The Toyota Prius—the gold-standard hybrid—has made a cultural impact far greater than its carbon footprint. When you hear “Prius,” you might think of practical, eco-friendly transportation. Or perhaps you think it’s a virtue-signaling nerd-mobile. To many loyal owners, it’s an appliance to get from A to B. To legions of ride-hail drivers, it’s their office as they shuttle people and meals. For others, it’s the annoying car taking up space in the fast lane—or the charming one covered with bumper stickers sitting next to you in traffic. And now, for the first time since 2004, the new Toyota Prius is our Car of the Year.
It’s remarkable how much we wrote about that game-changing 2004 Prius that still applies to its Car of the Year–winning successor two decades later: “For sure, a certain amount of skepticism is understandable. Prior to this year’s competition, it’s unlikely that many MotorTrend editors had the 2004 Prius on their short lists. … The all-new 2004 Prius, however, is an altogether more compelling car. Not only is it the first hybrid that an enthusiast can truly enjoy, it provides a tantalizing preview of a future where extreme fuel-efficiency, ultra-low emissions, and stirring performance will happily coexist in one package.”
We can say the same about the new Prius. In a year with some seriously stiff EV competition in
