Updated at: 10-06-2022 - By: Lucas

If you want to buy a new hybrid car, the Toyota Prius or the Smart fortwo might be on your list. Here, we compare the two cars to make it easier for you to choose.

Cost and Miles Per Gallon

With an 11.3-gallon fuel tank, the Toyota Prius gets 53 miles per gallon on the highway and 58 miles per gallon in the city. In the city, the Smart fortwo gets 33 miles per gallon and on the highway, it gets 39 miles per gallon. The tank is 8.7 gallons. Because its tank is bigger and it uses less gas, the Toyota Prius can go longer without having to fill up.

The base model of the Smart fortwo costs just over $15,575 plus a $925 “Destination Charge.” The base model of the 2019 Toyota Prius costs $23,770, plus a $920 “destination charge.”

Size

The Toyota Prius is bigger than the Smart fortwo. The Smart fortwo is 106.1 inches long, while the Prius is 180 inches long. The width of the Prius is 69.3 inches, while the width of the fortwo is 74.5 inches. The wheelbase of the Prius is 106.3 inches, while the wheelbase of the Smart fortwo is 73.7 inches.

Engines

prius vs smart car-1

The engine in the Smart fortwo has 3 cylinders, while the engine in the Prius has 4. As well, the Smart fortwo has more torque. The Smart fortwo has 89 horsepower, while the Prius has 121.

Performance

The Prius is driven by the front wheels, while the Smart fortwo is driven by the back wheels. The Smart fortwo is easier to turn than the Toyota Prius because it has a smaller turning circle. You’ll have an easy time getting in and out of tight spots.

Interior

The Prius has room for five people, but the Smart fortwo, as its name suggests, only has room for two. The Prius has 42.3 inches of legroom in the front seat, while the Smart fortwo only has 41.2 inches. The back seat of the Prius has 33.4 inches of legroom for passengers. The Smart fortwo doesn’t have any space for cargo, but the Prius has 27.4 cubic feet of space for cargo and can carry up to 825 pounds.

Warranty

The basic warranty on the Smart fortwo is better than the basic warranty on the Toyota Prius. The warranty on the Smart fortwo is for 4 years or 50,000 miles, and the warranty on the powertrain is also for 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Prius comes with a warranty that lasts for 3 years or 36,000 miles, and the warranty on the powertrain lasts for 5 years or 60,000 miles. The Prius comes with a 5-year, unlimited-mileage warranty against corrosion, while the fortwo’s Electric Drive comes with a 4-year, 50,000-mile warranty.

Safety

prius vs smart car-2

The front seatbelts of the Toyota Prius can be changed to fit people of different heights. Active Headrests are also built into every Prius. They are made to help keep the driver and front passenger from getting whiplash if the car is hit from behind.

The Prius also has a Pre-Collision System that is built in. The system uses sensors on the front of the car to warn the driver about a possible accident up ahead. If the driver doesn’t do anything and a crash is about to happen, the system will automatically put on the brakes to help avoid it. The fortwo also has a collision warning system that can be added, but it doesn’t have automatic brakes.

The Prius has a lane departure warning, Intelligence Clearance Sonar to warn drivers of obstacles in front of or behind the vehicle, blind spot warning, a cross-path warning system, a driver alert monitor, and Safety ConnectTM to help find the vehicle if it’s stolen or send help if the airbags go off. GPS is also built into the fortwo.

Both come with front side, front passenger, front driver, and front and rear curtain airbags.

Previous 2016 Prius vs Smart Car Comparisons

Economy and efficiency are the two things we’ll be looking at closely as we compare two cars that are proud of how well they use them. This week, we look at the differences between the 2016 Toyota Prius and the 2016 Smart fortwo.

Even though the Prius weighs 3075 pounds and the Smart only weighs 1984 pounds, they have a lot in common when it comes to what they tell people who are thinking about buying them.

The first of these values is fuel efficiency. The Prius is much better than the Smart in this area.

The Toyota hybrid has one of the best gas mileage ratings of any car in any weight class. The 5-Door HB Two trim level of the Prius uses about 54 mpg in the city and 50 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.

The lighter 2016 Smart fortwo 2-Door Coupe Pure, on the other hand, gets about 32 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway.

Unfortunately for Smart fans, this difference in gas mileage doesn’t show up in the engine department in the same way. The 1.0 Liter Premium Unleaded I-3 engine in the fortwo can make 89 hp and 100 net lb-ft of torque.

The 1.8 Liter Gas/Electric I-4 engine in the Prius, on the other hand, can make 121 horsepower and 105 net torque.

The best thing about the Smart over the Prius is that the size of the fortwo makes it easy to drive and useful.

Finding a parking spot isn’t too bad if you can make do with a spot small enough for your 106.1-inch-long car instead of a spot big enough for a 178.7-inch-long Prius.

SmartUSA says that the fortwo has the best-in-class turning radius of any car in its class at 22.8 feet.

“A smart car is 8.8 feet long, 5.5 feet wide, and has a Direct-Steer system with variable ratios. It was made for driving in city traffic, which makes its unique way of handling both fun and useful.”

Both models are also designed to keep drivers safe. Toyota gave the Prius its Toyota Safety Sense P technology. It has a package of four important safety features that work together to make driving safe and comfortable. The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.

Some of these features make it easier on the driver and even make up for human mistakes, like the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, which, according to Toyota:

“Scans the road ahead for possible collisions with other cars, and Pedestrian Detection looks for people who might accidentally walk into the path of the Prius in certain situations. If the system detects a possible collision with another car or a person on the ground, an audible and visual warning and help with the brakes are turned on automatically. If the driver doesn’t respond, this system could put the brakes on by itself.”

The Smart fortwo comes with eight airbags and a feature called Crosswind Assist, which helps the light car stay straight when strong gusts of wind come along.

Pricing for the fortwo starts at $14,650 for the 2016 Smart fortwo Pure and goes all the way up to $18,480 for the Proxy trim.

The cheapest Prius is the 2016 Toyota Prius HB Two, which starts at $24,200. The HB Four Touring, which starts at $30,000, is the most expensive trim.