Toyota Prius vs BMW 2 Series
What's the difference?

Toyota Prius

$17,990 - $34,950

2021 price

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BMW 2 Series

$59,023 - $103,400

2026 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2021 Toyota Prius

2026 BMW 2 Series

By Tom White

By Byron Mathioudakis

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 1.8L

Turbo 6, 3.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

3.4L/100km (combined)

8.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Seamless hybrid drive
Incredible fuel efficiency
Comfortable and spacious

Superb performance and dynamics
Excellent interior, now even better
Surprisingly relaxed and sophisticated

Dislikes

Polarising exterior
Dorky central instrument cluster
Not so engaging to drive

Some road noise
Big turning circle
We wish it were prettier

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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2026 BMW 2 Series Summary

Coupes are back.

Heading into the second half of the 2020s, buyers of affordable sports cars seem better-served for choice than when the current BMW 2 Series Coupe surfaced earlier this decade.

Mazda’s MX-5 keeps gently evolving. Toyota and Subaru have rejuvenated their respective firecracker 86/BRZ twins. The glorious Nissan Z is as evocative as it is entertaining. The recent Ford Mustang revamp serves rousing American muscle car. The reborn Honda Prelude looms as a hybrid hero. And even Audi’s TT is set for resurrection soon.

All reinvigorate the genre. Just like the (G42) 2 Series Coupe, the third in the series since 2007, released during 2021 and facelifted in 2024.

Here we revisit the M240i xDrive, our favourite version (sorry, M2 owners), to see if it remains the definitive brand experience.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Toyota Prius 2026 BMW 2 Series

Verdict

The Prius can rest its weary head. The Age of the Hybrid has begun. Even though this iconic eco car might have lost its ultimate purpose to more mainstream models in the last few years, it’s still the best execution of Toyota’s hybrid tech on the market and if you can look past its divisive-as-ever looks, it’s comfortable and practical, too.

The brand’s Australian division promises the Prius will stick around in one form or another, so we’re keen to see what its next iteration will look like. Plug-in? Fully electric? Time will tell.

Verdict

It may be expensive for a small coupe. And EVs have reframed performance standards to the detriment of most internal combustion engine sports cars like this – at least for acceleration times. But the M240i xDrive Coupe is far more than just about numbers, imbuing the soul and spirit of what makes this brand’s vehicles so enjoyable and memorable to drive.

A unique and most-welcome survivor today, the MY25 makeover takes all that, and improves the interior, to be at the heart of what BMW has traditionally done best (styling aside). We found parting with it at the end of our term very difficult.

Toyota Prius vs BMW 2 Series What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Toyota Prius vs BMW 2 Series
What's the difference?