Compare the2023 BMW i4VS 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The i4’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.

The BMW i4 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The i4 has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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 i4 M50 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 i4 offers an optional Surround 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 i4 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 i4 has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Prius Prime Limited offers rear cross-path warning.

Both the i4 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, 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 BMW i4 weighs 1290 to 1653 pounds more than the Toyota Prius Prime. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The i4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Prius Prime’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The i4’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Prius Prime’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the i4 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Prius Prime (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

The i4 eDrive35’s standard electric motor produces 160 more horsepower (281 vs. 121) and 189 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The i4 eDrive40’s standard electric motor produces 214 more horsepower (335 vs. 121) and 211 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The i4 M50’s standard electric motors produces 415 more horsepower (536 vs. 121) and 480 lbs.-ft. more torque (586 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the i4 M50 is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	i4	Prius Prime
Zero to 30 MPH	1.6 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	3.5 sec	10.8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	2.1 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	11.9 sec	18.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	119 MPH	78 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The i4 can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 227 to 301 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 BMW i4 higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Prius Prime (7). This means the i4 produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Prius Prime every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The i4 M50’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the i4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

	i4 eDrive40	i4 M50	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	14.7 inches	10 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.6 inches	10.2 inches

The i4’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Prius Prime are solid, not vented.

The i4 stops much shorter than the Prius Prime:

	i4	Prius Prime
70 to 0 MPH	149 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the i4 has larger standard tires than the Prius Prime (225/50R18 vs. 195/65R15). The i4 M50’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius Prime (F:255/35R20 & R:285/30R20 vs. 195/65R15).

The i4’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires. The i4 M50’s optional 255/35R20 front and 285/30R20 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Prius Prime’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the i4 has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime. The i4 M50 offers optional 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

The rear suspension of the i4 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Prius Prime, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The i4 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Prius Prime’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The i4 has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the i4’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Prius Prime (112.4 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the i4 is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than on the Prius Prime.

The i4’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (48.7% to 51.3%) than the Prius Prime’s (55.5% to 44.5%). This gives the i4 more stable handling and braking.

The i4 M50 handles at .96 G’s, while the Prius Prime Limited pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The i4 has 1 inch more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 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 i4. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the i4’s 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.

Servicing Ease

The i4 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Prius Prime uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the i4, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and radio stations. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a memory system.

The i4’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 i4 and the Prius Prime have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the i4 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 i4’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.

The i4 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 i4 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer cornering lights. The i4 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the i4 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.

The i4’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Prius Prime offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the i4 keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The i4’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 i4 and the Prius Prime offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the i4 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.

The i4’s optional Automatic Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Prius Prime Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW i4 and the Toyota Prius Prime, based on reliability, safety and performance.