Prius C vs Regular Prius

To be short:

1. MPG: C is better than Regular in city. But the new Reg is pretty damn good.
2. C is cheaper.
3. C looks a little sportier, new Reg is better look than the old style but I can't stand the rear lights at night of it.
4. Since first production I bought in Jun 2012: money spent nothing but maintenance.

The C is now my daughter's car but if I get back to another Prius I would go to Prime.

 

Toyota has recently named the Prius the Prius Lift-back in order to be clear. The 2016 & 2017 Prius Lift-backs are a much newer technology than the current Prius c. The Prius c is considered a Gen 3 like your current Prius.

The current Prius c is rated at 46 MPG highway & 53 MPG city. I believe this is using the old EPA standard test.
The Prius Lift-back is rated at 54 MPG highway & 50 MPG city using the new, stricter EPA tests.
The Prius Two Eco Lift-back is rated at 58 MPG highway & 53 MPG city using the new tests.
Many people have regularly received higher mileage that the newer, more realistic EPA test. I know my Prius Two Lift-back said I got 59 MPG on the 150 mile highway drive home from my dealer. I currently have a little over 3000 miles on it.

The Prius c (for city) was targeted at city commuters much like the Prius v is targeted at those needing more cargo space that a Prius Lift-back. Although this is my first Prius, my son has owned a 2005 Prius and currently has a 2015 Prius v s I am somewhat familiar with the vehicle.

 

My '15 C is pretty awful in recent snow storm with traction control kicking in all the time because it's so light weight even with 3 people in the car. Been slipping and sliding and not for funsies.

It's a zippy ride with eco mode turned off. Cabin noise is loud but I assume that's for most subcompacts. Reliability wise, I've had it for a year and just needed oil change and rotation. You'll crash if you're not careful but it has plenty of air bags. Insurance costs a lot for some reason. It's kind of comfortable but I prefer a bigger center console to rest my arm. Mileage is nice but in -10 weather it really turns to sub 37 mpg highway. Other than that I still like it and will drive it for 4 more years and replace it with another hybrid like the ioniq

 

I drove a regular Prius while mu Prius C was having the oil change. Bigger, more comfortable, and more quiet. The C is good for my short suburan and city driving. The reg Prius would be better for longer trips.

 

Some people question the seat comfort of the Prius, at least for the lower trim levels.

 

This. Drive both and see which you prefer.
We love our C just puttering around town but not so much on the highway.
Highway mileage suffers with the C......especially if you have a heavy foot.

 

I haven't racked many miles on my C but it's a great and roomy little car for the money. Definitely sportier than the 3rd Gen. The 4th gen makes it hard to choose the C for fuel economy alone however, I still love the overall design and choices. C is my vote, I've heard people say that the Prius C has bones that date back to gen 1 Prius. Needless to say there's plenty of reliability data around.

Also, this is probably the one Prius I have actually heard non Prius people call cute.

 

And I have the one many Prius people call ugly.

 

So? You have a 15, you can turn TC off. TC is super sensitive to the littlest of slips. Do you have winter tires?
My previous car, a 4x4, had all seasons and was bad in snow.

 

I thought I wanted a Prius C. I went to the dealer and drove one. I took it out on the interstate and even on fairly flat terrain it felt gutless when merging. I was underwhelmed and the salesman talked me into driving a regular Prius liftback so I would have a point of comparison. I ended up buying the liftback. Much, much more powerful and comfortable on the interstate.

I wouldn't say you can't take a roadtrip in a C, but it seems far from ideal.

 

The Gen 4 Prius accelerates much faster. My son had a 2015 Prius v. He says my 2017 Liftback in Eco mode is like his Prius in Pwr mode. Same engine. The Prius c has a smaller engine.

 

I don't know what your sense of "gutless" is like, but I will note that the Prius C is a bit secretive with its capabilities. The "Eco Display" on the Multi Information Screen includes a graphic that shows you the throttle position. If you push the throttle pedal down to the point where the graphic shows you at the very top of the "Power" range, you don't get a whole lot of acceleration. But the C is just a little shy - you can keep pushing the pedal well beyond that point. If you push the pedal to the floor the C will leap forward with a lot more acceleration. The engine will rev right up and make lots of noise, but the car moves smartly. I've never had any problem merging with the pedal to the metal.

 

The same thing happens with the Liftback in Eco mode. Some people have said the Gen 4 Eco mode feels like the Gen 3 PWR mode, though.

 

IMHO, after driving the C for a a while I've found I like the size. I test drove a couple of liftbacks, and they were roomier and quieter, but road noise hasn't been an issue for me. Just means the radio goes up a little, and/or I close the window.

I like being able to take a small parallel parking spot, turn on a dime, and washing it at the wand wash hardly takes any time at all!

It's not going to win any races, but like I say to the few people who've said that Prii are slow or gutless, I may not pass you...but I'll pass more gas stations than you will!

 

But the liftback gets better mileage, too. I might be okay with having less power, if it at least meant higher gas mileage. But it doesn't. Presumably this is because the prius c has more aerodynamic drag, which Toyota could conceivably correct in a future generation.

 

The new Gen 4 gets better mileage. The current Prius c is based on the Gen 3 HSD and it gets better mileage than the Gen 3 liftback. I believe.

 

Better than what.......and under what conditions ??
If you like to drive over the speed limit on the freeways, then then the C is NOT the car for you.

 

2017 Prius c is rated at 46 mpg combined
2017 Prius 2 is rated at 52 mpg combined
2017 Prius 2 Eco is rated at 54 mpg combined.

The current Prius liftback has better fuel economy than the current Prius c but the liftback is a newer generation HSD..

 

The EPA ratings numbers can not be used to claim "better fuel economy" because driving conditions have a BIG impact.
If kept below 50 MPH or so, my C does the lower 60's.
Not all the time mind you but often.