Call or Text (780) 702-2222 | 5210 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, AB T6H 4J8
Toyota on the Trail
Toyota on the Trail
  • Location
  • Call
  • Text
  • Login
  • More
    • New Vehicles
      • New Inventory
      • New Inventory Specials
      • What’s Your Trade Worth
      • Fleet Department
      • Demo Inventory
    • Used Vehicles
      • Used Inventory
      • Used Inventory Specials
      • Shop Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
      • What’s Your Trade Worth
    • Parts & Service
      • Schedule Service
      • Service Specials
      • Toyota Genuine Parts
      • Shop Tires
      • Autobody Repairs
      • Why Service With Us?
    • Finance
      • Leasing Explained
      • Credit Application
      • Credit Solutions
      • Loan Calculator
    • Explore Toyota Models
      • Corolla
      • RAV4
      • Highlander
      • GR Supra
      • C-HR
      • Sienna
      • Hybrids
      • Toyota Certified Used Vehicles
    • Toyota Tech and Safety
      • Toyota Safety Sense
      • Extra Care Protection
      • Entune
      • Connected Services
    • About Us
      • We Speak Your Language!
    • Contact Us
    • Our Staff
    • Our Blog
    • Text Sales
    • Text Service
    • Call Sales
    • Call Service
    Book Service
  • New Vehicles
    • New Inventory
    • New Inventory Specials
    • What’s Your Trade Worth
    • Fleet Department
    • Demo Inventory
  • Used Vehicles
    • Used Inventory
    • Used Inventory Specials
    • Shop Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
    • What’s Your Trade Worth
  • Parts & Service
    • Schedule Service
    • Service Specials
    • Toyota Genuine Parts
    • Shop Tires
    • Autobody Repairs
    • Why Service With Us?
  • Finance
    • Leasing Explained
    • Credit Application
    • Credit Solutions
    • Loan Calculator
  • 2016 Toyota Prius Test Drive Review

    2018 Toyota 4runner Interior

    The long-reigning champion of hybrid sales, the Toyota Prius, has been completely redone for 2016.

    Pricing: 2016 Toyota Prius

    Base price: $25,995

    Options: $590 Upgrade package; $255 optional paint colour

    Freight: $1,690

    A/C tax: $100

    Price as tested: $28,630

    Exterior

    Toyota described the Prius’ new look with the line “Sportier new styling”. You’d be forgiven for thinking this will be a slick-looking little ride especially with colour choices like my review car’s “Hypersonic Red”. It already sounds sporty, doesn’t it?

    Well, it’s not quite that sporty. I will acknowledge Toyota’s 5-door liftback does get some edgier styling and comes to the table with some very bold lines and creases. There are nifty touches, such as the standard LED headlights and daytime running lights. But let’s not get caught up in marketing speak – the Prius is still a weird-looking car. It actually doesn’t bother me, but I wouldn’t go so far as calling it sporty or pretty. And the wheel covers in this trim do not look good. But it will catch your eye, and those newfound aerodynamics will, in fact, slice through the wind thanks to that “sportier new styling”.

    Interior/Tech/Convenience

    Inside the new Prius, you will find a spacious-feeling cabin with improved materials which now include some legitimate soft-touch plastics and less weird textures. The wrap-around dash styling is pretty swoopy and you’ll find a very wide centre “instrument” bin – which is all digital – with a ton of information.

    The heated fabric seats are manually adjustable and quite comfortable. A floating centre stack holds the 6.1-inch touchscreen with Toyota’s simple but well laid out user interface. It handles your sound system, phone functions and a wealth of fuel economy data. Higher trims can be had with 7-inch screen that includes navigation. Below the screen is an automatic climate control system and the now-familiar-but-no-less-strange Prius gear selector set-up.

    The Prius comes standard with a back-up camera and my review sample had a bit of optional driver assistance technology – adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, a pre-collision system and auto high beams.

     

    Rear Seats

    At 5’10”, I had lots of head room and leg room in the back seat. There are three seats in the back, and the centre position is actually big enough for an adult – it’s not super comfortable, but it works. More than I can say for plenty of other 4-door cars that are this size or even bigger. Rear passengers get a 12V plug at the back of the centre console and if you need to anchor some kids’ seats, there are two sets of LATCH connectors.

    Storage

    I really liked the drop-in bin at the front of the console. Of course there’s a pair of cupholders and you’ll find USB, 12V and auxiliary plugs in the console too. Under the armrest lid is a carpeted bin. I’m happy to report that the armrest lid is now upholstered in a fabric that isn’t as strange as the former Prius’ neoprene-feeling stuff.

    Prius’ trunk has a high load floor but is quite spacious at 697 litres. Those rear seats fold flat (in a 60/40 split) – if you do this, you get a very impressive cargo capacity to work with.

    Under the Hood

    The front-wheel drive Prius is motivated by a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder gas engine and Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which combine for a net 121 horsepower. As you’d expect, it comes with a continuously-variable transmission (CVT).

    Toyota says the Prius will use 4.4 L/100 km in the city and 4.6 L/100 km on the highway, which is an improvement on what was already a stellar performer in terms of fuel economy. I ended up with an average of a nearly unbelievable 4.7 L/100 km over the course of my week with this fuel sipper. It ended up costing me less than $5.00 to fill. And I made no effort to save fuel or drive economically although there are plenty of electronic coaches available to help you with this if you care. In the end, it posted very very impressive fuel economy numbers – and that’s the whole point of this car.

    The Drive

    Yes, the Prius’ mileage was awesome. But it is the driving experience that surprised me the most. While nobody will accuse the Prius of being a snappy performer, the amount of power is actually perfectly adequate for normal driving. There are plenty of drive modes – Normal, Power – which makes things surprisingly sprightly, Eco – which is the most efficient hybrid mode but was quite drivable in this Prius and EV mode, which will stick to pure electric drive as long as possible.

    Toyota did a great job with the ride, which is exceedingly comfortable, and even the handling is nothing to sneeze at. I found the Prius livelier than before in the corners. Am I saying it’s fun to drive? Not really. But I’m saying it handles well and it’s happy to play along when you crank the steering wheel over a bit. And frankly, that’s the case for most vehicles these days.

    The Prius’ regenerative brakes, which one expects to be mushy and grabby at the same time as in nearly all hybrids, seem to have been improved and feel a bit more conventional. Noise and vibration are handled very well, and the Prius remained quiet even at highway speeds. Visibility out of the Prius is mostly fine, but your rear view is still irritatingly bisected by the transition between the extreme slope of the hatch glass and the vertical glass part of the rear fascia.

    Overall, there is nothing that a Prius driver will be compromising on when it comes to the driving experience, as long as you’re OK with a car that isn’t particularly fast. Of note, and as I touched on when talking about the handling too, that applies to plenty of other vehicles too – not just hybrids, or the Prius specifically.

    The Verdict

    In the end, I came away from my week in the Prius with respect. Here’s a vehicle that fulfills its mission in sipping fuel and keeps its promise there. And yet, there are few compromises required to achieve that goal. There’s nothing that this car doesn’t do well, so if you’re OK with its styling, there shouldn’t be any reason not to consider a Prius. Because it will do anything you ask of it, and it will do it well.

    WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) was middling. She said the car was simple to drive and it was comfortable and spacious, but she simply couldn’t get past the exterior on this one. Oh well, can’t win them all…

    Blog provided with permission from Tom Sedens, a local automotive blogger in Edmonton, Alberta, and member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). For more vehicle reviews, visit wildsau.ca.

    Posted on August 9, 2016 Categories: Toyota Prius, Uncategorised
    Recent Posts
    • Is it Time to Get a Toyota Oil Change Edmonton?
    • Everything you need to know about your Toyota’s Battery in Edmonton
    • How much can the 2018 Toyota 4Runner tow?
    • 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid & Prius Prime at the AJAC EcoRun
    • How’s This Work? Disabling Steering Assist
    Recent Comments
    • pietro calabrese on World Debut of the 2018 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid
    • Ornato on Why wait for the brand-new Prius Prime plug-in?
    • Brian Bishop on Why wait for the brand-new Prius Prime plug-in?
    • Lisa Perry on 2013 Toyota Venza AWD Touring Review
    • Domenico Valente on Scion Warning Lights
    Need More Info? We’re Here to Help!

    Department

    • Sales
    • Service
    • Parts
    • General
    • Preferred Contact Method
    • Preferred Contact Method
    • Find A Vehicle
    • New Vehicles
    • Used Vehicles
    • Sell Us Your Vehicle
    • Book Your Appraisal
    • Trade-In Your Vehicle
    • Finance
    • Finance a Vehicle
    • About Toyota on the Trail
    • Why Buy At Toyota on the Trail?
    • Careers
    • Our Staff
    • Go Card
    • Hours & Location
    • Contact Us
    Text or Call Us
    (780) 702-2222
    Follow Us
    Toyota on the Trail

    5210 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, Alberta
    T6H 4J8


    Sales
    Sun: 11:00AM - 4:00PM
    Mon-Thurs: 9:00AM - 8:00PM
    Fri-Sat: 9:00AM - 6:00PM

    Service & Parts
    Sun: Closed
    Mon-Fri: 7:30AM - 5:30PM
    Sat: 8:00AM - 4:00PM

    Go Auto Logo

    | A Go Auto Dealership

    Toyota on the Trail

    5210 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, Alberta
    T6H 4J8


    Sales
    Sun: 11:00AM - 4:00PM
    Mon-Thurs: 9:00AM - 8:00PM
    Fri-Sat: 9:00AM - 6:00PM

    Service & Parts
    Sun: Closed
    Mon-Fri: 7:30AM - 5:30PM
    Sat: 8:00AM - 4:00PM

    Go Auto Logo

    | A Go Auto Dealership

    Terms Privacy Contact HideView Disclaimers & Conditions
    *Where a photo is identified as a stock photo, the vehicle may not be exactly as shown. Stock photos may not reflect the vehicle’s exact colour, trim, options or other specifications. Please contact the dealership for verification or if you would like more information on this vehicle. *Prices for the provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia include dealer-installed accessories, optional equipment physically attached to the vehicle, transportation charges, taxes (other than GST/HST) and any applicable administration fees, but do not include GST/HST, insurance or licensing fees. For all other provinces (excluding Quebec), prices exclude taxes, insurance, licensing and other applicable fees. Price may not include dealer-installed options, accessories, administration fees, and other dealer charges. *All prices are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise stated. *The Payment Calculator is for comparison purposes only and is based on the vehicle price, the entered term in months, the entered percentage rate and any other fields you are prompted to enter. Taxes, insurance, and licensing fees are additional. All financing is OAC. Please contact our dealership for more information.
    © Go Auto 2020