Compare the2023 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius Prime 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 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Prius Prime has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Crosstrek Hybrid 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 Prius Prime XSE Premium offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Crosstrek Hybrid only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Prius Prime and Crosstrek Hybrid have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the Prius Prime offers optional Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Prius Prime and the Crosstrek Hybrid 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Prius Prime is much safer than the Crosstrek Hybrid:

	Prius Prime	Crosstrek Hybrid
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Peak Forces	no contact	55 G’s
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.54 in	1.89 in
Shoulder Force	335 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.46 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	9 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	759 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	89 lbs.
Neck Compression	134 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.42 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	825 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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 Prius Prime the rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Crosstrek Hybrid last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius Prime for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Crosstrek Hybrid.

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius Prime’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Subaru is ranked 7th.

Engine

The Prius Prime’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 72 more horsepower (220 vs. 148) than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Crosstrek Hybrid running its gasoline engine:

		MPG
Prius Prime
	SE 2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/51 hwy
	XSE 2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	50 city/47 hwy
Crosstrek Hybrid
	2.0 flat-4 Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy

The Prius Prime can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 39 to 44 miles. The Crosstrek Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 17 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Prius Prime	Crosstrek Hybrid
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

The Prius Prime XSE’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Prius Prime XSE has standard 19-inch wheels. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius Prime’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Crosstrek Hybrid (108.3 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime SE’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s (34.4 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

Chassis

The Toyota Prius Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 250 pounds less than the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.

Cargo Capacity

The Prius Prime has a much larger cargo volume than the Crosstrek Hybrid with its rear seat up (20.3 vs. 15.9 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Prius Prime XSE Premium has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Prius Prime XSE Premium, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Prius Prime XSE Premium’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 Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Prius Prime’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Crosstrek Hybrid has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Prius Prime’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Prius Prime the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (Your Toyota service department must activate this window function.) The driver of the Crosstrek Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prius Prime’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 Crosstrek Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Prius Prime’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Crosstrek Hybrid Premium/Sport/Limited.

Both the Prius Prime and the Crosstrek Hybrid offer available heated front seats. The Prius Prime XSE Premium also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Crosstrek Hybrid.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Prius Prime XSE Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Prius Prime has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Crosstrek Hybrid.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Prius Prime XSE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Prius Prime has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Prius Prime XSE Premium’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.