2014 Toyota Prius

2014 Toyota Prius Overview

Is the 2014 Toyota Prius a Good Used Car?

For a practical and economical used hybrid, the 2014 Toyota Prius is tough to beat. It has lots of interior room and gets great gas mileage. Keep in mind that the Prius has trade-offs, like some cheap-feeling interior materials and sluggish acceleration.

Gas mileage is the where the Prius excels, getting 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highways. A 1.8-liter engine and an electric motor create a modest 134 horsepower, so if you’re looking for something fast and furious, the Prius isn’t it. It can take a bit of time to move the car up to speed, and the engine makes a lot of noise trying to get there. At speed, the Prius feels disconnected from the road. The brakes also feel squishy. That’s because the Prius uses friction from its brakes to recharge its batteries; if you’ve never driven a hybrid before, it can take some getting used to. Shifting the Prius into gear is also a bit unusual. Once you move the gearshift into drive or reverse, it pops back to the center position. It’s a little odd at first, but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Read more about Prius performance »

Inside the Prius, there’s room for five, but over long trips, it's best for only four adults. The Prius also has lots of cargo space – 21.6 cubic feet, which is more than you’ll find in comparable cars like the 2014 Toyota Prius c, Chevrolet Volt, or Toyota Camry. There are two full sets of LATCH connectors in back for child safety seats. Rear-facing infant car seats fit in the back seat, but you will need to move the front seats forward a bit in the process.

There are lots of hard plastics in the Prius, which make the interior look a little cheap. On the other hand, they should be fairly durable. Every Prius has a touch-screen infotainment system, a USB port, and Bluetooth; though the touch screen may be just out of reach for some drivers. In higher trims, you get Toyota’s Entune system, but it’s not worth the extra money. It’s slow and unresponsive at times, and using its apps (like Pandora and iHeartRadio) burns through your phone’s data.

Read more about Prius interior »

Used 2014 Toyota Prius Prices

Prices on a used 2014 Prius range from just over $15,000 for a Prius 2 to a little over $18,000 for a Prius 5, depending on the car’s condition, mileage, and location. 

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How Reliable Is the 2014 Toyota Prius?

The 2014 Toyota Prius gets an overall dependability rating of five out of five from J.D. Power. That’s an outstanding rating, making the Prius one of the most dependable vehicles in the midsize car class.

How Safe Is the Prius?

The 2014 Prius gets a score of Good, the highest possible, in all Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests except the small overlap front test, in which it earns the second-highest score. IIHS named it a 2014 Top Safety Pick+. The 2014 Prius has an overall crash test rating of four out of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Safety features in the base models include basics like electronic stability control, while upper trims offer advanced features like lane keep assist, brake assist, and a head-up display.

See Prius safety scores »

Should I Consider Another Used Prius?

The 2014 Toyota Prius is part of the third generation of the Prius that began in 2009 and includes the 2015 model year. That means the 2009 through 2015 models are similar in terms of space, performance, and features. You can likely save money and get roughly the same car if you choose a Prius from a model year before 2014. The Prius was redesigned for 2016, and models after that year offer improved performance and tech, as well as more up-to-date safety features, but they’re also more expensive.

Compare the 2012, 2013, and 2014 Prius »

Which Used Prius Model Is Right for Me?

The 2014 Prius comes in four trims, ranging from the base Prius 2 to the top-of-the-line Prius 5. Considering that the 2 comes with standard features like Bluetooth and a USB port, as well as an infotainment system, it’s hard to argue that you should spend more for a higher trim. Features that more-expensive Prius models offer, like solar panels on the roof or an upgraded infotainment system, aren’t worth the extra money. Go for the Prius 2 and keep some cash in your wallet.

You may also want to consider a certified pre-owned Prius. Toyota provides a one-year/12,000-mile limited warranty on all of its certified pre-owned vehicles, and it extends the original new-car powertrain warranty to seven years or 100,000 miles. Each CPO Toyota must pass a 160-point inspection. Additional benefits like towing and roadside assistance may be available, so read the Toyota warranty page carefully.

Read more about certified pre-owned vehicles »

Read more about the Toyota certified pre-owned program »

We Did the Research for You: 54 Pieces of Data Analyzed

Our used car rankings and reviews aren’t based on our own tests and opinions. Rather, we collect and analyze every published, credible review of a given model and combine that analysis with safety and reliability data, as well as total ownership costs.

Why You Can Trust Us

The U.S. News Best Cars team has a combined 75 years’ experience in the automotive industry, and we’ve been ranking cars, trucks, and SUVs for 10 years. We don’t accept expensive gifts or trips from carmakers or dealers, and advertising on our site is handled by an outside team.

2014 Toyota Prius and Other Cars to Consider

The used 2014 Toyota Prius competes in a number of different car classes. You can compare it to other hybrids, but because of its overall size, you can also compare it to gas-only midsize cars. When compared to other hybrids, the used Prius models tend to do very well; after all, in terms of sales, the Prius is the most successful mass-market hybrid you can buy. Compared to gas-only midsized cars, however, the Prius might leave you disappointed. Its goal of maximizing fuel economy comes at the expense of entertaining performance and a refined ride.

Which Is Better: 2014 Toyota Prius or 2014 Toyota Prius c?

When looking for a used Prius, sometimes it pays to stay in the family. The Toyota Prius c is a smaller version of the Prius and is covered by the same certified pre-owned warranty. Like the regular Prius, the Prius c has a gas/electric powertrain and excellent fuel economy. The Prius c is meant to be a city car, though, so you trade interior space and a more compact footprint. Prius c prices tend to be lower than prices on used Prius models, so if you want to save even more gas, space, and money, the Prius c is a good choice. However, if you routinely have passengers or hit up Costco, the Prius will fit you better.

Which Is Better: 2014 Toyota Prius or 2014 Chevrolet Volt?

Chevrolet may be known for their trucks, but when it comes to hybrids, the Chevrolet Volt can hang with the best of them – and that includes the Toyota Prius. The Volt and Prius are similar in size, though the Volt’s larger battery pack means it only seats four, and the back seat can feel a little cramped. The two have similar safety scores, but the Prius has much better reliability ratings. Where they really differ is powertrains: The Prius uses a gas engine most of the time and has an electric motor that kicks in when the car is stopped or traveling at slow speeds. The Volt, by contrast, has an electric motor and can travel up to 38 miles on all-electric power. Past 38 miles, a gasoline generator kicks in on the Volt. When the gas generator is on, the Volt gets worse fuel economy than the Prius does, but on short trips, the Volt doesn’t use any gas at all.

Which Is Better: 2014 Toyota Prius or 2014 Toyota Camry?

The Prius may surprise some hybrid buyers with how spacious its passenger cabin is, but the Toyota Camry's cabin is even roomier. The Camry also has nicer interior materials. The gas-only Camry outperforms the Prius, though no one is going to call it a sports car. If you’re a die-hard hybrid buyer, you can get all of the good things about the Camry, plus a gas/electric powertrain that gets up to 43 mpg in the city, by opting for the Toyota Camry Hybrid. If there’s a downside to the Camry and Camry Hybrid, it’s that they tend to be more expensive used cars than the Prius.

Compare the Prius, Prius c, and Volt »