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Volvo V40 vs Toyota Prius

What's the difference?

VS
Volvo V40
Volvo V40

$26,990 - $26,990

2018 price

Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius

$39,990 - $44,990

2021 price

Summary

2018 Volvo V40
2021 Toyota Prius
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Inline 4, 1.8L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
5.6L/100km (combined)

3.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Small boot
  • Limited rear legroom
  • No Apple CarPlay

  • Polarising exterior
  • Dorky central instrument cluster
  • Not so engaging to drive
2018 Volvo V40 Summary

I miss my old phone. Sure, my new phone has a bigger screen and it’s smarter and faster, but my previous phone was smaller and easier to use, and now when I go to do a screen shot I accidentally hit the volume button every time. 

What I really want in a phone is a new version of the old one – and I have a feeling people may feel the same way about the 2018 Volvo V40. 

Some time next year the completely new generation V40 is expected to arrive and there will be some things I’ll miss about the old one. So, this really is your last chance to buy a new ‘old’ Volvo V40.

In a last-hurrah review, I road tested the V40 in the Inscription grade with the T4 petrol engine. What’s so 'missable' about it? Read on to find out.

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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 Volvo V40 2021 Toyota Prius

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