Compare the2022 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2021 Polestar 1

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 Polestar 1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Prius Prime and the Polestar 1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius Prime the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Polestar 1 has not been tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Prius Prime 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Polestar covers the 1. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Polestar 1 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 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. Polestar doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 1.

The Polestar 1’s redline is at 6500 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Prius Prime has a 4000-RPM redline.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Prius Prime’s reliability 64 points higher than the Polestar 1.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Polestar 1 running on electricity (145 city/121 hwy vs. 55 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Polestar 1 running its gasoline engine (55 city/53 hwy vs. 22 city/31 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Prius Prime uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Polestar 1 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Prius Prime higher (7 out of 10) than the Polestar 1 (5). This means the Prius Prime produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Polestar 1 every 15,000 miles.

The Prius Prime has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The front and rear suspension of the Prius Prime uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Polestar 1, which uses torsion bars in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime’s turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the Polestar 1’s (33.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Toyota Prius Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1800 pounds less than the Polestar 1.

The Prius Prime is 7.8 inches narrower than the Polestar 1, making the Prius Prime easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

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 Polestar 1 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Prius Prime a Mid-size car, while the Polestar 1 is rated a Minicompact.

The Prius Prime has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Polestar 1 can only carry 4.

The Prius Prime has 19.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Polestar 1 (91.5 vs. 72).

The Prius Prime has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, 3.9 inches more rear headroom, 12.5 inches more rear legroom, 8.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Polestar 1.

The Prius Prime has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Polestar 1 (19.8 vs. 4.4 cubic feet). The Prius Prime has a larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the Polestar 1 (36.6 vs. 4.4 cubic feet).

The Prius Prime’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

The Prius Prime’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them. Polestar does not offer a locking feature on the Polestar 1’s standard power windows.

The Prius Prime has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Prius Prime XLE/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Polestar 1 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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