Compare the2022 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2022 Lucid Motors Air

The Prius Prime’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Air.

The Prius Prime has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Air doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Prius Prime and the Air have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, 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 Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Air has not been tested, yet.

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. Lucid Motors doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Air.

There are almost 62 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lucid Motors dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius Prime’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Air:

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 Air’s range is only 406 to 520 miles, after which the minimum recharge time is 20 minutes for only a 74% 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 13 hours.

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime’s turning circle is 5.9 feet tighter than the Air’s (33.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

The Toyota Prius Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1700 to 1900 pounds less than the Lucid Motors Air.

The Prius Prime is 1 foot, 1 inches shorter than the Air, making the Prius Prime easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Prius Prime is 7 inches narrower than the Air, 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 Air doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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 Air doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Prius Prime detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Air doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Prius Prime’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Air’s power mirror controls are embedded in the infotainment system, seriously distracting drivers who have to adjust them while driving.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Prius Prime, based on reliability, safety and performance.