2014 Prius v (lowercase v) Five or 2014 C-Max SEL

Yes, indeed, it's a tradeoff but a number of tests I've read show a preference for C-Max on that basis. The Prius v loaded with passengers and cargo has middling acceleration but that's its only major drawback, aside from the recent IIHS test. That the C-Max is likely more fun to drive is a big plus with many drivers but not for me. Overall, the v s the better car.

 

i see what you mean. i guess it's impossible to be all things to all people. people who prefer the ford probably would like better mpg's, but maybe not at the expense of horsepower?

 

After the fraud Ford pulled with their "miscalculation" of EPA mileage figures, I will not recommend a Ford to anyone.

 

I have a 2012 Prius v 5, and really like the mpg and room. That said, the dash materials and overall layout seems to be a generation behind the Ford. Also, the stereo (specifically sound level of rear speakers) in the Prius is poor. I think reliability of the Toyota will be better, but the C-Max is likely to be a more fun car to drive. I would buy the v again because the C-Max would not be large enough for our use.

 

I drive my Prius v with ATP in Eco mode 99.8% of the time! but when I want/need more power, I find it refreshing to press the power mode button and feel my back getting pressed into the car seat. Mind you this is not the same acceleration as I occasionally get in family's Audi, but I am getting a feeling of power and enough acceleration to move around traffic as I see fit.

So don't forget to try the power button to see how that feels. I think most people eventually start playing the MPG game in their Prius and have fun in eco-mode and at slower speeds.

 

I posted this a while back but...

Things I like and dislike about my Prius v3



Likes



1. It’s a wagon and has gobs of trunk room. 6 foot Xmas tree, check. 3 months of groceries and house supplies from Costco, check.

2. It gets very very close to the EPA MPG figures and I don’t have to do anything funny to get there. I just drive it, I don’t hypermile or pulse-glide. I respect the other drivers on the road.

3. The clarity of the instrument dials.

4. The wonderful amount of cup holders for the front seat -3!

5. The two glove boxes, door cubbies, center console size.

6. The way the console is cut away near the dash so the knee can splay over that area. Makes perfect Kleenex box place during pine pollen season.

7. The 2 hidden compartments under the rear trunk area. Perfect to hide a few golf clubs to use on the range.

8. The hidden mag wheels behind the hideous hubcaps.

9. The easy to change clock time setting buttons. Trivial and obvious.

10. Bluetooth and making a hands-free phone call.

11. Easy destination entry on the GPS. Interface seems very logical and easy to use in contrast to the one on the 2011 Avalon my wife has which I’d almost pay to have removed. (And I’ve been using computers for 40+ years!)

12. The reclining and sliding rear seats.

13. Rear seats that can fold down and not force the front seats to be moved forward.

14. The armrest in the back seat keeps the grandkids away from each other.

15. Heat is distributed to the back passengers.

16. That I can get the “factory” Softex as a “dealer installed option” on any trim level.

17. That the radio displays the genre of radio station in addition to call letters and frequency.

18. The clarity and display of the heating controls settings.

19. That it doesn’t waste display space with a tachometer. That it doesn’t have a speedometer with a 160 MPH limit like so many other cars (the useful area of such a dial is so small as to be useless).



Dislikes



1. Noise level. The single weather stripping around the doors and hatch seem marginal and there is little sound deadening seemingly used. Every stone thrown up against the wheel wells comes through to the cabin. My old ears need all the help they can get.

2. The center placement of the instrument dials. Quirky styling element but they sell enough LHD and RHD to differentiate and put the gauges in front of you.

3. The lack of standard LED DRLs.

4. That it isn’t made in the US of more US made parts.

5. The unlighted shift knob.

6. The placement of the PWR, ECO, EV buttons so near a cup holder exposes them to spills.

7. The lack of side mirror turn signals.

8. The lack of survival when offset crash testing

9. The lack of standard mud-guards.

10. The heating system low amount of air flow to the feet with the fan on less noisy settings and direction set to only feet.

11. The lockout of some GPS functions when moving. My navigator controls the GPS on long trips and it is perfectly safe for her to change settings while underway. I do understand the need for drivers not to use it at speed.

12. The backup buzzer duration (reset at the dealers now to only one beep).

13. The seatbelt buzzer duration (can be reset at the dealers)

14. The limited number of directions in which the front seats can be adjusted. The inability to slant the seat bottom up in the front in particular.

15. The comfort of the seats.

16. The useless card holder to the left of the steering wheel. Make it an area capable of storing change, a pack of breath mints, etc.

17. That the trunk area with rear seats folded down is not perfectly flat.

18. The amount of road dirt collected on the door sills.

19. The amount of road dirt collected on the rear trunk spoiler, hatch and bumper. Sure shows on a white car

20. The fabric used on the 3 trim level (see likes).

21. The lack of mud guards on the wheel wells front and back. I worry about stones creating rust spots.

22. The SET & SWT “distributor options” which aren’t options and are vastly over-priced. (Go to Maryland and see the price difference.)

23. The NC dealer administrative fee. $599 is ridiculous. (Go to Maryland and see the price difference.)

24. The lack of a true ‘seek - scan the dial and present each station for 5 seconds and go on to the next station” on the audio system. Having to touch a button to move between stations is poor as is the placement of the button to do it is very far from the driver.

25. I’d like a more squared off steering wheel bottom.

26. The lack of a sun visor extension to cover the center of the windshield or the back of the side window.

27. The GPS often fails to give advance warning when a turn is needed. It knows the route, shows up on the map, but gives no warning until you are beyond the turn and then you hear “recalculating route”. I consider this dangerous.



Glad I bought it, heck yes. No car is perfect.

I posted this a while back.

 

I test drove both and I liked the fact that the prius v 5 had a spare and the rear seats were moveable. I also found that the C-max was not getting the mileage that the sticker said it would get and Ford had to make an adjustment of a few miles per gallon. That and the historical reliability of the Prius, I went with the Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon) .

 

I've had my v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon) three for several days now. The ride is very quiet and comfortable. Road noise is not an issue. I don't miss my GMC Envoy. Am super impressed with all the Hi-tech features and Toyota Quality. If you drag race, you will not win often. However you will pass many gas stations, waving.

 

Doesn't the Ford C-Max use licensed Toyota 2nd generation hybrid technology and we're using 3rd generation?

 

I don't own a v anymore, but I remember comparing and driving the v and Cmax before deciding on the v. Two things I noted while driving the Cmax: 1); couldn't get close to 40 mpg, while it was easy to do in the v and 2); being a "Trekkie", when comparing the dash layout the Cmax looked like it came out of a Klingon warship versus the v looking like the Starship Enterprise.

 

they started with second gen tech, i'm not sure anyone knows where they are now.

 

Should we assume that the Ford does not use a Toyota ICE?

 

yes, it's just a similar hsd, plus whatever mods ford has come up with. i'm not sure the hsd is the mpg problem, i think it's the aerodynamics and software that gives you more punch. ford wanted buyers to believe that you could have the best of both worlds.

 

I've been looking at both as well. To be used in a property management office. I don't care about absolute fuel mileage as much as the green image. The C-max is much higher build quality, comfortable seats with leather everywhere, sensible dash gauges except for the leafy green option, burns rubber on a right turn from stop out to the highway. Rear seat is useless, more suited for cargo space. The little bugger is easy to park.

The major concerns with Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon) five ATP are 2. First is the very poor frontal quatering crash rating. Second is the traction control that pulls power offline in the event of wheelspin. Such as pulling out into traffic crossing the snowy icy middle area AND NO POWER to get across away from oncoming traffic. The Prius interior is cheap and plasticky, dash is bizzare mounted in the middle. Seats are razor thin and crushes under any weight. The good points are the tech ATP package and the back seat is HUGE about the size of a Lincoln.

Neither brand sales people had a clue to what they were selling. Bluetooth was easy setup on both.

If I could weld the Prius rear on the C-Max it would work.

C-Max is selling about 1,000 units/month which is nothing and Prius new design launch is rescheduled for December 2015.

The Lexus is overpriced and others like the Fusion have no ingress/egress headroom.

I'll wait for the 12/2015 prius and take another look.

 

welcome to priuschat. good evaluation, thanks!

 

That is not relevant to the v model, they have different design schedules. Only the hatchback is scheduled for an update in 2015. The v is more likely to follow in 2016.

 

Do you have a site to point at for the info? My understanding is Prius and v have the same running gear and if the Prius updates to Li-on and AWD (justifying the 2015 pushout, it was due this Fall) it will be complex logistics - lower volumes higher costs - to run 3 separate chassis with 3 different powertrains down the line. Prius, v, c.

Toyota fuel cell tech is really the future compared to today's dirty battery production.

Fuel cells under 800 atmospheres can really launch with a boom...

 

Even though I haven't got V5, I am sure you will love it. And owning Ford's before Toyota's , I can tell you that Toyota will make you a happy person.

 

If I can get them off, I'll lend you my ears.
In the meantime, go for a test drive.

 

Interesting perspectives Grizzler.

I wonder if the casual observer perceives the C-max as "green"? Isn't one of the attributes of the v the fact that it is instantly recognized as a Prius and thus different which translates to "green". The C-max looks pretty generic small SUV to me.

And you mention "build quality". I wonder at your definition of that term. Are you using it to describe the way everything is screwed together or the selection of features and materials chosen by the manufacturer?