From a BMW to a Prius?

I took delivery of my C Three with alloy wheels and moonroof just five days ago, and my 1996 BMW 318ti with 105,000 miles on it is sitting in my driveway waiting for a new owner.

For anyone not familiar with the ti, it was BMW's bottom of the line 3-series car, a four-seater hatchback introduced in 1995 in the USA. The Active model, which I have, has a 1.9 litre engine, 5-speed manual transmission, alloy wheels, sunroof, and trip computer. In size and weight it's very similar to the Prius C, but with more horsepower.

Because it was the best (perhaps the only) sporty car with a hatch then available, I bought my 318ti used in 1999 with 19,000 miles on it. It replaced another iconic car, the 1985 Honda Civic si hatchback, a fuel-injected two-seater rocket which still has many fans.

BMW America hated the 318ti and did everything they could to kill it off; they soon succeeded, and 1999 was the last year it was sold here. It's since become an enthusiast's car with all sorts of mods available, including a turbo, and I've enjoyed driving it for the last thirteen years. But, like Mr Liquid, I'm concerned about ever-increasing repair costs, and I'm at the point in my life where I don't want to work on cars myself any more.

Last year, when I first considered replacing the BMW, I rented a Prius liftback when I was in Silicon Valley for a week. I liked the way it drove, and gave it a good run on highways, local streets, and over the hills to the coast, with excellent overall mileage, but I didn't like the poor rear visibility and found the car a bit lacking in character.

I also gave the Prius V a test drive early this year but decided it was too big for my needs, and I knew the C was coming out soon. I had a short test drive of the C as soon as it was launched back in March, and a much longer one a few weeks later, and made the decision to buy. It was then just a matter of waiting for the right trim, color, and options to show up at a local dealer, and it all came together a couple of weeks ago.

As I mentioned, I've had the Three only a few days and have put just a couple of hundred miles on it, a mix of highway and local driving in Long Island's traffic. So far I'm very pleased with it, and am looking forward to taking a couple of road trips in the next few weeks.

For me, while it's a completely different driving experience, I feel as comfortable in the C as in the BMW. The interior space is almost identical - width, height, seat pitch, etc. - and the cargo space is just about the same. But I now have the benefit of sixteen years of advances in automobile technology, and the knowledge that I'm likely to need very little maintenance for the next few years, and probably a trouble-free ride for much longer than that based on others' experiences with earlier models of the Prius.

Put me down as a happy switcher, but do try to get an extended test drive before you make a decision. Thanks to a friendly dealer here, I was able to take the car out by myself for about an hour, and gave it a good workout in a mix of driving conditions.

 

I'll be interested to read your comments!

 

When I bought my 09 I had a Passat Wagon and my wife had a 528iT. Both were very nice German wagons that drove very well and had terrific interiors. On the plus side, the mileage in the Prius is far better and the car has been completely trouble free - something that neither the VW or BMW were. On the down side the car was way less refined all around. If you are OK with that then go for it. If not then you might want to take a look at 2 Lexus products - the HS sold very slowly and was killed off - they might have a few on the lots still so you might be able to swing a good deal. You could also look at the CT.

 

Or the Lexus GS 460h. rowr.

 

Be sure to test drive it thoroughly! Rent one if you can.

 

they are quite different class vehicle. lol

if you want to keep the same feeling, check out the CT or GS lexus hybrid.

CT - 43/40 MPG
GS - 29/34 MPG

if you are looking for gas-saver ,prius C is the best for now. lol

 

The forward/back seat travel is the same at all trim levels. When fully back in my C3, the side of seat near the top is exactly even with the rear edge of the door opening, which is about the way you would want it. As for seat height, the 3 has a manual control on the left side of the seat. I thought all the levels had the same, but could be wrong. All trims do have a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, so if you were unable to find a position that allowed you to get in without your legs rubbing the wheel bottom, you may be out of luck. You'll have to find a 3 to be sure, and hopefully a dealer who won't lie about his inventory as well

 

Wait for the Avalon hybrid. That is what I am doing. Also, did you look athe Camry hybrid as a comparison? About the same mileage as a V.

 

Well I had a 535i as a daily driver and I switched over to the C. The 535i is now for sale. For me going to the C was all about saving gas on my long daily drives. It definitely does not have the comfort of my BMW but it does have everything I need to keep me busy while driving to work. If you are ready to take some hit on the luxury side and drive dynamics for the benefit of outstanding MPG, then C is the car for you. In one word C is an outstanding machine, but it is not the ultimate driving machine . Good luck

 

check your email...

 

Prius Plug-in is the best. For now.

 

I drove a 2007 BMW 328 coupe for three years with a six speed. I'm sorry to say there is no comparison. The power and handling of the BMW is will be difficult to give up unless you are seriously tired of paying for the gas which depends on how much you drive.

Did you do any cost savings calculations? I'd bet the bimmer is costing around 23 cents per mile while the Prius will run 7 to 8 cents for fuel alone. That's roughly a third less per month on gas. As far as maintenance goes on the BMW that car should easily give you 150,000 miles.

The car is worth every penny of 15k, as the new BMW coupes when the come out later this year will run high 30's to low 40's after adding basic options like bluethooth and nav.

I will say the Prius c is still fun to drive but in a different way if you can appreciate the technology and simplicity/value.

 

My 1996 BMW 328i lasted and lasted and lasted. Finding a reasonably-priced mechanic is hard. Part costs are obscene. Try PelicanParts.com for good pricing and repair advice. On my car, the main problem was the cooling system. I gave it to a co-worker at 160,000, he put about $3,000 and drives it every day.

 

Actually, it's 2/3s less spent on gas per month. You would be spending 1/3 and saving 2/3s.

 

Thank you, you are correct. 2/3rds savings on fuel. Got to watch those 2:00AM posts...

 

How are you doing with your gas mileage? I was at a funeral over a week ago and a friend's daughter had just gotten a Prius C2. She said that she was getting about 56.5 mpg on her daily 80 mile commute on the LIE. After talking to her a little while, I realized that she didn't know much about the car, so we went for a drive in my car (hers was blocked in). I showed her a few things about how to even better gas mileage. She said it was like going to school, but in a good way! I'm anxious to hear how she has been doing with her mileage since the driving lesson.

It's too bad I didn't get a chance to drive her car and see what it was like!