2017 Toyota Prius Prime: MPG and fuel economy
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid rated at 54 combined MPG by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It returns 55 MPG in the city and 53 MPG on the highway.
This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.
Key takeaways
- Returns 74% better combined MPG than the average car in the Midsize Cars class for the 2017 model year (31.1 MPG class average).
- The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 2017 model year is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric at 136 MPG.
- The Toyota Prius Prime has lost 6 MPG since its first rated model year, the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime at 54 MPG. That is often a sign of larger engines or heavier curb weights in newer generations.
- EPA estimates this car saves around $6,750 in fuel over five years compared with an average new vehicle of the same model year.
Fuel economy at a glance
These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.
Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).
| Combined MPG | 54 MPG |
| City MPG | 55 MPG |
| Highway MPG | 53 MPG |
| Annual fuel cost | $1,100 |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 78 g/mi |
| Fuel type | Regular Gas and Electricity |
How the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime compares
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime returns 54 combined MPG. Cars in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year average 31.1 MPG, which puts this car ahead of the class average by about 74%.
The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 2017 model year is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric at 136 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Toyota Prius Prime alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.
For broader context, the average new car of the 2017 model year (across all classes) returns 26 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2017 model year is on its own page.
Annual fuel cost across driving patterns
The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for regular gasoline, which is $3.99/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.
The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 277.8 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).
| Driving pattern | Estimated annual fuel cost |
|---|---|
| Light driver, 7,500 miles per year | $550 |
| Average driver, 15,000 miles per year | $1,100 |
| Heavy driver, 25,000 miles per year | $1,833 |
Year-over-year MPG for the Toyota Prius Prime
The EPA has rated the Toyota Prius Prime across 8 model years, from 2017 Toyota Prius Prime through 2024 Toyota Prius Prime. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime returned 54 MPG. The most recent 2024 Toyota Prius Prime returns 48 MPG. That is a drop of 6 MPG over 7 model years. Newer trims that grow heavier or carry larger engines tend to lose efficiency even as the rest of the lineup improves.
| Year | Combined MPG | Open year page |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 48 MPG | 2024 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2023 | 48 MPG | 2023 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2022 | 54 MPG | 2022 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2021 | 54 MPG | 2021 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2020 | 54 MPG | 2020 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2019 | 54 MPG | 2019 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2018 | 54 MPG | 2018 Toyota Prius Prime |
| 2017 | 54 MPG | this page |
Compare against other Midsize Cars for 2017
If you are cross-shopping the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.
The Hyundai Ioniq Electric leads this group at 136 MPG, 82 MPG ahead of the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime.
Specifications
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime runs a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a automatic (variable gear ratios), sending power through front-wheel drive.
Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.
- Vehicle class
- Midsize Cars
- Engine
- 1.8L 4-cylinder
- Transmission
- Automatic (variable gear ratios)
- Drivetrain
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Fuel type
- Regular Gas and Electricity
- Annual petroleum use
- 2.6 barrels per year
- Start-stop system
- Yes
Common questions about the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime
Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime.
-
Is the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime fuel efficient?
Yes. The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime returns 54 combined MPG, which beats the average car in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year by about 74%. -
What MPG does the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime get?
The EPA rates the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime at 54 combined MPG, 55 MPG in city driving, and 53 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is. -
How much does it cost to fuel a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime per year?
The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $1,100 for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade. -
What fuel does the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime use?
The EPA lists the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity. -
Has the Toyota Prius Prime become more fuel efficient over time?
Combined MPG has actually slipped. The first EPA-rated Toyota Prius Prime, the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime, returned 54 MPG, while the most recent 2024 Toyota Prius Prime returns 48 MPG. A drop of 6 MPG usually traces back to bigger engines or heavier curb weights in newer trims. -
How much CO₂ does the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime emit?
Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 78 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 1,170 kilograms of CO₂. -
What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime?
City driving returns 55 MPG and highway driving returns 53 MPG. A flat (or city-better) split is the signature of a hybrid or electric drivetrain, where regenerative braking recovers energy that would otherwise be lost in stop-start city traffic. -
What engine is in the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime?
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime has a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine (EPA description: PHEV). -
What transmission and drivetrain does the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime have?
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime comes with a automatic (variable gear ratios) transmission and front-wheel drive. -
How does the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime compare to the best car in its class?
The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 2017 model year is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric at 136 combined MPG. The Toyota Prius Prime returns 54 MPG, a gap of 82 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.
Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.