Man proves the Toyota Prius is stronger than it looks by having it tow 5,000lbs
- This Toyota Prius towed almost 5,000lbs
- The hybrid car was able to haul the heavy load
- The man who carried out the experiment warned against trying it
Published on Jan 13, 2025 at 6:25 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jan 13, 2025 at 2:57 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A man highlighted the sheer power of his Toyota Prius by using it to tow a staggering 5,000 pounds (2,267kg) – but warns against anyone attempting the same thing.
The Toyota Prius was launched back in 1997 and was the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle in the world.
Since then, it’s proved to be an incredibly popular choice with roughly six million units sold.
And it turns out that as well as being popular, they’re also a lot more powerful than you might think.
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The Toyota Prius was able to tow an impressive amount of weight
While it may look like an unassuming family hybrid car, the Toyota Prius is also a world-record holder after recently claiming the Guinness World Record for the highest miles per gallon while driving across America.
Not only that, but it turns out that the hybrid Prius is a bit of a secret powerhouse.
The Utah-based Hybrid Garage YouTube channel recently showcased this in a rather spectacular way after attaching a trailer to a 2006 Prius and having it tow a whopping 2.5 tons.
Making things even more interesting is the fact that an activity hitch, designed for hauling bikes, was used – but don’t worry, the YouTuber modified it before use.
The trailer alone weighed a whopping 2,000lbs (907kg) and when loaded with the car enthusiast’s ‘Monster Prius’ – a lifted Prius with super-sized tires – the total load was almost 5,000lbs.
Incredibly, the Prius manages to tow both the hefty trailer and the other Prius with relative ease.
Sure, it’s not the fastest vehicle we’ve ever seen and the extra weight took its toll on the car, but the fact it even managed to get going was pretty unbelievable.
Please don’t try this at home – seriously
Hopefully, it goes without saying that you absolutely should not try this at home.
A caption for the clip reads: “This is an example of what not to do with a Toyota Prius. Do not use this as a how-to video, it is not recommended.”
Pulling such a heavy weight that it’s not designed to carry is almost certainly destroying the transmission and doing other untold damage to the poor Prius.
The YouTuber warns at the outset that you shouldn’t give this a go.
“I would not recommend this set up right here,” he said.
“This is dangerous, sketchy. It’s probably illegal.”
You have been warned.
With a background in both local and national press in the UK, Claire moved to New Zealand before joining the editorial team at Supercar Blondie in May 2024. As a Senior Content Writer working on New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), Claire was the first writer on the team to make the site’s output a slick 24/7 operation covering the latest in automotive news.
