Realizing this is a prius forum and there is no better hybrid out there...what other cars have folks compared the C too? I've been all over the place trying to decide but fuel economy seems to be the one thing that keeps me coming back to the C - interior and yaris look alike is keeping me away. I debated the insight, crz, civic, Cruze, focus, Mazda 3. I want a reasonable priced car, good fuel economy and not terribly boring to drive. I'm looking for a solid car to commute in every day, 90 miles round trip all highway 5 days a week. Flow of traffic to work is a steady 65-80 mph, on the way back home there is heavier traffic, could be stop and go for sections but in general 45 mph average. I've never owned a small economy car. Currently drive a Benz coupe with a v8 but with 170k miles on the clock and needs work - gets 25 mpg hand calc. I understand maintenance on a prius and japanese cars are very low but I'm curious about squeaks and rattles, suspension, alignment, bearings, etc. Items that tend to take more of a beating with constant highway mile usuage. I keep cars a long time. Wondering how this would hold up 10 years and 200k miles from now - regular prius seems to hold up excellent but this is much cheaper and smaller...
WOW That is an extreme change. I just got a Prius C 1.5L My other car had a bit more pep with a 2.2L 4 banger. There is alot of difference. But coming from a V8, I would test drive one a few times on maybe an extended drive. Test drive a reg Prius also.
Nubomb, Give the MAZDA3 i GT a spin (up to 38 mpg 6-spd manual)--we bought the 2012 MAZDA3 S GT (wanted RED) & it gets 32-mpg consistently, and talk about fun-2-drive...the 6-spd manual is amazing! You will not regret a test-drive experience--that's for sure. Good Luck in your search!:rockon: Ty-K
You're "Title" seems somewhat different from all the statements and questions you are raising in your post. As far as how will the Prius c hold up long term? The simple easiest answer is that it is a new product, based on modified but proven technology. My expectations with any Toyota product is that it is going to have above average reliability. I'd expect the Prius c to be a Toyota. But the only thing that establishes durability and longevity, is a track record presented over the passage of time. Nobody can really present that at this time. The rest of your post? It seems to me you do so much Highway driving, I think I'd consider a regular Prius. The Prius c is "slightly" designed to be more advantageous when the majority of your driving is stop and go city driving. Also you say, you've never owned a small economy car. I like small cars. Infact I don't call them "economy" I just call them "small". BUT...if you are used to a degree of space, and size, and perhaps even luxury? It could be a real shock. I think a Standard Prius...up and down the trim levels, might provide you with a more palatable transistion. I've gone to the dealership and looked at The Prius c, and I would say divorcing it from the GREAT advantage of being a hybrid, in almost every other aspect it becomes a pretty comparable sub-compact. It's very comparable I think to my current Honda Fit. There are some minor aspects to design and layout I think better with The Fit. It's basically, and in most simpliest definition a HSD sub-compact. Since it is really the only HSD sub-compact available in the USA, there really is no Apples to Apples direct comparison. You can compare it if you wish to the Honda Insight, but I personally don't compare Honda's IMA to Toyota's HSD. I think Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive is superior, in benefit and function, to Honda's Integrated Motor Assist. Just my opinion. You really need to test drive, and sit in respective vehicles and get a "vibe" on what feels comfortable to you. I would take a good look at Prius c and the entire Prius family. I wouldn't be concerned about durabilty or reliability. I would be concerned about what I would be comfortable in, driving for long stretches on the highway.
I agree with Electric that if you're going to do mostly highway driving, go with the regular Prius. We have both, a 2012 C and a 2010 Prius. While I love my new C, I can already see that it struggles to get higher gas mileage, when driving freeway commutes- when I set it on cruise control at 65 mph, I'll only get 47 mpg (at sea level), compared to 57-62 mpg when driving through cities/towns. Perhaps it's because the C is a bit lighter and can't withstand the gusts of wind pushing against it or it doesn't have enough mass to keep its momentum at a steady pace...I do not know. I recently gave up my V6 4Runner and before that, we had a V6 Benz, so I can relate to deciding to sacrifice power and comfort for economy. Yes, it's a totally different animal and this car was not designed to be a "fast" car. Personally, I don't regret for a second moving to the Priuses. As for going fast, I have four motorcycles to scratch that itch
Will it hold up? I think so. As well as generally being reliable, highway driving isn't actually very stressful on the car. Cab drivers report having to replace bearings but they are in a very stressful environment. There are squeaks and rattles in the Prius, particularly in low temperatures, but people have found they can be fixed with some small modifications. Arrange extended test drives to determine comfort level. Also, you might find that the regular Prius is more efficient in higher speed highway driving. However, I think that the c will do better in the stop and go on the way home and the difference in fuel economy won't be significant enough to overcome the much lower price of the Prius c. Define "terribly boring to drive"? Some of us Prius drivers enjoy the fuel economy games. Some find the Prius engine whine annoying when it's working hard. But if you want to feel a connection to the car the Priuses (and Toyotas in general) are the wrong cars for you. To compromise on fuel economy a bit you could try a Honda hybrid. They should feel less "robotic" to you and if you adapt your driving to the car you can get very good fuel economy. But, if you just want to drive it, Toyota or Ford hybrids do better. Or you could go diesel. By all accounts they're good to drive and with your highway driving they'd be in their element. However, diesel's relatively expensive and will probably keep becoming more expensive and currently the only diesel cars are from German manufacturers with either or both of questionable reliability and expensive maintenance.
Thanks for the replies. I know first post was little all over the place but it's a good representation of where my mind is I've test drove the C twice now and liked it. Still trying to get an extensive test on the highway. Probably going to try the Mazda 3i next but the new sky tech makes me a little nervous. When I meant not terribly boring to drive I was actually thinking more of the regular prius. I found the C to be more responsive and fun. That's why I'm favoring the C plus 95% of the time it is just me in the car so the size of the regular prius and added cost doesn't make much sense. Decisions decisions
OK, that explains it. I hope you get that extensive test but with the supply v demand problem it might be hard to get the test right now. Maybe it would help you get the test drive if you can decide that the only stumbling block is the highway test and can agree a price before you do the test. Dealers won't like to put lots of miles on a car, they won't like to have it off the lot, but also won't like to lose a sale.
Were at the 70,000 mile mark on our Prius. The only thing that "broke" is the cd player, other than that its a great car. We don't even use the CD player because of so many other ways to hear music etc. All we do is change the oil and filter at 10,000 miles, and air and cabin filters when needed. I am sure the Prius C will be just as dependable. As far as the batteries go for longevity here in Oregon its a 150,000 mile warranty, note: Oregon is a C.A.R.B. state.
In answer to your OP title, You should invest in one, drive the hell out of it, take care of it, always keep a good coat of wax on it. In 5 years get back to us on how much fun you have had, how much gas you have NOT used, and how the Prius c is holding up! Extra credit points will be awarded if you keep chatting on the PC board and give us driving updates!
I can't speak to the c since it's a brand new product but if the reliability reports in Consumer Reports of Priuses and virtually all Toyoas along with high mileage examples at Lifespan/Operating costs - Prius Wiki are an example, it should hold up ok. If you want to go w/something that's been on the road longer, go w/the regular Prius, aka liftback. 3rd (current) gen became available in May 09 w/the 2010 model year.
I would think the C should hold up as well as the Prius Hatchbacks (Gen II and III). Check out his Prius Taxi thread for longevity information. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...o-collection-san-francisco-picture-heavy.html
There is no reason to think that the C will have more problems than a regular Prius. It could well have less and be the best one so far, due to the simplicity of design vs. the Gen II, and lessons learned (brake pads, engine mounts, intake manifold) on the Gen III and the V.
Plus with the brake scare in 2010 i would think Toyota is putting extra efforts into it's safety and reliability to maintain or regain for some their excellent reputation for having bulletproof reliability.
Interesting that the rest of the cars on that list (aside from the 2-seat CR-Z) are compact cars. The c is a subcompact (but still fairly spacious like a Yaris or Fit). I would think a Mazda3 with the SkyActiv engine would fit the bill nicely - reasonable highway mileage, fun-to-drive and reasonably low ownership cost (can't say about insurance since that's locally or state dependent). If you go Focus, I recommend the manual as the PowerShift dual-clutch automatic doesn't seem to get very many positive reviews (mostly about jerky shifts and not as responsive as the drivers would like it) and I believe you can even get a Titanium model with a manual now (top model that formerly only had an automatic). For the Civic, I'd probably just get a lightly used last generation. (which was as new as 2011) I don't feel there's enough improvement in the new Civic to warrant a new car purchase (unless you really really want that i-MID screen or Li-Ion powered Civic Hybrid). I found the last generation fun to drive (even the hybrid model but I'd be wary of that model as Honda has had some battery issues with their IMA system). The automatic was smooth and the manual had an light clutch and easy for someone like me, who rarely drives manual, to drive. I would just drop the Insight from your list . I'd rather take the CR-Z over it. Cheap materials, poor ride, "nothing-to-brag-about" mileage and small interior. I do like the exterior design though. As for the c, note that there are two distinct versions of the c. There are those with the 15" wheels (alloys or steel rims with wheelcovers) and the c Four with the optional 16" alloys. That model comes with a quicker steering ratio but you pay the penalty of a larger turning radius (as Toyota had to limit the range so that the wheel doesn't scrap the wheel well). The ride is also a tad rougher with the 16" alloys I heard but if the quicker steering ratio makes it more fun to drive, that might not be so bad.
I'm not all that crazy about the lexus, so not an option - I want to be in the 22k range. I did just go to the ny car show, I'm more confused now Sat in the CRZ, this might be what I'm looking for. Need to get a test drive. I also did sit in the C again, overall the interior is growing on me but not sure if I'm trying to like the car too much.
I'd (unfortunately) avoid Honda hybrids since their IMA system is inferior but more importantly, it seems their battery longevity is questionable, despite building hybrids >12 years (see http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...071-salvage-traction-battery.html#post1252078). The CR-Z is quite disappointing in terms of overall mileage for the size and power. Although not comparable in price, the much larger and faster '12 HyCam which seats 5 and has 200 hp is EPA rated at 41 mpg combined vs. the CR-Z's 37 mpg combined. The HyCam did well at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/fuel-economy-vs-performance/index.htm. Per http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/honda/cr-z/ratings-and-specs.htm (you'll need a subscription), the CR-Z did 0-60 in 9.3 seconds.
