Just curious, its gonna be my first car and saving 3-4k would be awesome compared to a regular Prius. I commute often and am looking at a 2014 PriusC.
It is a small car. Take multiple test drives to be sure it doesn't feel TOO small. Otherwise fine little car. Consider that you might be able to save ANOTHER 3-4k or more by shopping for a small conventional vehicle with good gas mileage. The actual final selling price becomes more important if you will be financing a large portion of the cost over a long period of time.
Any other vehicles you would recommend? I need to travel long distances for work, from the Bay to LA. So electric cars are kind of out of option.
For long distance driving, the lift back is a much better option, safer, more comfortable, and the same or better mileage.....
Agreed! The Liftback (regular Prius), older Plugin Prius or the Corolla. If you need more space, consider the Prius v or Camry. The Prius c is designed for the city commuter. The other cars mentioned are better suited for a highway commuter.
I personally don't like the C as a road car.......but my wife and daughter don't have a problem with it. It is all a matter of personal preference. What is most important to YOU: Overall cost of ownership.......good gas mileage.......ride comfort.......cargo space.......??? My other car is a Ford Fusion Hybrid. That reflects my bias toward comfort on long trips. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai/Kia all make good small and intermediate cars.
Not really but if you're on the highway, perhaps consider a larger car? (It'll be more comfortable on the concrete slabs with a longer wheelbase smoothing out the ride). The current Corolla is fairly large. It came out in 2014 so you may be able to get a first year for reasonable money. Another option is the Prius v which has something called "Pitch and Bounce Control" which uses the electric motors to smooth out the rocking motion as you go down CA freeways. (they came out at the same time as the Prius c). But if you're ok with a small car (It's midway between a Yaris and Matrix in exterior size), then go for it. It's easy to park, reasonably fuel efficient and quite spacious for its size.
Unless a smaller, slower car is of some advantage to you, I can't see any reason to buy a C over a Prius. For example, you can have a 2010 Prius or a 2013 Prius C for about the same money. Having driven both, I'd take the Prius over the C ten times out of 10.
