The Prius C actually seems quite spirited in performance tests. Very good. 2012 Toyota Prius C Track Test Edmunds tests hundreds of vehicles a year. Cars, trucks, SUVs, we run them all, and the numbers always tell a story. With that in mind we present "Track Tested," a quick rundown of all the data we collect at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy. As of this writing, our long-term 2012 Toyota Prius C is the most fuel-efficient car we've ever had in our long-term fleet. The small, 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine hooked to a pair of electric motors has pushed our Prius through the 40-mpg barrier and is currently returning an average of 44.9 mpg. But that's only part of the story. The new baby Prius was decontented to help offset the cost of the hybrid system. While that means some less-than-stellar materials and some serious wind/road noise, it also means the Prius C is the lightest car in the Prius family and when we hear lightness, we think performance. So along with being cheaper and more fuel-efficient — the 2012 Toyota Prius C returns 53 city/46 highway and 50 mpg combined while the Prius does 51/48 and 50 combined — is the C also the best-handling Prius (a low bar) available? We took it to the track to find out. Vehicle: Odometer: 1,330 Date: 7/24/2012 Driver: Chris Walton Price: $23,470 as tested Specifications: Drive Type: Front engine, front-wheel drive Transmission Type: CVT Engine Type: Naturally aspirated Atkinson-cycle inline four-cylinder with two electric motors Displacement (cc/cu-in): 1,497/91 Redline (rpm): Not indicated Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 73 @ 4,800 (99 @ 4,800 when combined with electric motors) Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 82 @ 4,000 Brake Type (front): 10-inch ventilated cast-iron discs with single-piston sliding calipers Brake Type (rear): 9-inch drums Suspension Type (front): Independent MacPherson struts, coil springs, twin-tube dampers, stabilizer bar Suspension Type (rear): Semi-independent twist-beam axle, coil springs, twin-tube dampers, integrated stabilizer bar Tire Size (front): P175/65R15 (84H) Tire Size (rear): P175/65R15 (84H) Tire Brand: Bridgestone Tire Model: Turanza EL400 02 Tire Type: Low rolling resistance, all-season As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 2,562 Test Results: Acceleration 0-30 (sec): 3.6 (Traction control is nondefeat, all numbers are TC on) 0-45 (sec): 6.5 0-60 (sec): 10.8 0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 10.4 0-75 (sec): 16.9 1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 17.8 @ 76.9 Braking 30-0 (ft): 32 60-0 (ft): 127 Handling Slalom (mph): 59.2 Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.72 Db @ Idle: 42.8 Db @ Full Throttle: 70.2 Db @ 70-mph Cruise: 64.8 RPM @ 70: 2,400 Comments: Acceleration: It mattered not if I selected "D" or "B." The Prius C is slow. There's just no way around this fact. I don't recall Prii being this loud; however, both engine and wind noise are pretty extreme. I was almost able to recapture the electricity spent on the quarter-mile on the coast-down following the run. Braking: Quite a large nosedive and some rear-end wiggle. Consistently firm pedal and stopping distances despite the light rear. Shortest distance was on 4th stop. Handling: Skid pad: Reasonably high threshold before ESC (nondefeatable) trims brakes/throttle. Steering also is more lifelike than I remember a Prius having — adequate build-up, less artificial spring-back. Good impressions, so-so results. Slalom: Surprisingly "pointy" and good in transitions — right up until nondefeat ESC dabs brakes. Still much sportier and capable than similar hybrids. As with skid pad, feels better than the numbers suggest.
The low weight and the proven HSD should be credited for it. Personally, I can't wait to see how the C-MAX and Fusion hybrid with 47 MPG EPA rating (and quite heavy) stack up in the long-term test.
Thanks for posting. I still can't get over these media talking heads blathering on about loud the wind and road noise. They actually used the term "extreme", yet measured a modest 64.8dB for 70 MPH cruising. This is a perfect example of throwing subjective phraseology into an objective measurement.
It's so much easier to nick pick a car when the so-called professional reviewers didn't pay for the car out of pocket (out of sight, out of mind?). Even with a price sheet in hand, I think car reviewers don't really use price as one of their primary considerations for a car like normal people would. With that in mind, it's so easy to pick an expensive car and praise the things that it got right. But given the price point, why wouldn't it be perfect, right? At the same time, why would an econo-box be blasted for being "cheap"? It should be right? Goes back to personal bias and the subjective-ness of these reviews.
Agree with your comments. Looking at the noise levels of luxury cars at the following link, the Prius C noise levels are certainly not bad at all. sniperslaststand: Quest for the quietest car
Insideline tested earlier this VW, but failed to comment about its noise level. Vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R Odometer: 3,816 Date: 4/24/2012 Driver: Mike Monticello Price: $34,760 (base price) Db @ Idle: 44.7 Db @ Full Throttle: 75.1 Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 62.8 IL Track Tested: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R
Ditto. I now think back to all the reviews I read that talked about "harsh" and "intrusive" noise and now I laugh and wonder what substances these people are on. Personally, I think this is the area where most reviews so obviously betray their bias against the hybrid concept.
Said it before, will say it again: 1) rides far better than the BMW I was driving, 2) have not noticed any objectionable wind noise, 3) handles just fine, 4) greatly enjoy the bluetooth connection. Did I mention the 55 mpg average overall? I think that if I drove the C exclusively in the city my Fuelly average would be the low 60's. This is a great little car!
The issue with "intrusive noise" is more likely due to the silence of the engine, and the general monotone sound it makes. The engine is very quiet around town and on the highway, it makes a hum...nothing especially memorable but certainly NOT objectionable. The reason why they didn't mention the noise levels with the VW was because the VW has a sporty sound and therefore, masks all other exterior noise sources. I drive an AMC Pacer everyday but went back to the Prius C. I found the car almost vault-like silent. The Pacer isn't noisy but it has a wonderful growling engine that masks all other noise sources whereas the little road and wind noise in the Prius is modestly audible. Here is my Pacer. It is actually pretty quiet too but the engine tone changes often so it distracts you from road or wind noise. AMC : Pacer 4.2 Fuel Injection No Rust Fuel Injection in AMC | eBay Motors
Love the comments about how slow this car is, and how those views seem to be repeated for every Prius model over and over. I drove a c and found it to be excellent in traffic. Had no problem merging or keeping up at any time on the road. If these "car tests" would actually take into account what a particular car is designed to do, it would make for far more informative reading. Prii excel at taking you the farthest distance on a gallon of gasoline. During my test drive in the c, with 2 other adults aboard, I was able to achieve and indicated 59 MPG that started out as an indicated 30 MPG when we left the lot. If someone needed brutal acceleration from a car, then they would probably shop something like a Porsche or perhaps a car with a big Hemi in it, hopefully staying away from a perfectly reasonable 50+ MPG car like a Prius. Brutal acceleration also produces brutally accelerated fuel usage. People buy a Prius for various reasons, but I bet that efficiency is right up there at the top of the list most of the time. My wife and I have owned 2 Prius Hatchbacks so far and have experienced no mechanical issues. The drivetrains in these two cars, a 2005 and its 2011 replacement, have been bullet proof. We found both of these cars comfortable with good sound systems. Two cross country Summer trips confirmed our new Prius'excellent road capabilities while still returning over 50 MPG. The c is on my radar as my next car. Couldn't imagine considering any other car, especially at a time when fuel costs look to remain high. I like "slow"... especially as in slow fuel consumption. Now if I could convince Toyota to come up with a super aero 2 door version of the c.
My wife (she is driving Camry) was asking me to switch our cars for quite a some time. So starting this Monday she is driving C and I am driving Camry. I use the same roads which I used with my C and guess what... Camry brings me to the same destinations for about the same time as my C. So the point been, it doesn't matter how powerful is your engine, with the city traffic, personally I use the same amount of time to get to my points of interest. A little bit off the topic, back to my car switch story. My wife never drove a hybrid before (so P&G and other techniques are out of the list), but after the first day her results are awesome. She is averaging 63 MPG. Her commute is about 20.5 miles one way and it is about 9 miles with 45 MPH limits and about 17-18 traffic lights and another 10 miles on the highway with 65 MPH limit and another mile and a half is 35 MPH with couple more traffic lights. And these results even more impressive, because on the way back she hits a highway in less than a mile from her parking lot so, her MPG at that time as you can guess is pretty low. And yes, forgot to mention, my wife don't drive the car w/o AC so it is pretty much set at 71 deg. all the time If it will go the same way as it goes now, I believe we will get a new hybrid member soon
Not to discourage you from getting another hybrid, but you can still get some great mpg from a Camry. My parents have one and after taking them to the airport in it. I then had to drop it back off at at their house and was able to get 51mpg
Wow, that's a great number. In the mean time I wanna see what I can make of the Camry, while I am driving it.
Well if your not already familiar with " drive with load" do a little research on it. You can't do it with a CVT or at lest I have not been able to. Being able to you DWL is, as fare as driving, miss about my old Honda fit.