Narrowed it down to Prius C, Accent, or Focus - Help me choose!

I haven't read your post in detail, but looking at mileage figures, 30 or 31 mpg combined is not "slightly worse mpg" than 50 mpg. See Compare Side-by-Side. 50 mpg is over 60% better than 30 mpg.

I would NOT buy a Focus due to its poor reliability rating in Consumer Reports. Both sedan and hatchback were rated much worse than average. Sedan had predicted reliability of 62% below average while hatchback was 169% below average.

The Prius c was the most reliable vehicle out of all vehicles in CR per Consumer Reports says Prius C most reliable 2012 vehicle (I checked and it's 92% above average).

Hyundai Accent was rated average in reliability. They consider 3% below average to be close enough to average.

 

Have a look at TrueDelta's web site. Keep in mind what you are most likely to use the vehicle for. I also firmly believe that an informed decision at the time is the best you can do given that most of us doesn't know what the future holds.
Toyota Prius c Pros and Cons: Michael's Review
Ford Focus Pros and Cons: Michael's Review
2010 Accent 2010 Hyundai Accent Reviews: Pros and Cons

 

Keep in mind that cost of ownership goes beyond just fueling costs and the upfront cost. Take a look at these. I'm not 100% sure I picked the right trims though. I leave it to you to find the right ones if I picked wrong.

2012 Hyundai Accent GS 4Dr Hatchback Automatic | New Hyundai Accent GS 4Dr Hatchback (Auto) 2012 Research at IntelliChoice.com
2012 Ford Focus SE 4Dr Sedan | New Ford Focus SE 4Dr Sedan 2012 Research at IntelliChoice.com
2012 Toyota Prius c Two 4Dr Hatchback | New Toyota Prius c Two 4Dr Hatchback 2012 Research at IntelliChoice.com
2013 Hyundai Accent GS 4Dr Hatchback Automatic | New Hyundai Accent GS 4Dr Hatchback (Auto) 2013 Research at IntelliChoice.com

For me, I'd totally rule out the Focus. I avoid cars w/worse than average reliability. Much worse than average is very bad.

 

Farfle, the truth is that the lower cost of the lesser-priced Accent and Focus are illusions, as the links cwerdna supplied showed. The Prius C has a $5K+ lower cost of ownership than the Focus over the first five years, and a $3,700 lower cost of ownership than the Accent. In the end, you spend the same amount of money (less, actually) over that period of time if you buy a C rather than one of the other two, given the smaller price differences in quotes you got. You also put less pollution into the air and contribute to lower gas prices.

But the truth is also that, to enjoy driving this car, you have to be mpg-minded to begin with. Though it is more than enough for me, this car is not a well-rounded, ultra-comfy plush-wagon. This car, when it comes down to it, does one thing- it gets incredible mpg getting you from here to there, especially if you drive it to get that mpg. And, over five years, you need to be driving something you like driving, not try to force yourself into something that you don't connect with. The C is the most economical of the three cars you're looking at, but it's not enough to keep you from buying what you feel the best about.

 

Smart key system rocks! (See

and

) I have SKS on my 06 and love it.

As for "navigation is near worthless with every smartphone offering that nowadays". When I had an Android phone, (alongside my iPhone at the time) when Google Navigation was in its early stages, guess how many times I used it compared to Garmin PNDs (for former my car w/o nav) or my Prius' nav system? 0 I tested it out maybe once or twice.

Now that I finally have turn-by-turn directions w/voice prompts on my iPhone 5, how many times have I used it over my Prius' nav? Almost none. This is despite my using the original map DVD that was completed sometime in 05. I had the Mapquest iPhone app that gave turn by turn directions w/voice prompts for awhile and I never used it either except to test it once.

There's something to be said about having a larger screen in a decent position and it being always available. No need to worry about mounting your phone, looking to a bad position, running down its battery, integration w/the stereo, etc.

If I have to go somewhere in a car w/o nav, what do I prefer? My Garmin PNDs w/friction mount (looks like Garmin Portable Auto Friction Mount for Select Garmin GPS Receivers 010-10908-00 - Best Buy).

How about a dealer trade for a model Two, if you really don't want to pay extra?

 

I feel weirdly hesitant to really push you towards the c. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my c and I knew from the get go it was the car for me. But that's the exact reason I would feel bad trying to dissuade you from the accent. I'll leave it to more knowledgeable people to provide more empirical reasons for going one way or another, but for me, what has made my vehicle so enjoyable is the confidence in knowing I got the vehicle that appealed most to me

That said, if you have settled on the c, I can say the highway acceleration was my only concern when considering it as well. But in practice I've never felt unsafe in attempting to merge, you just don't feel particularly badass is all

more realistically, the c "trains" you to have different goals anyway. You end up less worried about not having enough power, and more worried about how it'll affect your mpg! "If only I could coast everywhere!"

 

The following may be too late to inform your decision, but anyway:

Assuming $4/gal, 12000mi/yr, and based on the EPA ratings, the C will save you $540/yr vs the Focus, or $450/yr vs the Accent. This is enough to pay for the price disparity in five years. But a five year old car with great fuel economy has a much higher residual value than a five year old car with good fuel economy. I'll bet the C has the lowest total cost of ownership than the others.

As for which C to get, I'd say you should make a list of acceptable colors (my "list" was only Classic Silver), and tell the dealer you'll wait for a C2 in the color you want. Dealers squirm when you say you'll wait!

 

That's great, Farfle! This car will not disappoint for efficiency- like I've said elsewhere, I've had a hard time finding something that gives better fuel economy, in my situation, as an "upgrade," even for thousands of dollars more. Just make sure you're prepared to be dreaming about maximizing your mpg for awhile! If that's you, and you study up here on how to get the most out of the car, you're going to be very happy with it.

 

I narrowed down my choice of cars to the same three candidates. Ruled out the Accent since the local dealer had none ins stock and no idea when he would receive another in my stripped down configuration. Now the Ford Focus, the dealer had one on the lot that matched my requirements but when I went to test drive the car it would not start. I noticed that with the key off the gas guage needles were flipping up and down, this may explain the dead battery.

So now I drive a Prius C model 2 and I am happy as a clam.

 

I have to admit I've gotten lazy with the smart key. I reprogrammed it to unlock all doors when I touch the drivers side door so it is easy access for me and a passenger. I think the funniest thing is having to find my keys when I am pulling up into my drive. I need my keys to get access to the small remote I have for the gate. I always seem to forget that until I am in front of it.

I love having packages in my hand and just opening the hatch. I love just grabing the door handle and opening the door.

The Navigation I was somewhat disapointed with until I took the time to actually learn it a bit. Once I got the learning curve out of the way it is functional and will get you where you are going with no muss, no fuss function. I do like the ability of etunes. Having all of the functions on a larger screen then my Iphone is a plus when you are driving.

The only compliant I have with the nav is that the screen goes to dark when the lights are on for rain. Nothing turning a wheel can't fix, but kinda a pain having to do it. Then again, if that is my biggest complaint, I think it was worth the money for a 3.

 

The Hybrid Premium.... Without looking at your car-car comparisions, the extra cost of the Prius to comparably sized autos is the price you need to consider if you want to get into a higher mileage automobile. In 2005, I selected a cheaper Toyota Matrix(18k) over comparibly sized Toyota Prius Gen II(23-24k) due to the cheaper costs. The name of the game back then with a Hybrid purchase was that you would need about five years to 'break even' with this added premium . Looking back now and considering the rising costs of gas year/year, YES, I should of purchased the Prius instead. The Matrix was a fine car and its mileage @30MPG, but gas back then was only peaking at $3/gallon. The Gen III and Prius C's these days are getting even better mileage than the Gen II's I had previously considered. Plus their sharper looking. Please also consider we are only a natural disaster or middle east war away from cracking the $4/gallon one of these days.

 

You said you prefer stick. Not having stick isn't something I think about anymore. I came from a stick, prefer stick, but don't drive one. There is enough readouts and gadgetry to keep you busy enough. I find myself unexpectedly not missing it at all. I just keep my eye on the eco score and aim for A's.

 

A minor point on the Focus. I believe that most of the unreliability of the current Focus is down to the new technology of its automatic gearbox, and a manual version should be free of those problems. That wouldn't make a Focus the obvious winner of the three car comparison, just not the obvious loser.

 

Unfortunately, CR doesn't break it about by manual or "automatic". But "transmission minor" got a horrible rating and is likely the automatic. Audio system also got a horrible rating but it wouldn't surprise me if that's due to MyFord Touch. Squeaks and rattles and body hardware weren't terrible but are a bit below what I'd expect a new car to have.

 

I looked at about the same cars. Here is how to decide:
If you intend to keep the car for a long time, say 5 to 8 years and if you do a lot of driving (like 24,000 miles per year) then the Prius-C is a hands down no-brainer win. It will use a LOT less gas, over $2,000 per year less (assuming gas stays at current prices for 8 years) Also the Prius C will require a LOT less maintenance and likely last well over 250,000 miles. You will save $16,000 in gas over the 8 year life of the car.

But if most of your dringing is very short trips, like 2 miles and you only put 6,000 miles on the car per year and you like to always have a newer car then the Prius is NOT cost effective. Kind of a waste of money really.

But likely you fall between these to extremes. So it is not so simple. Still, figure out how long you will keep the car, how many miles you will drive in those years and the cost of the gas for those miles. Add the fuel cost o the purchase price OF THE BASE TRIM LEVEL model car (the C1) now add in the expected maintenance cost. Now subtract the re-sale or trade in price of the car. This is the TOTAL cost to own the car.

If you do the above the Prius starts to look good if you drive many miles and keep it for a long time. Thier resale price is very good. Also the MPG is better then the estimate for the Prius C but use only 50 to be conservative.

Use the BASE trim level for comparison. Anything above that is NEVER cost justified and is simply a toy. Leather seats are not going to help your MPG or really even the resale value very much but are a "toy" you buy just because you like them. Same for GPS.

Bottom line, cheap gas engine cars like the Fiesta are the best deal in some cases and the Prius C will be the best deal inother cases.

Or,... Forget all the above and buy the one you like best. Buy a Hummer if you like it. I actually like the Prius. I'm an engineer by training and think the technology is cool.