Compare the2023 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen ID.4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Prius Prime doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Prius Prime have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Prius Prime’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ID.4 has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The ID.4 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 ID.4 Pro S Plus has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Prius Prime only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The ID.4 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Prius Prime Limited offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the ID.4 has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Prius Prime Limited offers rear cross-path warning.

Both the ID.4 and the Prius Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Volkswagen ID.4 weighs 942 to 1512 pounds more than the Toyota Prius Prime. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen ID.4 is safer than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	ID.4	Prius Prime
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	169	229
Neck Injury Risk	18%	33%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	323 lbs.
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	51 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	39/39 lbs.	274/256 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 Volkswagen ID.4 is safer than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	ID.4	Prius Prime
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	76	168
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	128 lbs.	134 lbs.
Hip Force	356 lbs.	373 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	249
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	45 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	6 inches	12 inches

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius Prime last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The ID.4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Prius Prime’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Volkswagen’s powertrain warranty covers the ID.4 3 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Prius Prime. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Prius Prime ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ID.4’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Prius Prime’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Engine

The ID.4’s standard electric motor produces 80 more horsepower (201 vs. 121) and 123 lbs.-ft. more torque (229 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The ID.4’s optional electric motors produces 174 more horsepower (295 vs. 121) and 233 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen ID.4 is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	ID.4 electric motor	ID.4 electric motors	Prius Prime
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	5.4 sec	10.1 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	14.1 sec	17.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.2 MPH	99 MPH	79.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The ID.4 can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 209 to 275 miles. The Prius Prime has to start its internal combustion engine after only 25 miles.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen ID.4 higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Prius Prime (7). This means the ID.4 produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Prius Prime every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the ID.4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

	ID.4	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	14.1 inches	10 inches
Rear Drums	11 inches	10.2 inches

The ID.4 stops shorter than the Prius Prime:

	ID.4	Prius Prime
60 to 0 MPH	134 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the ID.4 has larger tires than the Prius Prime (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 195/65R15).

The ID.4’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires. The ID.4 S’ 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile than the Prius Prime’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ID.4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime. The ID.4 S has standard 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ID.4 AWD’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Prius Prime (108.7 inches vs. 106.3 inches). The ID.4’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Prius Prime (108.9 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the ID.4 is 2.2 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Prius Prime.

The ID.4’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (47% to 53%) than the Prius Prime’s (55.5% to 44.5%). This gives the ID.4 more stable handling and braking.

The ID.4 handles at .85 G’s, while the Prius Prime Limited pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Prius Prime’s (31.5 feet vs. 33.4 feet).

Passenger Space

The ID.4 has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius Prime (99.9 vs. 91.5).

The ID.4 has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 4.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius Prime.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus’ power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Towing

The ID.4 has a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Prius Prime has no towing capacity.

Standard trailer stability control on the ID.4 uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a memory system.

The ID.4 Pro S’ standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The ID.4’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Prius Prime’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the ID.4 and the Prius Prime have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the ID.4 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.

The ID.4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Prius Prime LE/XLE’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the ID.4 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 ID.4’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Prius Prime’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The ID.4 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 avoid possible obstacles, the ID.4 S/Pro S has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.4 S/Pro S also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the ID.4 Pro S Plus is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Prius Prime’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the ID.4 and the Prius Prime have standard heated front seats. The ID.4 Pro S Plus also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

The ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

The ID.4’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the ID.4 and the Prius Prime offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the ID.4 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Prius Prime XLE/Limited offers wireless charging.