Compare the2022 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2022 Chevrolet Bolt

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius Prime are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Bolt doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Prius Prime has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Bolt doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Prius Prime Limited has standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Bolt doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Prius Prime’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Bolt doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Prius Prime and the Bolt have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Prius Prime’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Bolt’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius Prime for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Bolt.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Chevrolet is ranked 17th.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Bolt (145 city/121 hwy vs. 131 city/109 hwy MPGe).

The Prius Prime’s maximum EPA estimated driving range on a full tank of fuel and a full charge is 652 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Bolt’s range is only 259 miles, after which the minimum recharge time is 30 minutes for only a 45% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a conventional charging station can take up to 50 hours.

The Prius Prime stops shorter than the Bolt:

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota Prius Prime has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Bolt has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Prius Prime has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Prius Prime flat and controlled during cornering. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Prius Prime has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Bolt doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius Prime’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Bolt (106.3 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prius Prime is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Bolt.

The Prius Prime LE handles at .79 G’s, while the Bolt pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Bolt’s (33.4 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

The Toyota Prius Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 pounds less than the Chevrolet Bolt.

The design of the Toyota Prius Prime amounts to more than styling. The Prius Prime has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .25 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Bolt (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius Prime get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Prius Prime uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Bolt doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Prius Prime has 2.4 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bolt.

The Prius Prime has a much larger trunk than the Bolt with its rear seat up (19.8 vs. 16.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Prius Prime easier. The Prius Prime’s trunk lift-over height is 26.5 inches, while the Bolt’s liftover is 30 inches.

The Prius Prime Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Bolt doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Prius Prime’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Bolt’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Prius Prime the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (Your Toyota service department must activate this window function.) The driver of the Bolt can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prius Prime has a standard locking fuel and charge port door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Bolt doesn’t offer a locking charge port.

The Prius Prime Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Bolt’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Prius Prime Limited’s Intelligent Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Bolt doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Prius Prime will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Prius Prime will retain 46.7% to 46.86% of its original price after five years, while the Bolt only retains 15.72% to 18.48%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Prius Prime is less expensive to operate than the Bolt because it costs $272 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Prius Prime than the Bolt, including $27 less for front brake pads and $331 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Prius Prime will be $9200 to $10349 less than for the Chevrolet Bolt.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Prius Prime as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Consumer Reports performed a comparison test in its September 2017 issue and the Toyota Prius Prime XLE won out over the Chevrolet Bolt Premier.

The Toyota Prius outsold the Chevrolet Bolt by over two to one during 2020.