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Renault Clio vs Toyota Prius

What's the difference?

VS
Renault Clio
Renault Clio

$11,999 - $19,990

2018 price

Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius

$39,990 - $44,990

2021 price

Summary

2018 Renault Clio
2021 Toyota Prius
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.6L

Inline 4, 1.8L
Fuel Type
-

Unleaded Petrol/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
5.9L/100km (combined)

3.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • No AEB or rear curtain airbags
  • No CarPlay, Android Auto part of expensive option pack
  • RS Monitor no longer standard

  • Polarising exterior
  • Dorky central instrument cluster
  • Not so engaging to drive
2018 Renault Clio Summary

I'm going to reveal something of myself here - I used to be a RenaultSport Clio owner. This is what the purists call what we now know as Clio RS, and I find myself constantly corrected yet unrepentant. It was a 172 - a nuggety three-door with wheels that looked too small, a weird seating position and a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that was big on torque as long as you belted it.

It was a classic and you could still see the links back to the epoch-making Renault Clio Williams, that blue and gold Mk 1 Clio we never saw in Australia that redefined the genre. The current Clio has been around for four years now and I even drove this current RS Clio at its launch in 2013, memorable for the sudden bucketing rain that drenched the circuit and made things very interesting indeed.

This Clio was a big change from the cars that went before - slimmer-hipped, less aggressive-looking and with a 1.6-litre turbo engine, five-door-only body and (gasp!) no manual, just Renault's twin-clutch EDC transmission. It was a hit, at least with enthusiasts. Back then it was the dawn of a golden age in small hot hatches. But that was then, this is now. With a small power bump and a couple of features thrown in, is the ageing RS still at the pointy end?

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2021 Toyota Prius Summary

What to say about the Toyota Prius in 2021? A car that was once a technology trailblazer seems now to have become properly retro, even while it’s still being built and sold.

The awkward-looking wedge, an eco-punk icon, not only brought Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive to the masses, it also debuted the brand’s excellent TNGA architecture and set the scene for the company's absurd hybrid success, which now sees the RAV4 version topping the sales charts.

So, after all these years (25 to be precise), is the Prius’s time finally over? Or does this quaint hybrid hero still have more to offer? I took a top-spec I-Tech for a week to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Renault Clio 2021 Toyota Prius

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