2020 Toyota Prius

Things do get better once you start turning the wheel. Steering weight is well proportioned, and the Prius is surprisingly responsive to input, which adds to its overall performance in the city. There's very little feedback from the tires, though, leaving the steering feeling numb on center and uninspiring on a bendy road.

Braking is an area we expect to feel numb in a hybrid system due to regenerative braking being mixed with the traditional friction braking system. We found it took a little practice with the brakes on the Prius to use muscle memory over braking feel to use them smoothly.

All of the above is as expected, but the biggest complaint we have for the Prius is Toyota's decision to mount the instrument panel high and center on the dashboard. Everything is put into a 4.2-inch color dual-multi-information display, including the speedometer. That means any information a driver regularly refers to is out of the line of sight and you're looking down and to the right to check speed.

If you just want amazing fuel economy, Toyota's reliability, and aren't bothered about performance, then the Prius is a good car. However, it's definitely an acquired taste when it comes to styling, and there's not much excuse in 2020 for such sluggish performance in a hybrid car. At this point, it does feel like Toyota is differentiating the Prius for the sake of it. Things like the center-mounted gauges are awkward and distracting, and the Hyundai Ioniq is demonstrating the fact that you don't need crazy styling for excellent aerodynamics.

Look at Toyota's own Corolla Hybrid, though, and the Prius starts to look redundant. It packs the same drivetrain and the same fuel economy into a smoother-looking contemporary package that doesn't yell to everyone in traffic that you're driving a hybrid.

The Honda Insight is a little more affordable than the Prius, around $2,000 cheaper at the base level. It comes equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that's significantly more powerful than the Prius' and equally as fuel-efficient. The Insight is faster too, completing the 0 to 60 mph sprint in around eight seconds. It's the better driver's car in general, delivering far greater performance and handling and without any compromise in ride comfort either. The Insight is more attractive, too, and its cabin exhibits far more of a premium feel. Both are somewhat on par in the way of features, though the top-specced Prius boasts a superior infotainment setup. That said, however, the Insight features Android Auto in place of Amazon Alexa, something that may win over the Android fans. The Prius boasts nearly double the Insight's trunk. While both fulfill similar roles, we feel the Insight is the better hybrid in general.

For around $1,000 less than the Prius, buyers can opt for the far more attractive Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. It's equipped with a slightly more powerful four-cylinder engine that makes it faster than the Prius, and yet still more fuel efficient in base guise, returning class-leading gas mileage figures of 57/59/58 mpg. The Insight offers as much practicality as the Prius with 26.5 cubes in the trunk though may have a slightly tighter cabin. It comes fitted with a fancier and more user-friendly infotainment system, too, along with Android Auto functionality which the Prius lacks. The Ioniq comes with a class-leading warranty as well but doesn't share the renowned reliability and quality of Toyota. Still, the Insight's safety ratings are on par with the Prius'. Overall, the Ioniq bests the Prius in many ways and the better value for money option, it leads the segment in fuel-efficiency as well, so it's a no brainer for the eco-conscious.