April issue. "Which is the better car? I'd say the C-Max hands down." Yet, when the reviewer suggested the C-Max to a friend, the friend choose a v. What was surprising to me was the lack of emphasis on "trunk" room within the car (15 cubic feet difference with rear seat down, 10 to 16 cubic feet difference with seats up (depending on position of Prius rear seats)) considering that you buy a mini-station-wagon for hauling things. 30%-60% difference should matter more. 37.3MPG as tested for the C-Max, 39.4 for the Prius v. Reviews of Subi Forester and RAV-4 in the same issue.
I can't believe the C-Max disappointed so much with the mileage. If not, I might have purchased it instead of the V.
They have no business comparing the two. The C-Max should be compared to the regular Prius because of size - which would make the mpg comparison a no-brainer. Too bad because I tested the C-Max and it rides nice and quiet even at high speeds. A little loud on heavy accelleration.
We were trading in our 2010 Prius this month for a new car. We're definitely on board with the Prius philosophy and loved our Gen.3, but when we're making a major purchase we always shop around. We widened our horizons, looking at Volkswagens, Subarus, Chevy Volts and the Ford C-max and Fusion. Even at the Toyota dealership we also looked at the Camry hybrid. In the end the Prius v (V?) was the hands down all around best choice for us. We knew and trusted the synergy drive system and the interior space was all very useable. No one really makes bad cars anymore and all we tested were well built and engineered. Some were very good on mileage, some were much more sporty, some were very roomy and some had all wheel drive. The only one that brought it all together was the Prius v. It's the total package with very few compromises. The lack of all wheel drive was the only thing that came close to being a deal killer.
Of course, as soon as you go to AWD, you introduce complexity that adds weight, gives additional potential failure points and costs you MPG. I thought the noise comments were fair. But could I have gone to COSTCO yesterday with 5 styrofoam coolers and brought back huge packages of toilet paper, kleenex, etc? Could I have taken the 6' Xmas tree to the dump? Those are the things I buy the wagon for and for which I was willing to forgo the higher mileage of the fastback. And space should be a major consideration in a review of station wagons even in an enthusiast publication. After all, their Car of The Year award is given to the car that best fulfills what it is trying to do for the customer which, to me, implies that they know how to judge the purpose of a specific car design.
Yeah Mike , I do understand the complexities of All Wheel Drive. I'm not at all sure it could even be integrated into the current Synergy drive system. But the market for AWD and third row seating is a huge market. For Toyota to take the next step with the Prius line these two options should be looked at. I understand fuel mileage will go down with a larger more complex model, but the current competition with third row and AWD are probably only in the 20 to 28 mpg range. A Prius model with these options that could make a consistent 35mpg would be a huge seller. I'm excited with how the Prius line is expanding and becoming much more mainstream. I hope they continue the development.
I wish these car magazines would stop comparing two vehicles with the one thing they have in common, which is that they are both hybrids. In the article Jonny Lieberman wrote for Motor Trend magazine, he said and I quote, "Toyota sacrificed everything on the alter of efficiency, the big V isn't a pleasant place to be." The next time he takes the C-Max out for a drive, I want him to include my wife, daughter, two golden retrievers along with four bags of groceries, and see if he still feels the same way about his driving experience. Sometimes one must sacrifice form over function, but in my case I don't believe I had to sacrifice either.
It looks like Toyota has figured out the 4WD...it will be available on Gen IV cars. They will use a separate battery to drive the rear wheels.
The Prius family already has a 7 seater 3 roll seat----Prius +. I think Toyota has got to a uncontested position for the Hybrid market in North America that it would be pointless to compete against itself --- Top selling Sienna. The Prius family has already done some serious damage to the Yaris, Corolla, and Venza lines. Toyota Prius Plus (Gallery Photo #11)
They didn't have to figure it out. They are just using the eAWD system in the Highlander/Lexus. I have been waiting for Toyota to realize the enhanced marketability of an AWD Prius for several years. Just another year and a half to go. JeffD
I read it. He did emphasize Prius v's much greater cargo room, at least with seats up and slid full forward and back. He said C-Max cargo room at ~ 25 cu ft. was closer to liftback's 21.5 cu ft. The reviewer really didn't like the loud cabin noise while cruising highway at 75 MPG, nor did he like the interior of v much. He thought the C-Max was much quieter while cruising highway, of course had more power and he liked the interior a lot more.
He said that because it was his opinion that at 75 MPH cruising the highway, the interior noise to him was too loud. He surmised Toyota skimped on insulation materials to keep noise out. I don't recall the reviewer complaining about power. He even said it drove much better than the liftback prius given the v's 'anti - pitch' technology. He even said v wasn't bad to sling around a backroad, at least for a Prius.
They already have and have had All Wheel Drive for years in Highlander hybrid. Prius v is not nearly big enough to seriously accomodate 3rd row seating (maybe with very small people).
I gather the vagon in Europe has 3 row seating. AWD in a vehicle with low clearance seems silly to me. As for traction, that is best dealt with by appropriate tyres. All in all, I am not in favor of the Prius gaining AWD, and I do not think it would compete well with conventional 'real' snow vehicles. A half-assed implementation of AWD for marketing that does not kill fuel economy might be a good idea. Re: the competition, I was at the Subaru dealership this morning to drop off our 1996 Impreza sport for winter tyres. The current model on sale has a combined fuel economy of 30 MPG.
My point was the "hands down" was a questionable call. Yes the v has some weak points. But what it does do, it does so much better than the C-max. 10% better fuel mileage and 30-60% more trunk space are things that matter greatly in a van or wagon. I don't expect wagons to be car like, none of mine have been back to a Type-4 VW from the 70s, and he is imposing criteria appropriate for a car and not weighing wagon criteria enough IMHO. What the v doesn't do better is noise insulation, ok. Power, ok. I even like the C-max exterior styling better. The C-max is made in the Wayne, Michigan Ford plant. All items I value. But not enough to sacrifice gobs of space. And the leaf way of displaying the efficiency of your driving? For doing what I buy a small wagon to do, I made the same choice as his friend.
I agree with everything you just said except one...........I think the Prius v is better looking than the Cmax; I guess it's all in the eyes of the beholder.
