugin will even appeal to the Mafia since they can easily fit a body in the trunk!
No one will EVER suspect a thing.
Now I just can't wait for both of them to come to my country (Malaysia)! We have import tax exemptions for hybrids with petrol engines of 2.0L or less but only last until end of this year, unless they decide to extend it once again........
Is it possible for your to make a review for the new Honda Accord Plug In Hybrid? Thanks man :)!!
Not the "first" time. The 2002/3 Civic Hybrid had higher MPG than the 2002/3 Prius sedan. The 2004/5 Civic Hybrid was tied on the highway MPG with the revised 2004/5 Prius hatchback
.
(And of course the original insight had 60mpg, which blew-away every other car)
.
man! just choked on my dinner when this lad climbed in the boot! hahaha
I have to make a comment, Dave is comparing prices on base plug-in which 32k to a base Prius hybrid (Prius 1) which is 22k.However the base plug-in has navigation standard, the Prius 1 does not. In reality you should compare the Prius plug-in to a Prius 3 which comes with navigation standard and is priced around 26k. So the plug-in base is about 5k more instead of 9k which Dave is stating to the Prius 1.
I understand that is was 2012 but "charging time is longer" is a good thing.
And one can maximize Volt mpg on gasoline by not running stable speeds on highways on gasoline and all else on electric. Then that tiny clutch is used more.
You could plug in a small heater into your house electric set a timer warm your car before you leave?
GEAUX FRUGAL 12v heater would work.
The Honda Accord hybrid gets incredible numbers, but it isn't quite as efficient as the Prius. I think this has more to do with the Accord's size, aerodynamics and tires than the drivetrain.
excellent review !
This is an often overlooked point. Include the 2500 Federal tax credit and a base model Plug-in is really not a very big step up in price from a level III regular Prius.
Expensive at $35K, no matter how you look it these hybrid cars. Small 4 cyl car, like Ford Fiesta, Nisan Versa or other small cars can be bought for less than $15K and gas millage is up in the 30 mpg. VW beetle or Golf diesels are over 40 mpg!One may save some on the fuel with the hybrids, but the price of the car exceeds the savings!
And as of right now they are offering a 2k rebate from toyota plus 1500 state refund (California only) and 2500 federal tax credit on the 2012 base plug in. Add all that up is 6k which will reduce the price on the vehicle to 25k. 1k less then the Prius 3. food for thought.Also did I mention it comes with a white HOV sticker which is good until 2016.
A plug in Prius is great! It will go well with a Prius owners plug in murse!
One truly ridiculous issue of the PHV Advanced model is that it is so much more expensive than the "base" PHV.
Will the 2013 Prius Plug-in get more electrical range than the 2012? Just checking, because I am considering a purchase. I almost went for a Volt, but I do think the Prius has a higher quality control factor.
Back to the Volt, did you ever get the 40 mile electrical range? Did it happen under any other circumstance?
Nice review, thanks. Honda also launched their first Plug In Full Hybrid, the Accord Hybrid in USA/Japan. It is using a more technologically advanced Lithium Ion battery with an electric only range of up to 25km (more than Prius plug in?) if I remember correctly, a two motor system paired with a 2.0L Atkinson cycle i-VTEC engine. It should be even more efficient compared to Prius plug in right??
Alright but for the first time Honda is getting amazingly close to battle with the Prius, I would like to see them compare the EPA ratings of these two super efficient Hybrids side by side. The shape of a sedan is just a bit less aerodynamic compared to hatchbacks like Prius/Insight?
I am personally driving a 2013 Honda Insight Hybrid Facelift in light blue, thanks for the reply :)...!!!
This guy lives around Santa Cruz and works in SF, right?
I respect his opinion and knowledge but I take the colt over this any day. I average 55 miles charging the battery only once or twice per week and the interior, infotainment system and graphics, screen resolution, the leather and the exterior looks are all a lot better than the Prius
Well no new cars in the USA have had lean burning engines for a while. Honda stopped when they stopped making the 1st gen Honda Insight (the manual transmission models) in 2005 or so. The tricky thing is emissions. That Insight only got ULEV emissions rating, the non lean-burn version got SULEV rating which is what all cars are today or better.
So ifthey canfigure out the emissions with magic catalytic converters or something they'll bring it back. ThePrius wouldbe Atkinson lean-burn not OTTOlb
The hard cheap and or flimsy plastic of the PriusHybrid feels very cheap indeed. The interior, material, layout, and characteristic of the Volt's dashboard feels upscale and high quality.
The performance and acceleration of the Volt is orders of magnitude better than that of the PriusH. Moreover, nobody can beat a completely smooth and silent electric engine with amazing torque and acceleration all the way at all steps and speeds. The only aspect of the PriusH that would be advantageous in relation to the Volt is its interior space, since the PriusH is certainly more roomy and spacious. Plus nobody would content that the exterior of the Volt looks really sharp compared to that of the PriusH eccentric looks. And performance wise the PriusH is really subpar.
As of now, it seems that the PriusHybrid was discontinued by Toyota. In hindsight, it seemed very predictable since this vehicle lacked any identity to begin with (EV for 11 miles range, at low speeds only; it sounds like a predictable flop...)
By the way, I happen to have a 2013 Volt; it consistently gets over 40 mile range with battery only. This 20miles range is a non-sense thing.
Let's see how many miles your Chevy gets. Prius's get over 300 000. I put 343000 on an 89 s 10 with 2.8 litre, hard to believe but I sit you not. Drove it to scrap yard and pulled battery. Wore out well driller daily driver, 1 hour 1 way racks up the miles
Jonathan Simon well said. I’d take cheap plastic with longevity over quality interior that useless after the car breaks down.
It is recycled material. Once I found that out I was appreciative. I am looking for something that is green. That means it has less of a carbon footprint.
only 13 pure electric miles isn't all that impressive, if it was something like 40 on the other hand, then it would totally justify the price difference.
9:50 Alex this is apparently not true at all. Apparently I learn that this doesn't have regenerative braking for the larger battery. You cannot recharge it going downhill much more than a regular Prius. Apparently - and correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I've read - the battery pack is divided into 3 parts: a larger one for EV only, and a 1.6kWh one for driving in hybrid mode (same as but slightly bigger than the 1.3kWh for a regular Prius), and I'm not sure what the 3rd one is for. But according to what I've read, the regen only goes to the 1.6kWh battery not the larger EV traction battery. Please correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I've found on the issue so far. This is a bit disappointing and will probably prevent me buying this car on the second hand market. Source:
www.greencarreports.com/news/1044960_why-cant-toyotas-plug-in-prius-recharge-its-larger-battery
Alex, please turn off the radio before doing long dictating-to-the-camera-in-car segments in the future!
My question is can the battery be fully charged just by driving on the hwy. I live in an apartment don’t have an outlet??? Anyone know??
Unfortunately not. There is some charge from braking only as far as I can tell. How much you get depends on how much downhill on your route but it's cancelled out by the uphill pretty much. Drove 14 miles uphill yesterday starting with full charge and got 68 mpg (UK) and 112 on the way back in hybrid mode.
Interesting review, but I question his cost comparison. The 10K difference is against the fleet purchase only Prius One. Based of features the comparison should be against the 26K Prius Three. This gives a much smaller 6K price difference for the Plug-in Prius.
Alright sure, o ya I forgot that the 1st Gen Insight was the most efficient car in the world :)!! Even though my 2nd Gen Insight is not the 'most' efficient but it's still very efficient and I love the design compared to Toyotas :]................
lol'd when he climbed into the trunk
the dash of chevy volt looks like can-spray-painted by a spoiled child. and no, ain't smokin' nothing here. plus, listen to alex - depending on your commute, PIP makes more sense way cheaper!
Twelve Miles ? that's not enough ... and will cost you 40K, not worth it !
Bio plastic I think...
This guy smokes a "Crack Rock" I think ...... VOLT Dash is "Cheap" ?? Yeah RIGHT !!! The Dash on the Volt is amazing and very advanced ..... The VOLT is also a "Series/Parallel" Hybrid depending on condition and far far more efficient and advanced then a Prius , and it doesn't just get 20 miles on a charge (Unless a REPUBLICAN is behind the wheel) It gets an easy 40 Miles per charge ...... Drive a VOLT then decide, Prius feels cheap and noisy , the Volt is a very solid car with amazing driving characteristics ........ This video was almost IDIOTIC !
The Volt has so many mechanical problems reported I would never consider that piece of junk. GM consistently kills all greener vehicles
Where are you getting your information from ? A box of cocoa puffs ???
The volt is regarded as a highly reliable and safe vehicle the prius plug in has been a "Failure" vehicle even by Toyotas standards !
You either work for Toyota or are very misled !
Kha Led According to Consumer Reports and True Delta, the Volt has been less reliable than the Prius or Prius plug-in averaging three times the number of repairs per 100 cars. Although the Volt outsold the Prius plug-in in 2012 and 2013, for 2014 the Prius plug-in is outselling the Volt. It is important to keep in mind that Toyota has sold every Prius plug-in they are capable of building, their factory is running at 100% capacity which is why for the first 18 months it was only sold in 14 of the 50 states. I anticipate that the next-generation Volt is likely to regain sales leadership and will likely beat the Nissan LEAF again. (LEAF sales have topped the Volt in 2012 and in 2014).
I guess you live in a different world then I do. Talk to a volt owner and ask them how they feel. You'll understand then. Drive a volt and then drive a Prius. Night and day difference.
+Kha Led I have the prius plugin 2013, and have driven volt as well. I agree with you the dash and outlook probably much better in Volt. However, space, mileage, price, reliability, comfortness, Prius beats volt all the way!