2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier vs. 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced

From the February 2017 issue

Electric vehicles are maturing through their adolescence, and just like in middle school, some members of the class are developing faster. Tesla and Chevrolet now have electric cars that will travel more than 200 miles per charge, but the vast majority of battery-powered cars are still limited to a 60-to-90-mile range. In the next decade, the electric car promises to blossom into something that doesn’t require sacrifices in practicality or price when compared with a gas-fueled car, but until the EV’s pimples clear up, we have plug-in hybrids.

With both a battery and a gas tank, plug-in hybrids strive to be everything to everyone, especially buyers who drive too much to deal with range limitations or who don’t want to spend much time plugged into a charger. The battery pack provides some electric-only operation while the gas tank and engine keep things moving when the ­battery is tapped. Chevrolet’s first Volt could travel 38 miles on its battery; after that, the engine would kick on to drive the car. Toyota, the leader in hybrid sales, also sold a plug-in version of its ubiquitous Prius; it featured a lithium-ion battery pack and could travel 11 miles on electric-only power before burning any gas.

Chevy’s and Toyota’s plug-ins are now entering their second generation, and both offer greater electric-only range and improved performance. Chevrolet's Volt now has a larger, 18.4-kWh battery that weighs 21 pounds less than its predecessor’s, uses fewer cells, and delivers more than 40 miles of EV range. Inside the transaxle are two motor/generators. While the combined gas and electric power output is unchanged from the previous Volt, GM’s redesign of the motors and the gearbox increases efficiency and helps the new car shed 100 pounds.

When the battery reaches a predetermined low state in the Volt, the new ­aluminum-block 1.5-liter four with 101 horsepower starts up. This naturally aspirated engine runs in the Atkinson cycle for efficiency’s sake and is lighter than the iron-block 1.4-liter it replaces. Even when the Volt switches to hybrid mode, the battery isn’t completely depleted. By leaving some electricity in reserve, the electric motors can add to the four-cylinder’s 101 horses to ensure that the Volt maintains the same 149 horsepower no matter the mode.

Toyota’s second-gen plug-in Prius (rechristened the Prius Prime) follows the Volt’s tack. Toyota doubled the battery capacity to 8.8 kWh, which more than doubles the range to 25 miles. The lithium-ion battery pack lives under the cargo area and powers the two electric motor/generators inside the trans­axle, which can combine for 68 kW of output, or 91 horsepower. That’s a far more useful number than the old Prius Plug-In’s 51-hp electric-only effort.

When the juice stops flowing in the Prius Prime, a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four with 95 horsepower makes its entrance. As in the Chevy, Toyota leaves some battery capacity in reserve to allow the electric motors to contribute to acceleration and support the gasoline engine. Unlike the Volt, though, the Prius Prime makes more power in hybrid mode than in EV mode, or 121 combined horsepower.

Although these plug-in hybrids are conceptually similar, the cars wrapped around the technology are vastly different. To help us dissect these differences and to see whose plug-in works better, we drove them together in stop-and-go Los Angeles traffic, on freeway slogs, and even into the canyons bordering the city. One emerged as a clear winner, both as something we’d like to drive and as an EV stopgap.

Let’s get something out of the way right up front: The Prius Prime is unattractive. How something so graceless, gawky, and odd emerged from a company as conservative as Toyota is shocking. Its design is so off-putting, it’s almost an anti-car statement. Designers often draw inspiration from ordinary objects, or from architecture, nature, and so on. In Blue Magnetism paint—a metallic teal—the thing appears to have been inspired by a disfigured puffer fish, a turquoise ring you’d find in a New Mexico gas station, and a 1958 Edsel. Perhaps that’s why the wind refuses to touch it. How else can you explain the Prius Prime’s excellent 0.25 drag coefficient?

At least when you’re in it, you can’t see it. Hit the starter button, and the 11.6-inch center screen that looks like a smaller version of what’s in a Tesla Model S lights up and shows a Prius driving around a sphere while speakers plunk a few welcoming piano notes, a tune that contributor John Pearley Huffman described as “Liberace-esque.” Move the now-familiar Prius joystick into D and the Prius, with a full charge and in EV mode, pulls away with just enough poke to keep up with traffic.

The Volt’s interior makes this plug-in hybrid feel like a regular member of the GM family. So, thankfully, do the chassis and the powertrain.

Still not convinced? Take a long look at the Prius and the Volt. While the Volt might look a bit generic and too much like a Hyundai Elantra, at least it doesn’t look like a protest against taste. Inside, the Volt is similarly conventional. We’d call it ­Malibu-plus for the way it mimics the approachability of a ­family sedan’s interior. Gone is the first gen’s capacitive touch switchgear; instead, you get real buttons. An eight-inch touchscreen is a familiar sight in GM cars and trucks, and it works well. Overly firm seats didn’t impress, however, and although the rear seat theoretically can hold three, there’s not much leg- or headroom back there. A small door opening makes getting in and out of the back seat difficult, too. For Uber duty, the Prius has the Volt licked.

Everywhere else, the Volt is the clear ­winner. It doesn’t require any sacrifices in driving pleasure or performance in the name of economy. Its styling doesn’t make an anti-car ­statement, and it certainly doesn’t have a large back seat, but it’s a more mature plug-in hybrid and a more satisfying car. The Volt quali­fies for a federal tax credit that’s $3000 more than the Prius Prime’s ($7500 compared with $4502). That narrows but doesn’t close the Toyota’s price lead. We’d be happy to pay the extra money for the Volt. It’s worth it.

2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier2017 Toyota Prius Prime AdvancedVehiclePrice as Tested$40,325$33,965Base Price$38,445$33,965DimensionsLength180.4 in182.9 inWidth71.2 in69.3 inHeight56.4 in57.9 inWheelbase106.1 in106.3 inFront Track60.6 in60.2 inRear Track61.8 in60.6 inInterior VolumeF: 52 cu ft
R: 38 cu ftF: 53 cu ft
R: 38 cu ftCargo Space11 cu ft20 cu ftPowertrainMotors2 synchronous permanent-magnet AC, 64 and 117 hp, 87 and 207 lb-ft2 synchronous permanent-magnet AC, 31 and 71 hp, 30 and 120 lb-ftBatteryliquid-cooled lithium-ion, 18.4 kWhair-cooled lithium-ion, 8.8 kWhEngineDOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 1.5-liter inline-4, 101 hp, 103 lb-ftDOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 1.8-liter inline-4, 95 hp, 105 lb-ftCombined Power149 hp121 hpLB Per HP23.728.1DrivelineTransmissioncontinuously variablecontinuously variableDriven WheelsfrontfrontChassisSuspensionF: struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
R: torsion beam, coil springsF: struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
R: control arms, coil springs, anti-roll barBrakesF: 10.9-inch vented disc
R: 10.4-inch discF: 10.0-inch vented disc
R: 10.2-inch discStability Controlfully defeatable, traction offfully defeatable, traction offTiresMichelin Energy Saver A/S
215/50R-17 91H M+SDunlop Enasave 01 A/S
195/65R-15 89S M+SC/D Test ResultsAcceleration (Electric/Hybrid)0–30 MPH2.5/2.5 sec3.5/3.3 sec0–60 MPH7.6/7.4 sec12.2/10.2 sec0–100 MPH24.9/22.5 sec37.3/30.7 sec¼-Mile @ MPH16.0 sec @ 85/15.8 sec @ 8818.6 sec @ 72/17.7 sec @ 79Rolling Start, 5–60 MPH7.9/7.4 sec12.9/10.2 secTop Gear, 30–50 MPH3.3/3.1 sec6.5/4.7 secTop Gear, 50–70 MPH5.2/4.3 sec8.2/7.0 secTop Speed102 mph (gov ltd)115 mph (gov ltd, C/D est)ChassisBraking 70–0 MPH180 ft184 ftRoadholding,
300-ft-dia Skidpad0.81 g0.76 gWeightCurb3525 lb3406 lb%Front/%Rear59.9/40.155.5/44.5FuelTank8.9 gal11.3 galRating87 octane87 octaneEPA Combined/City/Hwy, Battery Depleted43/42/42 mpg54/55/53 mpgC/D 150-Mile Trip60 MPGe52 MPGeEPA Electric Range53 mi25 miC/D Observed Electric Range45 mi22 miSound LevelIdle30 dBA26 dBAFull Throttle66 dBA71 dBA70-MPH Cruise67 dBA67 dBA
Tested by Tony Quiroga in California City, CA
Final ResultsMax Pts. Available2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier2017 Toyota Prius Prime AdvancedRank12VehicleDriver Comfort1098Ergonomics1097Rear-seat Comfort534Rear-seat Space*555Cargo Space*525Features/Amenities*10108Fit and Finish1088Interior Styling1085Exterior Styling1094Rebates/Extras*520As-tested Price*201620Subtotal1008174Powertrain1/4-mile Acceleration*202011Flexibility*555Fuel Economy*10106Engine NVH1099Transmission1098Subtotal555339ChassisPerformance*202018Steering Feel1097Brake Feel1088Handling1095Ride1097Subtotal605545ExperienceFun to Drive252017Grand Total240209175

* These objective scores are calculated from the vehicle's dimensions, capacities, rebates and extras, and/or test results.