2025 Toyota Prius Nightshade - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

Witness the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Tweetie Bird and Woodstock both love the stunning yellow paint job gracing the 2025 Nightshade Prius. This factory customized version of the world's best-selling hybrid is available in both front wheel drive and all wheel drive models, with a base price of just $32,560 for the FWD version we tested this week. Toyota has named the Nightshade's "New Exclusive Exterior Color " after a piquant Japanese yellow mustard plant called Karashi. If you want this color, you'll have to buy a Nightshade Prius. If, however, you choose to hold the mustard, you can also order the Nightshade in Midnight Black Metallic or Wind Chill Pearl. Karashi - a cross between Gulden and Grey Poupon - looks great on a Prius decked out with these Nightshade-specific items: black 19 x 6.5-inch alloy wheels, blackout badging, black outside door handles, black bumper trim, black fender flares, and black roof-mounted shark fin antenna. The already stunning 5th generation Prius, introduced in 2023, has now been elevated to a new plane of visual delight.

From a performance standpoint, the two inch increase in wheel diameter (from 17" on a stock Prius to 19" on the Nightshade) results in a significant drop in sidewall height from the base model's 195/60R17 radial, to the Nightshade's 195/50R19 Michelin Primacy All Season rubber. The shorter sidewall results in more immediate response when you're tackling a set of switchbacks on a mountain road. Just this change alone invests the Prius with better and quicker feedback at the steering wheel, though it also results in a more abrupt and jarring ride quality over imperfect pavement. Personally, I think it's a fair trade to gain the sports car like responsiveness of the Nightshade.

Toyota has also done a credible job of enriching the cockpit of this upmarket model. The heated front seats offer welcome lateral support when you're clipping apexes. These black buckets are trimmed with SofTex material counterpointed with grey stitching. The usefulness of the 60/40 split folding rear seats is slightly limited by the low (56.3-inch) roofline of the Prius, which looks sleek but compresses six footers occupying row two. Our test model had a rather pricey ($1,000) optional Fixed Glass Roof, which proved to be a welcome addition to an otherwise stark black interior. This roof consists of two separate panels, each of which offers a manually sliding screen to customize front and rear passenger compartments. Toyota provides the Prius with an 8-inch Multimedia screen, but our test model benefited from a $735 boost to a 12.3-inch screen that proved better suited to use while driving than the smaller panel.

You'll want to get a few hundred miles under your belt before you feel comfortable consulting the 7" digital gauge cluster, which is displaced several inches forward from the plane of the dashboard. The problem with this dislocation is that the rim of the steering wheel tends to obscure the instrument faces. Once I got used to the displacement factor, the issue proved only intermittently bothersome, but I would recommend an extended test sit to determine whether you fit the acceptable height/sightline profile. Note also that the displaced gauge cluster can impinge on your forward sightline as well. From a practical standpoint, the interior proved quite spacious. Cargo volume amounts to 20 cubic feet, which proved more than enough to tote an upright vacuum, a family-size blender, and several soft drink multipacks home from Target with space to spare. Note, however, that the Nightshade's trunk is not motorized, so there's no automatic key access to ease your shopping routine.

For a vehicle that records an astoundingly good set of mileage figures (52MPG Overall, 551 mile range per 10.1 gallon tank refill), the Prius is also incredibly quick in a straight line. While its hissing whine will never emulate the pavement-pounding scream of an internal combustion engine, the Nightshade nevertheless posts some very admirable acceleration times: 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds, the standing start quarter mile in 15.5 seconds at 92mph, and a governor limited top speed of 115mph. These impressive figures ensure that you'll never lack sufficient power to merge onto the freeway, or set up a safe pass on a two-lane road. The Prius has come a long way to eradicate the stigma of its gutless wonder days in the slow lane. Indeed, in Nightshade trim, equipped with decent low-profile Michelin radials, this little yellow beauty has earned itself a niche in the heart of driving enthusiasts many of us thought impossible to attain.

You'll have a tough time finding a more attractive, economical, or affordable mode of transportation than the Nightshade Prius for $36,308. The transformation of this vehicle from a Prius slug to a potent Prius is now officially complete.

2025 TOYOTA PRIUS NIGHTSHDE

• ENGINE: 2.0 liter inline-4, DOHC, 16-valve + 2 AC Motors and 0.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack
• HORSEPOWER: 194hp (Combined)
• TORQUE: N/A
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 52MPG City/52MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $36,308

HYPES: Stunning Karashi Bomb

GRIPES: Offset Dash

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2025 David E Colman