I've never driven a hybrid car or a car with a CVT. I took a C2 for a test drive today. I thought it would be too small but it seemed rather roomy inside. A bit less rear storage than I'd like but it's manageable. Rear legroom is good enough for an adult. Front seat has good legroom and is pretty comfortable. It drove nice. Took a bit to get used to the brakes. Drove mostly on the highway around 70mph and then some through the retail district with a fair share of traffic lights. 15 miles overall. Managed 54mpg. I didn't push it too hard for acceleration but did notice it had to work hard with a highway incline. If I drive another I'll pay more attention to acceleration. Overall I'm fairly impressed with the C. My current car is a 13 Focus sedan with a manual transmission. Over 33,000 miles it has averaged 36mpg. Lately 39. A super car but my wife can't drive a manual. I'm going to research the C-Max also. Since it's based on the Focus I may really like it. XT1060 ?
I didn't get to test-drive Lil Mila in normal conditions; it was late, dark and snowing with a few inches on the ground already. Her traction, road holding and braking were very competent, but I didn't get to discover her struggles with going uphill. Also, on the positive side, there is some Tardis effect, which is a huge plus in my case: 'c' is very roomy inside comparing to what her external dimensions suggest. I don't know much about C-Max, but it's quite a bit larger and much more expensive. If you are not looking specifically for a hybrid, and can get away with a smaller car, why not a Fit with CVT? It's been getting ecstatic reviews recently.
I saw a new Fit today (from the rear). Not a pretty site. If I were to purchase a C-Max it would be a CPO 2013. The problem is that the fuel mileage is no where near the C. I almost always drive alone. On the weekend we use the Sedona (van). I have two young kids, one just about to graduate out of her booster seat. They'll be fine in the back since it has about 2" more rear legroom than my Focus. Less hip room though. That may lead to a little more sisterly fighting back there. There are some good deals out there now. Just under $18k for a 2. BN NookHD+ ?
I mus say, the feel of a hybrid is so different. For the first time today, i drove a prius. I like it.
When I went into my local Toyota dealer I had no intention of buying a C, I was after a manual transmission Yaris. They didn't have one so the sales person convinced me to try a C. Driving the C with a CVT was different, but, I went away impressed. After some research and another drive I decided to buy one and have no regrets. The CVT now seems normal and I consider it just as good as a normal automatic.
Driving a Hybrid is a different experience to driving a normal car. It takes a few weeks/months to really get used to it and the mpgs will increase more once you improve your skills. The CVT is also not like a tradional auto, so also takes time. The fact that it gets 50+ mpg is great Good luck if you buy
There are also very good deals for regular Prius (liftback), and it is getting about the same MPG as C. If you looking at C-max check regular Prius as well. It has some shortcomings but it is a better overall family car then C. Much more space in the trunk and rear. B/C of the gas prices early last year we left minivan home and drove Prius across the country and back with two high school girls in the back and all camping gear in trunk and it was just the right size for trip. With new Prius coming out and yen exchange rate the deals on current one are good, good luck
. Looking at the current heavy discounts on hybrids, I think the JPY/USD rate may or may not be the most important factor. Hybrids no longer offer the same level of operational cost advantage as they used to a few years ago. Low gas prices affect decision-making (even though no-one really believes the "cheap gas" will last forever, and the prices have already gone up by 20% in the past few months). But look also at the improvements of the fuel efficiency in subcompact ICE cars in the past 10 years: from typically 30± mpg to mid-30s.
I've been looking at some liftbacks. Mainly 2012 twos. I'm budgeting about $15k and I've seen some decent CPO under 40,000 miles. I've got plenty of time to research. XT1060 ?
If you don't need a new car right away, wait until the Gen 4 Prius is announced, probably around the time of the Tokyo Auto Show in November. Unless its specs are really impressive that you absolutely want to get one of those, you can probably snag a great deal on the remaining Gen 3 liftbacks. Especially if gas prices go back down. With a growing family, the liftback might be a better vehicle for you in the long run. The c is a great commuter car, but if you need to take people places in it, it's not the roomiest and with 4 adults in it, the c struggles a little, especially getting up to speed merging on the freeway. Plus the liftback has a lot of room in the trunk/cargo area compared to the c, in case you need to do a lot of shopping in it and don't want to waste gas in the van. But if you're using it strictly as a commuter car, and you do a lot of city driving, the c is easier to park, and gets slightly better mpg due to its lighter weight compared to the liftback (it's about 500 pounds lighter if I recall), though both cars will get roughly the same mpg if you drive them the same way.
^ I think he said he is shooting for a young second-hand car, whose prices won't likely be seriously affected by the Gen 4. C has a one delicate advantage: it's cute
