Car & Driver Compares Chevrolet Volt To Toyota Prius Prime - Concludes Volt Is Worth The Extra Money

Car and Driver pit the Chevrolet Volt against the Toyota Prius Prime. Although the vehicles share the moniker of "plug-in hybrid," the two are vastly different on many levels. Let's look at some key takeaways from the reviews.

By: Steven Loveday

Jan 20, 2017 at 1:00pm ET

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Car and Driver pit the Chevrolet Volt against the Toyota Prius Prime. Although the vehicles share the moniker of "plug-in hybrid," the two are vastly different on many levels. Let's look at some key takeaways from the reviews.

The newest second-gen Chevy Volt can travel 53 miles on battery only. Once the battery is depleted, the ICE engine kicks in, however the battery saves some power so that it can still assist the gas engine to achieve a consistent 149 horsepower.

Similarly, the Prius Prime's PHEV configuration works on electricity only, until a certain point, and then the gas engine joins in. However, the Prime only gets about 25 all-electric miles and produces 91 horsepower. Unlike the Volt, once the 95-horsepower ICE engine kicks in, the Prime gets a power boost to 121 horsepower.

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Car and Driver tested the two plug-ins in city traffic, on the highway, and in hilly areas. The winner was abundantly clear.

Toyota Prius Prime (according to C/D):

Unattractive
Ugly
It's a tortoise (zero to 60 mph in 12.2 seconds)
Merging is reminiscent of driving a golf cart
Roomy, airy, "well wrought" grained plastic interior
11.6-inch Tesla-like touch screen
Comfortable vinyl seats
Panoramic feel
Easy to park
Roomy back seat (only 2 seatbelts)
Impressive cargo space (on paper)
5 hours to charge (standard household outlet)
Quiet cabin
Minivan-like handling
Light and creamy steering
Suspension stuffed with goose down
Rough ride on rough roads
Weak regen
Decent brakes

Chevrolet Volt (according to C/D):

Accurate and consistent steering and braking
Minimal body roll
Excellent ride quality
Structural integrity on rough roads
Low center of gravity - car feels glued to the road
Minimal wind noise
Stable on the highway
10 hours to charge (standard household outlet)
Easy paddle regen
Aggressive single-pedal driving
Quick and powerful (zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds)
Tried-and-true GM interior
Conventional, attractive exterior and interior
Intuitive 8-inch touch screen
Firm seats
Three seatbelts (however, good luck getting three adults back there)
Small rear door opening

Overall, the Volt gives you the feel and look of a normal car. There are no inherent "sacrifices" for its great efficiency. C/D calls it a "mature" plug-in hybrid. You will pay a bit more for the Volt, but since it gets the full $7,500 federal rebate, whereas the Prime gets $4,502, the price difference isn't significant. According to C/D , "It's worth it."

Source: Car and Driver, hat tip to sven!