Compare the2022 Toyota PriusVS 2022 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Prius are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Prius 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 Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

The Prius offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Prius and the Ioniq Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 174 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Ioniq Hybrid has not been fully tested, yet.

There are over 50 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius’ warranty.

The Ioniq Hybrid’s redline is at 5500 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Prius 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’ reliability 46 points higher than the Ioniq Hybrid.

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

The Prius 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 Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Prius stops much shorter than the Ioniq Hybrid:

The Prius LE FWD has a standard space-saver spare (not available on L Eco/XLE/Limited/e-AWD) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Ioniq Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Prius Limited handles at .90 G’s, while the Ioniq Hybrid SEL pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Prius Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Ioniq Hybrid SEL (26.3 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Prius’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Ioniq Hybrid’s (33.5 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Prius L Eco is quieter than the Ioniq Hybrid Limited:

The Prius has .3 inches more front headroom and .1 inches more front legroom than the Ioniq Hybrid.

The Prius has a larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Ioniq Hybrid (27.4 vs. 26.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Prius easier. The Prius’ trunk lift-over height is 26.5 inches, while the Ioniq Hybrid’s liftover is 28.8 inches.

The Prius (except L/LE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

If the windows are left open on the Prius 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. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Ioniq Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Prius has a standard rear wiper. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Prius’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Ioniq Hybrid SEL/Limited.

On extremely cold winter days, the Prius XLE/Limited’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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

The Prius LE/XLE/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 Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Toyota Prius has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its July 2016 issue and the Toyota Prius XLE won out over the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid BLUE.

The Toyota Prius outsold the Hyundai Ioniq by over three to one during the 2021 model year.