Ok, so I have a 08 prius with 67k miles. I'm thinking about buying a new one. I've done a fair amount of reading on the c. I know it cheaper. Did Toyota skimp on the quality of the build ( as compared to the regular "lift back" model? I haven't test driven it yet.. When I spoke with my salesman he told me the "c" stood for cheap, and to steer clear of it. He said if I was used to the standard Prius that the C would be a disappointment. He basically told me it's a stripped down lower quality Prius, best suited for college students, or people with limited funds. I find it hard to believe that Toyota would put out a poor quality Prius. I know this salesman made an ignorant statement. If anyone has gone from the Prius to the C, fell free to weigh in on this. I'd love to hear from you.
Let me tell you this car is not cheap. What a joke that salesman was. I wouldn't buy a car from him. This car is high quality inside and out. Yes it is a cheaper car so all the plastics are hard but they are very tight and don't rattle. Idk what that salesman was smoking. He clearly wanted you to buy the more expensive regular prius. It is a car made for a younger crowd which generally don't have the funds available for a high end car. I freaking hate salesmen.
I hear you, thanks for your input. I figured as much. I've never had a salesman talk a car down like this before . I actually like it and don't have anything bad to say about it.
I have never heard a salesman talk down a car either!!! They work on commission so it only makes sense to sell you the more expensive lift back. Best of luck to you! Your gut will lead you to the right choice.
I had an 08 Prius that I took to the dealer for some maintenance. In the interim, they let me test drive a Prius C for a few days. I didn't enjoy the ride very much. It felt scrunched in the driver seat. This makes sense as it is a smaller car. But I think I like the size of the Prius Gen III is much better. I will say that the mpg's for the Prius C were slightly better and I do like the body style. My overall impression about the Prius C is that it's a great car for a single person or a couple that mostly does city driving.
I agree with the others that the salesman was probably trying to sell you a more expensive car. However, with that being said, I do feel Toyota does cut some corners on the C to keep the price low, you get what you pay for in general. One area I noticed is the undercarriage of the C. It is not as well paneled as the liftback. Also, there is some pre-mature rusting on the exhaust mounts and nuts and bolts visible in the wheel wells. There is a discussion on this with pictures in the following thread: Exhaust Pipe Support | PriusChat
As a fellow tropical WNY Prius owner , when I was looking for a new Prius one of the factors that swayed me to the lift back was the 10 year / 150k HV battery warranty in NYS (the C HV battery warranty is 8 year /100K)
the 2015 c is supposedly newer styling, perhaps more features. is there any way to get a look at the 2015 c, anyone?
The salesperson is assisting him getting a higher commission. period. We've had both in here and examined them closely by the engineers in residence. There is no difference in quality so buy what you want. nd tell the salesmen the engineers here said "horsehockey". The 2015 isn't out yet but I suspect Mazda will be just as tight on quality and will have Toyota looking over their shoulders.
Perhaps the C's market is the younger crowd, but, at almost 69 years young I find the C quite adequate for all of my driving needs including longer trips such as a recently completed trek to Las Vegas and back to Michigan. Anyone who questions the build quality of the C is also not looking at the whole picture. The C has been noted as extremely reliable ( I consider reliability as the cornerstone of build quality) by several companies including CR who pans the vehicle. Their explanations are absurd. Your sales person is either ignorant or looking for a better commission, probably both. I love my C and I'm starting to think it loves me as it has been so damn reliable and it has a fantastic build!!!!!
Yeah, I have to agree with the rest. That salesperson was completely unprofessional and really does not know what he's talking about. I could have bought the lift back if I wanted, but I chose the C because it met all my needs for a daily driver and city car. Quite frankly, coming from Audis, BMWs and most recently a Mustang I'm happy that I came away with something that was cheap in price, and not quality. I really am excited about all the money that I'm NOT going to be spending owning this car. Spend some time in both cars and ask yourself what it is you're really wanting out of a car. You may, or may not find that the C will give that to you.
All I can tell you is that I love my C2, except for the lame display on the stereo. I can only rarely see it in the daytime. If I had it to do over, I'd have bought the C3. As it is, I'm getting ready to have an after market stereo installed. I really hate that display!
I gotta tell you. I am a 64 year old woman who jut purchased a 2015 Prius C 2. I love this car. I don't feel age is a factor. I felt the regular Prisus were very nice but too big for what I wanted. The C fit me perfect. I love this car and have no regrets purchasing it. Love being a part of the Prius Family.
It's a great car for old and young alike. Heck my grandfather's girlfriend ( weird to see I know ) who is in her 60s said she would drive a C over the regular Prius. She likes the size of it. But Toyota seems to marketing it towards the younger crowd. Which is why I said what I said above.
