2011 Toyota Prius MPG and Fuel Cost

Every 2011 Toyota Prius is a hybrid, rated 48 mpg combined.

EPA fuel economy

2011 Toyota Prius · 1 EPA-tested version

EPA rating

48MPG combined

49 city 46 highway

$1,400 a year to fuel

1.8L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $5,000 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Oct 2, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs about $1,400 a year. Compared with 2010, the best hybrid version is down 2 mpg.

More complaints than most Prius years

The 2011 drew 67 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 44 for a typical Prius year: 1.5 times as many. It is not a year to avoid, which takes at least twice the typical count and at least 50 complaints.

Years to avoid: 2010, 2012, and 2016. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Prius year ranked The 2011 Prius's recalls and problems

Every 2011 Prius version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
1.8L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT EPA listing: Prius	48 mpg	49 / 46	$1,400

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
1.8L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT	$1,397	$116	$6,984

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

How long does a hybrid take to pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.

Toyota Prius MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Hybrid: 48 to 57 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); 57 since 2023.

2011: hybrid 48 mpg

Show as a table

Toyota Prius best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best hybrid version
2010	50
2011	48
2012	48
2013	48
2014	48
2015	48
2016	56
2017	56
2018	56
2019	56
2020	56
2021	56
2022	56
2023	57
2024	57
2025	57
2026	57

Every Prius year's ratings in one table

How the 2011 Prius compares

2011 compact cars covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2011 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Prius This page Best: hybrid	48 mpg	–	$1,400
Honda Civic Best: hybrid	41 mpg	29 mpg	$1,650
Hyundai Elantra Best: gas	32 mpg	32 mpg	$2,100
Volkswagen Jetta Best: diesel	32 mpg	28 mpg	$2,400
Toyota Corolla Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,250
Kia Forte Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,250
Nissan Sentra Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,300
Mazda3 Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,400

2011 Prius recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 521 owner complaints for the 2011 Prius.

Owners most often describe brake failure (38 complaints, 7%), then headlight problems (35). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 5 stars.

See the 2011 Prius recalls and problems

Questions

Does the 2011 Toyota Prius need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2011 Toyota Prius version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2011 Prius's MPG compare with the 2010?

For 2011, the best hybrid version is rated 48 mpg, down 2 from 50.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.