Compare the2024 Fiat 500eVS 2024 Toyota Prius Prime

The Fiat 500e has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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 knee airbags.

The 500e has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the 500e and the Prius Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, front parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The 500e comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Prius Prime’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

On the EPA test cycle the 500e gets better mileage than the Prius Prime XSE running on electricity (127 city/104 hwy vs. 125 city/103 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the 500e gets better mileage than the Prius Prime running its gasoline engine:

The 500e can travel longer on a full charge than the Prius Prime on electricity, only, on a full charge:

For better traction, the 500e has larger tires than the Prius Prime (205/45R17 vs. 195/60R17).

The 500e’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime SE’s standard 60 series tires. The 500e’s tires are lower profile than the Prius Prime XSE’s 50 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the 500e’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Prius Prime SE’s (31.5 feet vs. 34.4 feet). The 500e’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Prius Prime XSE’s (31.5 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

The Fiat 500e may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Toyota Prius Prime.

The 500e is 3 feet, 2.1 inches shorter than the Prius Prime, making the 500e easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the 500e easier. The 500e’s trunk lift-over height is 27.4 inches, while the Prius Prime’s liftover is 29.2 inches.

The 500e 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.

The 500e has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The 500e’s standard Keyless Enter-N-Go allow you to unlock the doors from either outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the car, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the Prius Prime doesn’t offer a sensor on the trunk or any door except the driver’s, so you’ll have to walk to the driver's door to touch the handle.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 500e has a standard rear wiper. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The 500e 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 XSE.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Fiat 500e has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Prius Prime XSE offers wireless charging.