Toyota Prius hybrid hatchback (2009-2015) - MPG, running costs & CO2

The Toyota Prius isn’t a particularly cheap car to buy, but once you’ve bought it, you’ll pay no road tax, while the Plug-In Hybrid model is exempt from the London Congestion Charge, too. Plus there’s a UK government grant of up to £5,000 to help you to buy it in the first place – but it’s not available for the standard Prius.

Toyota Prius MPG and CO2

The promise of plenty of miles per gallon and low CO2 is one of the reasons the Prius is so popular. Bear in mind that the price for choosing a higher-spec T4 or T Spirit over the standard T3 is marginally worse fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The T3 claims 72.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 89g/km. But the posher models see those figures slide to 70.6mpg and 92g/km respectively.

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In all honesty, you’re unlikely to record anywhere near 70mpg – real-world fuel economy for the Prius is in the region of 50mpg, which is still impressive. And despite the different CO2 emissions figures, both versions are free to tax.

For the lowest running costs, however, go for the Prius Plug-In, with its 46g/km CO2 emissions and impressive 134.5mpg fuel economy. Servicing isn’t cheap (there’s a lot of technology and accessories inside) but costs are improving all the time as EVs and hybrids become more common on the road.

Owners of the standard Prius can expect to recoup around 45% of the car’s purchase price after three years or 36,000 miles of ownership, which is slightly more than the Honda Insight and quite a lot more than you’d get back from a Toyota Auris Hybrid. The Plug-In Hybrid performs less impressively on the used market – buyers can expect to reclaim less than 40% of its value.

Toyota Prius insurance group

The Toyota Prius falls into insurance group 15 or 16, depending on the exact specification. That’s on par with the Honda Insight and less than the Lexus CT’s group 19 rating. The hybrid insurance champion is the Toyota Auris Hybrid, which falls into group nine.

Toyota Prius warranty

All new Toyotas are covered by a five-year/100,000-mile warranty. The company’s hybrid models have separate vehicle, hybrid component and battery warranties. As long as the car has a ‘hybrid health’ check before the 10th anniversary of its registration, the battery warranty is extended to 11 years.

Toyota Prius servicing

There are three levels of fixed-price service cover on offer, costing between £169 and £279 for the standard Prius and the Plug-In.