2023 Toyota Prius vs 2022 Dodge Charger

The 2022 Dodge Charger, despite its long-standing platform dating back to 2005, managed to maintain a modern and menacing exterior design, especially after its significant facelift in 2015. While the exterior updates kept the Charger looking fresh, the interior lagged behind with a dated cabin that featured thick bezels and chunky controls, reminiscent of a small truck. However, the Charger compensated for its lack of modernity with user-friendly features. The various trims, from the SXT to the Jailbreak, offered a range of performance options, with the SXT starting with a V6 engine and the Hellcat variants boasting supercharged V8 engines. The Hellcat Widebody, in particular, transformed the Charger into a well-rounded performance machine, combining power with enhanced handling capabilities.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota Prius underwent a complete makeover, finally embracing a stylish and futuristic design that appealed to a broader audience. The new Prius featured a sleek exterior with a blend of curves and edges, giving it a more athletic stance. The interior, while slightly smaller in some dimensions, offered improved legroom and high-quality materials, creating a comfortable and solid feel. The cabin design focused on functionality, with a pair of screens for the driver and a more traditional dashboard layout. Despite the minimalist approach, the Prius provided a comfortable driving experience, making it a practical choice for daily commutes.

The 2022 Dodge Charger offered a range of powerful engine options, starting with the 3.6-liter V6 engine in the SXT and GT models, producing 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The V6 engine in the SXT AWD and GT trims delivered slightly more power, with 300 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. The R/T trim introduced a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, generating 370 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque, while the R/T Scat Pack featured a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The Charger SRT Hellcat took performance to another level with a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8, producing 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Hellcat Redeye and Jailbreak models pushed the limits further, with the Redeye delivering 797 hp and the Jailbreak reaching 807 hp. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available on V6 models. The Hellcat variants offered incredible acceleration, with the Hellcat and Redeye achieving 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph.

The 2023 Toyota Prius introduced a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, combined with a more powerful electric motor and lithium-ion battery, resulting in 194 total horsepower for front-wheel-drive models and 196 hp for all-wheel-drive models. This marked a significant improvement over the previous model's 121 hp. The Prius featured a continuously variable automatic transmission, providing a more athletic and responsive driving experience. The 0-60 mph acceleration time improved to 7.1 seconds, a notable enhancement from the older model's 10.5 seconds. The revised suspension and longer wheelbase contributed to agile handling, while road and wind noise were well-isolated. The brakes, although slightly squishy, offered reliable stopping power, making the Prius a comfortable and engaging daily driver.

The 2022 Dodge Charger, as a large sedan, offered ample legroom in both rows, but headroom was somewhat limited, especially in the rear seats. The high center console and performance bucket seats created an intimate experience for front-seat passengers. Storage space was less accommodating compared to newer models, with a smaller center console bin and limited door storage. The Charger provided 16.5 cubic feet of trunk space, but the small trunk lid and high rear bumper made loading large items challenging. Despite these limitations, the Charger offered sports-car performance with four doors and a usable trunk, enhancing its versatility.

The 2023 Toyota Prius, despite its larger exterior dimensions, had a slightly smaller interior in some areas compared to its predecessor. Headroom decreased in both the front and rear seats, but legroom improved, allowing taller passengers to fit comfortably in the rear. The optional fixed glass roof on the XLE and Limited trims helped open up the cabin, though the glass panels did not open for airflow. Cargo space decreased to 20 cubic feet on XLE and Limited models and 24 cubic feet on the LE. The cabin featured various storage solutions, including cupholders, a wireless charging pocket, and USB-C ports. The cargo area included small underfloor storage cubbies and a flexible cargo cover for added convenience.

The 2022 Dodge Charger featured a 7-inch touchscreen with the Uconnect infotainment system, known for its user-friendly interface. The system included large icons for easy access to functions like stereo, navigation, and vehicle settings. An 8.4-inch version of the Uconnect screen was optional on the base SXT and standard on higher trims, offering a similar layout with larger icons. Both screens supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While not the most advanced in terms of technology, the Charger's blend of conventional controls and infotainment features provided a straightforward user experience.

The 2023 Toyota Prius came with an 8-inch color touchscreen infotainment system on the base LE and mid-grade XLE models, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The XLE offered an optional 12.3-inch touchscreen, standard on the Limited trim, providing a more responsive and intuitive interface. The navigation system required a subscription to Toyota's Drive Connect for real-time updates. All models included a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, though it was criticized for being too busy. The Prius offered six USB-C charge ports, wireless smartphone charging on XLE and Limited trims, and an AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot, though subscriptions were required for connectivity features. Additional subscription-based bundles included Remote Connect, Safety Connect, and Drive Connect, offering various connectivity and safety features.

The 2022 Dodge Charger showed its age in terms of safety features, offering only a backup camera and rear parking sensors as standard equipment. The backup camera displayed a grainy image on the Uconnect screen. Optional safety features included forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The 2023 Toyota Prius came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of active safety features including radar-based adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure alerts with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, and Proactive Driving Assist. The latter used radar and cameras to detect curves and obstacles, slowing the Prius accordingly. These features were standard across all trims. Additional safety features included stability control, traction control, eight airbags, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts. The Limited trim offered an optional hands-free automatic parallel parking feature called Advanced Park. As of now, the 2023 Prius had not been crash-tested by IIHS or NHTSA.