Talking Cars 432: Driving the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime

Plus, we answer your questions about the all-wheel-drive capabilities of electric vehicles

By Mike Quincy

November 15, 2023

Main theme: This week our podcast panel looks at the new 2023 Toyota Prius Prime. “Prime” is Toyota-speak for the company’s plug-in hybrids. The big news about the Prius Prime is its fairly long electric-only driving range—anywhere from 39 to 44 miles, depending on the trim line. The panel does a deep dive into the Prime’s high-tech features as well as discusses the pros and cons of this plug-in and whether or not it’s worth the price premium over the regular Prius.

Audience questions:

I need to replace my totaled Scion tC. Do you think a 2011 Honda CR-Z would be a good choice?
I own both a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD and a 2019 Acura RDX with Super Handling AWD. Do you think EVs handle poor road conditions better or worse than regular gas-powered cars?

Talking Cars 432 panel — “Talking Cars” panelists, from left: Mike Quincy, Mike Crossen, and Kelly Funkhouser.

As with other “Talking Cars With Consumer Reports” episodes, this one is available free through Apple Podcasts. (Subscribe to the audio or video.) You’ll also find the audio on Spotify (log-in required) and video on YouTube.

Buick Envista vs. Chevrolet Trax, episode 431
Driving the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, episode 430
Everything You Wanted to Know About Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, episode 429
All Questions Podcast, episode 428
Car Seats and Child Passenger Safety, episode 427

Have a Question?

We’d love to include it in a future show. Upload your video questions to our Dropbox folder. Please send high-definition (1920x1080) MP4 video files with high-quality audio. Or send an iMessage question to our TalkingCars@icloud.com account.

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Mike Quincy

Mike Quincy is a writer, editor, podcaster, and tester with the Consumer Reports autos team. He has been with CR since 1993, purchasing more than 160 cars for the test program. Previously, Mike wrote for Automobile Magazine. When he’s not working, Mike can be found training for a long-distance bicycle ride, honing a wide variety of baked goods, or studying the world of mixology in search of the perfect martini.