mpg, price, looks, versatility, size, feel, my preference, etc... Also, last few years I would make a 600+ mile road trip (there and back) and on the highway there were Toyota Prius billboards somehow whispering to me and brainwashing me into wanting a prius...I didn't like the Prius style too much, but when I discovered the C, it was love. 1) Same/better MPG then a liftback 2) lower price tag 3) smaller (wife's in her first year of driving, so it makes her feel more at ease when parking it), but big enough for almost anything and everything I'll ever do with it 4) sportier(my pov) and cuter (wife's pov) at the same time 5) no huge spaceship cockpit console
I knew my next car would be a hybrid, I thought I might get the Camry. I did some research online and after doing a side by side comparison of all the hybrids on Edmonds.com I saw the C. Never heard if it before, I decided early I wouldn't get a Prius because they are ugly (no disrespect). I had only seen the lift backs. I test drove the C and fell in love. The MPG and price lead me to the test drive. The look and feel sealed the deal.
In order 1. No giant center console cramping up the front. 2. Better city MPG. 3. Cost. I considered either car, but with just one person in the car the C feels bigger up front because it's not as cramped. Items 2 and 3 were more bonuses, and a reason the C was on my radar to begin with.
I've needed to use my Ford Escape to haul large stuff at least a dozen times, since we got our Prius C2. (May 2012) So, I guess that justifies not dumping the Ford and getting another Prius. (Maybe a V?). Used the Ford again on Wednesday, since I wanted it to gas it up for the winter. I don't recall the last time we filled it up. Maybe in the spring? (of 2013). That reminds me, I've got to add some fuel preservative to that fresh fill-up, and check on the battery charger/tender. Nowadays, the battery can get too low to start. Still, I think it's good to have a small SUV, just in case of really bad ice and snow. Don't want some idiot smashing into our Prius!
3 reasons: Price Looks Hated the Gen 3 centre console and split rear window. I just wish that we had the color choices that they offer on the Liftback.
Have you noticed that, over time, cars that start out small get bigger? My first brand new car was a 1985 Honda Accord, about the size of a Gen II Prius now. Over the years, it's gotten way bigger. Think of the Gen I Prius, a tiny little car. The Gen II (I bought one in November 2004) was an intermediate and perfectly sized for me. The Gen III has gotten way bigger (and don't get me started on the Ford Fusion hybrid - what a monster!!). I do admit I wasn't too thrilled when I first saw the C at a Prius enthusiast meeting in 2012, it looked cheap to me. Then I actually tried one out for an extended test drive (my Gen II was in the shop for 90K service, so I left it there for the weekend and rented a C). My mind was changed after driving it (I think I had a 2). It was the right size and nimble enough for me, despite being a little under powered. I don't drive that much anymore, I'm usually the only person in the car and don't carry much in the back. I got a 4, so I have all the goodies, and in the end I paid about $9K less for it than I did for my Gen II. FYI, I did not get an extended warranty on the C as I had on the Gen II (I felt new electronics should have some coverage for the extended time I would keep the car - on my 2013, I felt Toyota had 8 years to refine the hybrid drive and didn't warrant the extra coverage cost). I got what works for me.
Yes! I have noticed for years, the small cars getting bigger - all of them! In 1975 my boyfriend bought a brand new 2-door civic, it was tiny!!! Now they're the size the accord used to be. I don't know why manufacturers did that, especially with the knowledge of volatile gas prices and the increasing shortage of oil. I guess when they produce a winner, they have to change it to keep it popular.
Prius c is more compact, gets better city fuel economy, has prettier color options, and has a nicer-looking gear shift (which I wish was laser-engraved), and is less expensive. Plus I had no need for a bigger car or more storage. If anything, I wish they made the car less tall so that it got higher fuel economy.
I went shopping for a city car for my wife right around the time the 'c' first came to our state and it was at the top of a very short list that included the Honda Fit, the iQ, and the liftback Prius. To be fair, we also took short looks at the Ford Focus and a couple of Hyundai models. We both liked the exterior, but we were so turned off by the cheap interior that we didn't even bother to take a test drive. Two years or so later I was at the Toyota dealership and sat in a 'c'. This time the interior seemed fine to me. Obviously not upscale, but more than adequate. I'm not sure what changed -- the car, me, or the weather. I post here only to say that if a prospective buyer has an older similar poor opinion of the 'c' I suggest a second look. It is a great car, despite the idiotic gear shift.
never even considered the liftback, the c had everything i was looking for. 53 mpg city* and $18,418 (0% apr) price were the deciding factors for me. *most of my 40 mile freeway commute is "city" driving.
Take a look at the colors for the Prius Aqua (what the c is called in Japan): New Prius Aqua on sale next week in Japan | PriusChat
Yeah already aware of the colors. Does it look like Habenero (orange) is no longer offered, and a rust color replaced it, or is it just a bad picture?
Habanero has always been tough to photograph - it looks different in every light. I suspect the one that appears orange is still habanero.
It's not even a photograph, it's just a computer rendering and they're even worse for getting it right. The Habenero colour has never appeared right in any rendering I've seen (and case in point - the Habenero on Toyota USA's website and the Sunrise on Toyota Australia's website are clearly different colours - but they're not, they're actually the exact same colour vehicles). EDIT: Actually on the Gallery page of the US site it's even possible to have two versions of the same image of Habenero on screen at the same time which aren't even properly colour matched.
This and the other thread on Prius c colors will drive future users of the search function crazy! The color name is spelled "Habanero".
Oops. I'm not a fan of chili so I don't know if it's merely that or if we don't actually get habanero chilies down here, but I'd never heard the word in my life until I started reading PriusChat. So apparently I'm hopeless at spelling it.