The 2023 Toyota Prius is the first model year of the fifth generation of everybody’s favorite egg-shaped hybrid. And as the entire automotive community has observed, the latest Prius is beautiful but still a little egg-like. Only three trims are now available: the LE, XLE, and Limited. Each trim comes standard with FWD but has an eAWD variant available for an additional $1,400. With the immense cost of new cars and pricey fuel, the base 2023 Prius offers a lot of car for an affordable price. 

The 2023 Toyota Prius LE is all the car you need

The 2023 Toyota Prius LE starts at $27,450 and includes an 8-inch infotainment screen with industry must-haves Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You get smartphone connectivity, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto offer wireless compatibility as standard.

If you’re buying a Prius as a family vehicle, you’ll be pleased to hear that Toyota offers its Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard. This package includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, and a few other choice features. Basically, it has all the non-ultra-luxury features one could possibly dream of in a vehicle at this price point. It is worth noting that the steering assist and adaptive cruise are very predictable and take away some of the stress of a long highway commute. 

The LE receives all the benefits of being a fifth-generation Prius

As with the other two trims, the LE trim includes a blind-spot monitoring system and a 7-inch gauge cluster or “top-mount” screen with all the relevant information you’d expect from a modern car. Also, like the XLE and Limited, the LE is fitted with the 2.0-liter M20A-FXS four-cylinder, making more power by itself than the previous generation Toyota Prius made in total. Up from the measly 121 hp the 2022 model year produced, the 2023 model manages an impressive 194 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque.

This means the Prius no longer requires you to play 4D chess to merge onto a highway – it’s now got enough power to navigate any commute safely. Despite the significant increase in power, the Prius still manages 57 mpg city and 56 mpg highway in its base LE trim. If you opt for the XLE or Limited, those numbers decrease to 52 mpg city and 52 mpg highway. AWD drops those numbers further to 53 mpg city/54 mpg highway for the LE and 49 mpg city/50 mpg highway for the XLE and Limited.

Like the previous generation, the smaller 17-inch wheels on the 2023 Toyota Prius LE account for the disparity between the base and upper-level trims and their bigger 19-inch wheels.   

The Limited trim is borderline luxurious 

Although the 2023 Toyota Prius LE has everything you need for a modern commuter, the top-level Limited trim adds a surprising amount of luxury. Standard features include heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, an 8-speaker JBL sound system, and a power liftback.

Another notable standard feature is a fixed glass roof that adds luxury to an economy-minded commuter car. But the most striking feature included with the Limited is the 12.3-inch infotainment screen that essentially feels straight out of a Lexus. Though the fully loaded trim has a boatload of standard features, three available features stand out: a digital rearview mirror, heated rear seats, and a 360-degree overhead view camera. The Prius is by no means a luxury vehicle, but for $34,465, its attractive design, the barrage of standard features, and otherworldly efficiency is a heck of a bargain.