Hello! This is my story

I have to be honest; most of my car friends' heads are still exploding. I'm still in shock that I actually own a Prius, albeit a Prius c Two in Moonglow. You see, I come from a long history of owning small sports cars with manual transmissions; BMW E36 M3, MINI Cooper S's [5 of them!], Miata, & VW GTI. I also raced electric R/C cars through much of my teens and 20's and was reasonably successful, maintaining top 10 in the midwest. Going slow for the intellectual fun of being efficient wasn't part of my repertoire.

Until I became fascinated by VW's latest TDI. I ended up buying a Golf TDI 6mt and was thrilled with its perfect mix of luxury, torque, practicality, connectivity, style, and efficiency. Fast forward 30k miles, and while doing a routine fuel filter service, I found metal shavings in the filter. This isn't catastrophic per se, but it means the high pressure fuel pump is starting to wear and will eventually fail. Considering the VW warranty does not cover any part of the fuel system, and it's about $9k when it does fail, I started shopping for a new daily driver. Since I love small cars as a physical homage to volumetric efficiency and their inherently low inertia, they're always on my radar. Cars that interested me were:

*Fiat 500 Abarth
*Hyundai Veloster Turbo
*yet another MINI
*Mazda2
*Honda CR-Z
*Toyota Prius c.....mainly because the media reviews were excessively harsh and bitter, and that usually means they're either totally right or totally wrong.

The Abarth is literally impossible to buy; they're not making any more until the fall. Bummer. Kinda ditto the Veloster Turbo, technically available but impossible to find. The current gen MINI bums me out with its awful steering feel, plus the price is kinda ridiculous once you add all the options the rest of the world includes standard [i.e. bluetooth/USB]. The CR-Z didn't do it for me with its eye-searing amateur interior, average handling, relatively poor fuel economy, and did I mention the bad interior? The Mazda2 is good clean cheap fun but honestly a bit too cheap.

Approaching the Prius c, I have to admit I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I knew it wasn't going to handle amazing, but I also knew there are Yaris tuners out there that can knock out the wobble and get it to handle the turns without embarrassment, so there's potential. The interior is a whole different ballgame; it's whimsical and unabashedly amused with itself. I love designs that aren't apologetic, and the interiors use of color and strong shape are entertaining but not offensive [unlike the CR-Z]. The powertrain is fascinating. The electric motor bits are a throwback to my R/C racing days, and i can easily relate to their torque curve and operation. The Atkinson cycle ICE is also amusing in its application along with the eCVT to keep the system operating at the highest efficiency possible. During my test drive I didn't even miss the lack of a clutch pedal, plus the Bluetooth integration was easier and better than my VW.

I pulled the trigger. The Two was the perfect spec for me; I don't care about Nav or proximity key, and sweaty vinyl isn't my shtick. Financing was easy and cheap, the TDI trade in was excellent, and the whole dealership experience was top-shelf. Even my insurance has dropped significantly, even though I'm insuring a newer car.


IMG_1128.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr


RYE_4778.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr


IMG_1137.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr


RYE_4791.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr


RYE_4783.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr

I've already taken the car on a few little road trips, so even though I've only had it a week and a half, i've already put over 1,100 miles on it, averaging over 54 mpg so far. Very impressive.

Here's the Prius c next to my fun car, a Lotus Exige S, which I take to the track every chance I get. The salesguy was pretty tripped out, saying that I now have two totally polar opposite cars. I never thought I'd have two white cars!


IMG_1099.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr


Cheers and look forward to being around for a while,
Ryan

 

Oh, for those that are on Fuelly, Here's my badge:




Also, I should mention that I've already starting making moves on the suspension. My plan is to get coilovers that don't overwhelm LRR all-seasons while lowering ride height, don't sacrifice total stroke, and have improved digressive damper curves to maintain smooth ride yet improve chassis control and cornering weight transfer. Here's a shot when I was taking some initial measurements:


RYE_4799.jpg by Ryephile, on Flickr

 

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

I very much liked the GTI, especially the sonorous underrated engine [more like 230HP from the factory], the plaid upholstery, and the steering HID headlights. It's certainly a great Gran Turismo car that happens to be a practical hatchback. After having both, I still like the TDI's "perfect mix", but the damn reliability of the HPFP is a major heartbreaker. I can't in good conscience recommend the TDI unless you get some sort of aftermarket warranty that covers the fuel system.

Thanks, and thanks! What does your husband race? Also, Lotus will paint your car any color you want...for a price of course.

That's all that really matters at the end of the day, is that you're genuinely happy with what you drive. Enthusiasts that are reasonably intelligent will listen to the reasons you enjoy the Prius and will respect that.

 

Very cool, thanks for sharing

 

Just trying this out, playing with Google Earth.

This is my drive to work. With the Golf TDI, I would consistently get about 40 MPG going to work, and about 49 MPG on the way home. I haven't made enough trips with the Prius c to get a good sample, but early indications seem to average out to about mid 40's going to work and upper 50's coming home.

 

Thanks on all counts!

I had the chance to give the car a bath and wax this weekend. It was a quickie, just some Prima Mystique and then Zaino Clear Seal. I took a few pictures that really highlight the Moonglow color with it's green & blue metallic and red tint clear. It's not an easy color to photograph that's for sure. I'll be sure to post them when I get home.