Reasons NOT to buy the Prius C?

Those differences could be from SOC differences during testing.

 

Edmunds.com

 

Possibly, but if you compare 0-60 mph and 1/4 mile time and speeds between different publications of automatic non-hybrids, you'll see quite a bit of variance. This is why I prefer 1/4 mile times.

 

weather changes a lot. so does how they measure it. some use an app like torque. some use a windshield monitor.

 

The Prius C is an econobox that gets really good milage. I've tracked 14 fuelups, 4,680 miles, and averaged 50.5 mpg. And that is basically 100% highway. Route 160 in Nevada. From a starting elevation of 2,181 - over a summit at 5,502 and terminal elevation of 2,697. Travel distance approximately 67 miles each way. The car is not driven in town.

OK, that said, in comparison a 1998 Camry with 200K is a luxury car in terms of ride quality and a sports car in terms of acceleration. The C is neither. That is the reality of owning a C.

Since we aren't about to change acceleration or ride quality given what we are working with the one that that I would change is the rear headrests as mentioned before. Take them off if you want to have rear visibility. Other than that, for the money you are getting a quality vehicle with very good milage.

 

The C would need to get 60 mpg to overcome its issues vs. hatchback. The hatchback feels like a luxury sedan in comparison, the mileage is nearly identical and I would all $3K difference similarly priced.

With the 2015 Hatchback getting 60 mpg it will be interesting to see what Toyota does with the C. 60 mpg and upgraded interior lets Toyota charge more for the Hatchback. Leaving the C alone as the "discount hybrid" getting 50 mpg and now $6K less may be a better market niche for the C.

Currently, spending any time in the car, get a hatchback.

 

10k miles in and my only major complaint is the headrests in the rear as mentioned above by others. I'm averaging pretty good MPGs, especially now that winter is over and I can do without any heating or A/C. Wind noise is better than in my previous Civics and also better than my dad's '06 Civic Hybrid. I have had no issues with acceleration. I've been driving like a teenager lately (with the exception of not exceeding the speed limit) and still am averaging about 55 mpg by the time I get home. My average commute is 7 miles and I take an alternate city route I found that actually takes less time than the highway route I was taking previously. I can see why people would get a liftback (more highway driving, more cargo space, more luxury) but to me, I feel like I can get better MPG out of a little car. I also enjoy the turning radius a lot more than the liftback. I haven't found anywhere I can get stuck.

 

Fellow Ohioan! Winter was also awful for my mpg - the cold temps had my average at 45 from when I bought the car at the beginning of January 'til the end of March. Since then, I've been able to bring it up to 51, and they'll hopefully be around 57 or better before the weather gets bad again.

C owners in more temperate climates (temps usually from 40-85 degrees F) definitely have an advantage there.

 

Rear visibility improves after taking the side headrests out, and I got used to it. People have added aftermarket rear cameras.

Price paid:
I paid just $21,000 for a 2012 c2 with carpet mats in January in Northeast Ohio, including tax, title, license, whatever fees, and after $1,000 college grad discount and trading in a crappy car that hadn't run in 4 years. I could've done better, but I as a bit pressed for time, and the dealer drove about 100 miles away to get the color I wanted (blue).

• How Much For a C2? | PriusChat
• What did you pay for your Prius C | PriusChat
• C 3 Good Price? | PriusChat

 

You're welcome! The search on this site doesn't seem to be great, or I just don't know how to use it. I knew two of those three threads existed but it still took me a few tries to find them.

 

Funny, I just clocked 60 MPG driving 50 miles to work this morning . I use mine to commute 100 miles to work about 2.5 hours a day in traffic. The car is plenty comfortable for its purpose. If you have an extra 3K buy the hatchback. I don't.

 

You MUST be talking about the V6 98 Camry. My coworker has a 98 4 cylinder camry and I smoke him every time he tries to run his mouth. If you are talking about the V6, then there is a trade-off. His 4 cylinder barely gets above 30 mpgs... and even then he has to baby the crap out of it. I can floor it every single trip and still average above 30. His car rides like a boat too... he just replaced the suspension (which is noticeably better) and it sways like a 60's model Chevy. But it is cushier...

Agree about the rear headrests though... wish we could get the smaller ones like Australia...

 

I paid $22,858 for my PC4. The only options I didn't get were the sunroof and the 16" wheels.... I'm not getting a comparable Liftback for that.

I get over 60 on my drive to work every morning... and over 65 on my drive home. Wish that was all the travels that I did everyday...

 

Yeah, it was purely psychological... unless you can feel that .7 (depending on which article you read, I'm going with the biggest gap) seconds to 60 mph... and even less in the 1/4...

 

OTD. I put $2500 down and because my credit was so good he finagled the money a lot. He dropped the price by around $3k so that he could add on the Warranty and Maintenance for free... I wouldn't have gotten them if he didn't. He told me he was happy because the dealership makes more money off the maint and extended warranty than they do the car. He also dropped my interest from 3.9% to 2.9% for 72 months. I'll have this car paid off long before that... but you can never be too careful.

 

My $19.500 C3 was pre tax. Had the side bumper molding, mats and trunk floor mat.

 

Correct you are getting a lot more Liftback for that price. We buy Prius for mileage and the real problem with the C is that they cut back on ride, interior, looks, basic electronics, features and power for little (51 vs. 53 mpg highway) to no (48 vs. 46 mpg) advantage in mileage.