Compare the2023 Porsche TaycanVS 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Taycan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Toyota Prius Prime doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Taycan’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 Taycan and Prius Prime have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Taycan 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 Porsche Taycan 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 Taycan offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Taycan helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Taycan offers an optional Surround View System 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.

Both the Taycan and the Prius Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Porsche Taycan weighs 1191 to 1834 pounds more than the Toyota Prius Prime. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

The Taycan’s standard electric motor produces 281 more horsepower (402 vs. 121) and 148 lbs.-ft. more torque (254 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Taycan Performance Plus’ optional electric motor produces 348 more horsepower (469 vs. 121) and 157 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Taycan Cross Turismo’s standard electric motors produces 348 more horsepower (469 vs. 121) and 262 lbs.-ft. more torque (368 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Taycan 4S’ standard electric motors produces 401 more horsepower (522 vs. 121) and 366 lbs.-ft. more torque (472 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Taycan Turbo S’ standard electric motors produces 629 more horsepower (750 vs. 121) and 668 lbs.-ft. more torque (774 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Taycan Performance Plus electric motor is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	Taycan	Prius Prime
Zero to 60 MPH	4.7 sec	10.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	10.3 sec	30.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.1 sec	10.2 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	115 MPH	79 MPH
Top Speed	147 MPH	115 MPH

The Taycan can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 206 to 246 miles. The Prius Prime has to start its internal combustion engine after only 25 miles.

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

The Taycan’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.

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

	Taycan Base/4S	Taycan Turbo S	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	16.5 inches	10 inches
Rear Rotors	14.1 inches	16.1 inches	10.2 inches

The Taycan’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 Taycan offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Taycan stops much shorter than the Prius Prime:

	Taycan	Prius Prime
70 to 0 MPH	147 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	103 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

For better traction, the Taycan has larger standard tires than the Prius Prime (F:225/55R19 & R:275/45R19 vs. 195/65R15). The Taycan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius Prime (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. 195/65R15).

The Taycan’s standard 225/55R19 front and 275/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires. The Taycan’s optional 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 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 Taycan has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime. The Taycan offers optional 21-inch wheels.

The Taycan offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Taycan offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Toyota doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Prius Prime.

The Taycan has a standard 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taycan’s wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer than on the Prius Prime (114.2 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taycan is 6.9 inches wider in the front and 5.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Prius Prime.

The Taycan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49% to 51%) than the Prius Prime’s (55.5% to 44.5%). This gives the Taycan more stable handling and braking.

The Taycan 4S handles at 1.03 G’s, while the Prius Prime Limited pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Taycan Turbo S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 4.9 seconds quicker than the Prius Prime XLE (23.6 seconds @ .87 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Taycan Turbo S is quieter than the Prius Prime Limited (70 vs. 71 dB).

The Taycan has 2.2 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius Prime.

The Taycan has a larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the Prius Prime with its rear seat folded (45.7 vs. 36.6 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Taycan. 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 Taycan’s power trunk 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.

The Taycan 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 Porsche service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 31% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

When three different drivers share the Taycan, the optional memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Taycan’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and 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 Taycan’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 Taycan and the Prius Prime have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Taycan 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 Taycan’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 Taycan has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. 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 Taycan offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the Taycan with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Taycan’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.

Both the Taycan and the Prius Prime have standard heated front seats. The Taycan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Taycan 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 Taycan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

The Taycan’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 Taycan and the Prius Prime offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Taycan has available 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 Porsche Taycan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Prius Prime XLE/Limited offers wireless charging.

The Taycan’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Prius Prime Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Porsche Taycan comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Toyota Prius Prime isn’t available as a station wagon.