FIRST DRIVE: New Toyota Prius + Stig Breaks Longest Uber Ride Record

The new Toyota Prius is not like the old Toyota Prius: it’s svelte, slinky and suddenly rather alluring. In fact, it might be the biggest ‘glow up’ the auto industry has ever seen.

But, while the old Toyota Prius was the darling of Uber drivers everywhere, can the transformational new one keep its place as the backbone of the ride-hailing industry?

To find out, Top Gear Magazine’s Tom Ford turned taxi driver for the day, picked up a passenger (who you might recognise) and set forth across the country to – unofficially – break the record for longest Uber ride in the UK.

WATCH MORE TOP GEAR:

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:31 History
09:02 On Track Ft. The Stig
11:24 Conclusion

MORE ABOUT TOP GEAR:

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[TopGear]

What do you think of the new Toyota Prius?

[Bmontepeque]

To see a Prius drifting is the sort of thing I expect out of Top Gear 😂

[nicolascordobaprado]

This is the 1st prius I've actually wanted

[glintrhmj]

Dang stig kinda made me nostalgic of what used to be the greatest car show 😢 thank god for grand tour still being there

[kevinwhite]

I just cannot believe how good this latest prius looks. It's not just no longer boring or even awful; it's actively attractive. I've seen a white one around my neighborhood and it's like being around a spaceship. (I suppose I have a fond memories of my 1991 Toyota Previa to thank for that.)

[AyAy]

7:24 It's not a CVT, it's an eCVT. Why do automotive journalists keep getting that wrong?!

[Sabrermk]

If anyone doesn't recognise the road at the end, it's Glen Etive. Famously featured in Skyfall!

[jonjon]

For anyone wondering about the irish reg,

241 means it was registered in the first half of 2024 (242 for second half)

D stands for Dublin

Examples of other counties include:

C = Cork
W = Waterford
G = Galway
KE = Kildare
KK = kilkenny

7503 is the 7th thousand 503 car registered in dublin.

[stufoo]

saw one in all black with a roof rack/ski rack and it looked damn good. i would buy one

[TheForresterOD]

Tom was always my favourite 5th Gear presenter, so seeing him "come into his own" in Top Gear just feels right

[CupOfJav]

Biggest glow-up for sure. The Prius is so nice now. Now that it has the looks to go with reliability, fuel mileage, real buttons, comfort, etc I would consider it the textbook definition of "good car."

[muthukumaranc]

Love the new direction of the Top Gear YouTube channel. All the presenters are excellent!

[sammhine]

I think B mode is actually Engine Braking mode. More for extended downhill runs to avoid excessive wear on the brakes.

[aye]

I am so happy that Toyota changed their minds and are bringing this Prius to the UK. Will be buying one in the next year or so. Can't wait!

[deanowarrior]

Tried a few phev cars, Volvo, BMW, VW and kia and trust me they are a jerky mess with their conventional gearboxes. They just cannot put it all together smoothly. Tried a rav4 phev with cvt gearbox and it's light years ahead. Your comment on it droning is literally for extremely rare full throttle moments and it's not bad at all in the rav4 and a way better compromise than the jerky phevs I drove. At 80 percent throttle the toyota system is super smooth and swift.

[joelsantiago]

LOL watching a prius power slide/ drift is not how i expected to start my day, I love it!

[Winermue]

I swear there is lambo design language in this thing. It's hilarious.

[filipealves]

"I'm not a real taxi, I'm more of a fake one"
That eyebrow rise at the end... 😂😂😂

[stevewybisana]

Can't believe I'm watching a funny Top Gear episode. It's been rare lately.

[niki]

And this is how the legend of Stig continues. Some say he is still there up in the Scottish highlands waiting for a new chapter of his life to begin.