Prius C - some questions/reservations before buying.

First off... you are considering a great car. So welcome.

1) What year car are you coming from? This car is quick. Will it outrun a corvette? Absolutely not... but then I doubt your accord would either. This car is faster than my 2001 Saturn that had 124 hp (according to the sticker anyhow A little modifications later and it had a little more.) It just doesn't feel fast because of the CVT. You will most likely outpull your accord in the 0-30, but then the electric assist is done and you are relying on the ICE more.

2) When the temperature was around 20-30 here in Georgia, my average was ~47mpgs. But then, I would be willing to bet your old accord suffer mpg drops when it got cold out too.

3) This is probably the only weakness that you will experience. It can pass a car at 55+, but it's true torque and acceleration happens below 40. You will have to give her all she's got, Captain... and she will be screaming the entire way... but on the brightside, coming down from that slope will give you over 100+ mpgs.

4) 6 miles should be ok as long as it isn't uphill at the end of your trip.

If you are concerned enough, you could ask the dealer to let you do an extended test drive and drive your route to work. I can guarantee you will get better than 20, though.

 

I just purchased my C a few short weeks ago. It's a fantastic car for my needs. Considering your needs, maybe you should actually test drive the route (like ztanos proposed). I must admit though, the car feels considerably sluggish at speeds past 35mph. Also, uphill runs don't really make the C look like Usain bolt... or even his twin suffering from a flu.

Anyways, you get the point. The C's forte is mpg, not acceleration. On the plus side, the C has taught me to be a patient driver (and probably a safer driver). Do you truly NEED to pass that truck in a given instance? I was once a reckless teen driver that did things that would anger just about every other driver. Now, I'm a saint on wheels

PS. No I don't drive like an old lady btw...

 

Depending on you car, but most likely yes.

Same as any other cars.

Yes, but not effortlessly.

6 miles is fairly long, shouldn't be any problems.

I suspect a regular Prius is probably better for you since it's less of a drop.

 

The c can get up and go if you make it. The Atkinson cycle engine is slower at giving you vrooms but much more efficient, so paired with the electric motor's instant power, it's a perfect match. Due to the electric motor, it can accelerate from 0-30 faster than many cars. Highway speeds take a bit more work, but if you push the pedal to the floor and make it do work, it will. The only trouble I've had was accelerating uphill at highway speeds or up a steep hill from a stop, but that was because I didn't push the pedal to the floor. This one is best judged by you on a test drive - remember to put the pedal on the floor to test highway passing.

The batteries are less efficient in cold temperatures, and the engine will take longer to warm up. Every car will do worse in the cold - these two things are the main differences between hybrids and other vehicles in terms of cold weather performance.

I've never tried passing uphill at 55+, but from my experiences so far, I'd say Species5618w's answer of "Yes, but not effortlessly." seems accurate. Again, pedal to the floor, test it out yourself.

You'll be fine at 6 miles. My daily commute is 7 miles each way and in warm weather I get ~62mpg there and ~70mpg back. If you can glide with the engine off for at least some of that (ideally, downhill at 42mph or less), you'll quickly regain what you lost from warm-up.

At worst, my prediction is 38 mpg, in cold, snowy weather and maybe passing a semi once. Check peoples' fuelly pages for winter mpg and % highway (ideally those who live in cold places): Toyota Prius MPG Reports | Fuelly c

In northeast Ohio winters, I got around 46 mpg, 80% highway: Prius C (Toyota Prius C) | Fuelly

The electric still assists above 30, it's just less and less effective the faster you go. Driving uphill for a bit will drain the battery some, then once the battery's drained it really struggles because you're only relying on the ICE.

 

I meant in a purely full throttle acceleration situation.

 

Patience. Yes - definitely one of the benefits of the Prius C among fuel economy. When I see a red light, stop sign or cars bunched up in traffic in the distance, I take my foot off the pedal and cruise (versus flooring it to a stop). Great stress buster.

 

I can't answer the cold/mountain questions since I live in Florida (traveling up to NJ next week, we will see!), but:

I went from a Scion tC (160hp) to a Prius C and I've been fine. It still moves like I need it to, I can get on/off highways and pass people. I even passed someone on a two lane highway without getting hit by oncoming traffic yay!

Braking was the worst for me at first, took a bit to get used to. I did get used to everything pretty fast, to the point where I went to pull my wife's Yaris into the garage and almost went flying when I hit the gas pedal!

Short trips.. depends on hills like others said. I know when I'm doing short trips around down I'm usually at 50-60mpg.

 

You must ride around with Eco mode on, eh?

 

I do... And boy does a corolla feel like a super car lol. For a "normal" driving style with a decently hilly terrain (SF bay area), is it better to be in eco or normal mode for mpg?

Galaxy Nexus ? 2

 

The accord weighs about 3000 lbs, while the Prius c weighs about 2600 lbs. Both vehicles should accelerate about the same.

Awesome, we have like 1-month summers here anyway and I'm not worried about fuel economy...fuel economy goes down for most cars in the sub-zero temps. it's just that if it gets real cold the engine stays on regardless. Big whoop.

Yes, but slowly... you could draft a semi and get better fuel economy.

Use the hills to your advantage! Six miles really isn't that short. My commute is like 1 mile each way. You'll appreciate the lights a little more when you sit there and not waste gas.

Just FYI: I used to live in NJ and what I considered cold back then, is nothing compared to typical winters here...on many winters you can ski/snowshoe in your back yard (or even to work if you live close) for much of the winter! Ha ha

 

Ive never driven a prius c but if I may make a suggestion...since you are thinking about getting a very fuel efficient vehicle, why not start thinking about driving as efficiently as possible? Instead of passing that semi, draft behind him on the uphill while locking your foot to maintain power rather than speed. Changing a few habits can pay serious dividends. Also have you considered a prius plug in or even another ev? Might work out well with your short commute.

 

That's really just something that you will learn as you drive the car more. I've found on my ride to work ECO is better, but on the way home, not so much.

 

I can't answer the cold climate questions as it doesn't snow much here usually but can give my impressions on the others.

The Prius C has no problem accelerating, but one of the few things I dislike about the car is it makes me feel guilty when I have to accelerate quickly because the monitor shows it is in power mode(hence using more gas)...lol. I am kind of joking about that but it kind of does make me feel guilty as it lowers my mpg shown on the display. I have found that for long hills if you aren't going at a pretty good speed before you start up them, it is kind of hard to pick up speed and you'll have your foot full on the gas pedal til you get to the top.

As far as the commute to work, mine is actually less miles that yours. I have a small hill and 4 stoplights. If I don't have road ragers behind me, I can get like 54 mpg on the way to work. Otherwise, it shows like 45 mpg. If you drive a super small distance like less than half a mile, sometimes it will show terrible mpg but then you haven't driven far at all, so it doesn't really matter. Like this morning I drove across a highway and it said 8 mpg..lol. I mainly got the car to save on gas on our out of town weekend trips.

I used to own a Pontiac Sunfire, and the way this car feels when you drive it at first is so much smoother and totally different. The brake definitely takes getting used to as it is much more sensitive than my old car, and it seems weird not feeling the gears shifting as you speed up. Love my car now that I've gotten used to it. Filled up my first tank and got 50 mpg average with a few highway trips and trips to work.

 

It's not a bad guilty, but yeah, once you get used to how awesome your MPGs can be, you start to feel a little guilty about things like over accelerating or running the ACC on too low of a temperature setting.

I had a CVT transmission before, so I'm used to the subtle gear shifting (ratio changing really?). My last two vehicles were 170 and 236 horsepower (1000 pounds heavier as well) and I don't really miss them, the C always comes through with enough power, if you're willing to ask for it. The only real concern I have over my last vehicle is the lower clearance and not having AWD...it might be a little rough to drive in harsh winter conditions.

 

The OP doesn't seem to have come back since the day they registered so I'm not sure if they're still around, but I was just going to add my view that the c is not a master hill climber. I switched from a 2003 Corolla manual hatch with a 134 hp engine and hill climbing is where the two cars differ the most and I really feel the difference in power.

It's important to note that the HSD is a very different drivetrain, so torque and power are delivered quite differently. For much of the time - especially in the city - the car feels light and peppy and I feel is more responsive than my old car. Driving on a freeway is also fine with the atkinson cycle engine happily keeping you moving and the electric motor giving you a boost if you go to overtake. However put it on any serious hill climb and the c's relative lack of power will be obvious.

If you are going up what I would call a serious hill, then personally I would not say the c will be overtaking cars at 55 mph. You can't technically overrev this car so if you want to put your foot to the floor, who knows... but the car will be screaming. The semis, however, will not be doing 55.

On the steepest pass we have around here - which is a 60 km/h (37 mph) zone, though has numerous bends with much lower suggested speeds - I overtake trucks and vehicles pulling trailers. Absolutely everything else overtakes me. You just have to be accept it and let them go.

The gradients on this climb generally average 10%, with a section of 13.3% grade.

 

Has anyone driven the C in snow? I had it through the winter here in PA but never drove it whenever it snowed. Not sure how it would handle in snow. I wouldn't think it would be to good and would get stuck. Saying that I absolutely love the car and drive it in any other situation.

 

I haven't driven this car in snow or ice... but it is usually the ones that surprise you the most that drive the best in the snow. The car that wins in the snow for me is a Volkswagon Beetle. Best handling car I've ever driven in the snow.

 

Yes, the Prius is slower than most cars; I drive often in the mountains of western NC and I face the same conditions that concern you. I've done it in a 62 VW and I know the thrill of lumbering behind a behemoth RV.
On most short backroads you will not pass a semi or RV. O longer and more open roads like 321 you can but its not a Camaro SL so care is required especially since the Prius has a CVT automatic. The 175/65 size tires are good size for winter if they are winter specic but 195/55x15's are better for summer to improve acceleration and cornering. Choose the tires carefulkly by TireRack data.
And yes, the Priusy will get less mpg in winter but thats true for all of my cars, especially in snow. Still, 38 mpg beats the heck out of 18 mpg.
cheers and enjoy your Prissy. If you want better handling I can recommend cheap stuff that really proves on a racecourse. Stopwatches never lie.

 

Welcome to PriusChat!

I certainly haven't - but we've had a number of threads on it that you may wish to read. This was probably the biggest:

The C - A Gutless Snow Machine | PriusChat