Got told "Prius c isn't a real Prius" ? Looked down on from other owners

Well Prius C is called Aqua in Sri Lanka!...We do get some Prius C cars imported from UK market, very few seen on the road...

 

I don't care what anybody thinks about me. There must be a lot of inbreeding in Australia. Tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine.

 

IMHO the Volt is better described as an electric car with a backup gas engine (or "range extender" as Chevy likes to call it), because it's designed to run on pure electric power alone without requiring the gas engine to provide full performance. The Volt's gas engine is only used when the battery is exhausted or in very particular conditions such as for cabin heat in subzero temperatures or for the extreme power demand of climbing steep hills at high speeds. That's not true of Toyota's HSD - electric power alone doesn't provide adequate performance most kinds of normal driving.

What I've learned about the Prius is that it's better to treat it like it has an extremely efficient gas engine. If try to drive it like sort of ersatz electric car I find its performance and range to be very frustrating.

That's not to say that the Volt is a better car. I think it's a better electric car, but it's also more expensive and less efficient in gas mode, which means you're probably better off with a Prius for longer trips or if you're not going to drive it far enough to recoup the cost difference. It's a different trade-off, and IMHO we're fortunate to be able to choose from among both of them (and from among the many other vehicles on the market as well).

 

GM is only lying to you when their lips are moving. If you suspect they are telling the truth, it is time to reassess your position.

 

Oookaaay...

 

We have several active members from Australia UART, HKMB it would be interesting to get their take on this matter

 

Being in the Southern California, the Prius capital of the USA, I have never experienced any up turned noses from Prius Gen II or Gen III owners. I could have bought a Gen III and decided to get the C, because of the Habanero color (Orange). That is what really sold me on the C. I don't regret buy the C, it does everything well! Also, there is so much after market parts to mod your car, take a look and see what they are doing in Japan.......Be proud and know that the C is loved and respected in Japan and some parts of the USA!

 

My coworkers like to joke about my Prius, but they also admire the ~50MPG it gets and are usually quite impressed by the tech inside (and this is a 10 year old car we're talking about). I would just laugh at someone who owns a Prius and looks down on another Prius. Just about everyone else who's into cars looks down on any Prius (anyone with half a brain should respect the MPGs, though).

 

Real car people don't look down on the Prius. Every car is appreciated.

 

low self esteem.

 

never happened to me.....of course I am 6'4", 230#s, and covered in tattoos! And usually have at least one pit bull with me!

 

I'm in Southern California, and I haven't experienced any oddities from other Prius owners due to having a C. I've experienced the occasional jab from hyper macho types saying how "flamboyant" my Prius is, but not from much else. The entire Prius line is lumped together with being lame, but not many people bother mentioning it as much as before.

 

I've heard about people looking down on Prius, but I've never actually met such a person. Actually, when I first got it several people approached me in parking lots to ask if it really got such good mileage. The attitude I've encountered is that is sort of like a Corolla, but more expensive and with very good mileage. One thing that people really do notice is how quiet it is.

 

That happened to me while I was sitting in my car at a Starbucks parking lot. This guy kept staring at me. I'm thinking "what does this dude want?". Well, he asked me if that really is a prius and of course I said yes. He then wanted to know about all the features. The main thing I told him about how the prius has less moving parts, thus longer engine life, longer brake life and went on from their. I pretty much sold him on buying one. I told him the car is plenty fast when needed. But the car is definitely not for someone looking for some weekend racing action.

 

Less moving parts? I don't think that's true, is it? The engine doesn't run as often and the brakes don't get used as much, but those are all still moving parts.

 

Well the gas gauge is a part, and that gets less movement!

 

Especially in the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius, the transaxle is quite simple compared to either manual, CVT, or automatic transmissions, so long as you do not consider electrons as moving parts. <G>

It is a one ratio gearset with no operable clutch or any shifting. The complexity is almost entirely in electronics and software.

 

I drive mostly in the Central Texas area and the only weird thing I've had was someone in a fairly new Accord asked me what kind of fuel the car ran on while at the gas station. The pump I was at had E85, diesel and the 3 regular grades.

In the 3+ years I've had mine I don't think I've ever actually spoken to someone else that drives a C.