Compare the2023 Subaru Crosstrek HybridVS 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Safety
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Crosstrek Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Prius Prime Limited offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Prius Prime Limited has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Crosstrek Hybrid and the Prius Prime 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	Prius Prime
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	121	229
Neck Stress	304 lbs.	323 lbs.
Neck Compression	42 lbs.	51 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	Prius Prime
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	138	168
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	346 lbs.	373 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	428 lbs.	463 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	201	267

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Crosstrek Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius Prime last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Engine

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (148 vs. 121) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	Prius Prime
Zero to 30 MPH	3.4 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9 sec	10.8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.7 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	17.1 sec	18.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83 MPH	78 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Crosstrek Hybrid has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius Prime (13.2 vs. 11.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Crosstrek Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	11.6 inches	10 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.2 inches

The Crosstrek Hybrid stops much shorter than the Prius Prime:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	Prius Prime
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Crosstrek Hybrid has larger tires than the Prius Prime (225/55R18 vs. 195/65R15).

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime.

Chassis

The Crosstrek Hybrid is 6.4 inches shorter than the Prius Prime, making the Crosstrek Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Crosstrek Hybrid has 9.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius Prime (100.8 vs. 91.5).

The Crosstrek Hybrid has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 3.3 inches more rear legroom, 2.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius Prime.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek Hybrid. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Prius Prime has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Prius Prime. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Crosstrek Hybrid and the Prius Prime have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Crosstrek Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Prius Prime prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek Hybrid’s exterior PIN entry system. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Prius Prime’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius Prime has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Limited.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Toyota Prius by over two to one during the 2021 model year.