Hello everyone. I want to get a 2015/2016 Prius C and need some information. The local Toyota dealer has zero Prius Cs in stock so I can't go in for a test drive to answer the questions so I'm hoping I can get some answers here. I'm driving two gas hogs and I'm spending more than $300 a month on gas. Simple calculations show that I should reduce it $75 or less with a Prius C. That gives me $230 towards a Prius C. That's a good chunk of a payment on a used Prius C. I need an economy car and the Prius C seems to win on every calculation thanks to its high gas mileage in the city. I'd rather buy something and spend it on a payment(even on a depreciating vehicle) than let it fly out the exhaust pipe. I used to own a Scion Xd and it was big enough for me and three young kids I needed to put in the back. Fast forward many years and I have three younger kids to put in the back. I've been looking at interior measurements and according to numbers, the Prius C has a little more legroom than the Scion Xd in the back and front and just about every measurement shows it bigger. Is this right? I rented a regular Prius last year. I loved driving it and it had plenty of room. Strangely, the Prius C(on the Toyota website) supposedly has more rear legroom than the regular Prius. Is this true? I see many reviews and they always seem to be focused on how small the Prius C is. I know it is small, but is it really that small or is it small because people are comparing it to a Suburban? My numbers won't justify the cost of a regular Prius as the Hyundai Accent comes in cheaper(calculating for gas usage).
Honestly, I think the C has tons of room. People here complain about it's room, but I gotta tell ya, I put all kinds of crap into the back of my car and usually have room left over. As for leg room, my mom's about 5'8", son is an easy 6'. Both have ridden back there and never complained of leg room. It'd be a drive, but my C is for sale if your interested. 2016 Prius C two 22k Tangerine Orange WP_20180609_11_12_09_Pro by dubit posted Jun 9, 2018 at 11:58 AM
Your Toyota dealer probably has a Yaris in stock. I can't speak for the 2018 models, but I know in previous years, the specs for interior room in the Yaris and C were very similar. Here's a video that compares specs on the two cars in the 2016 model year. Interior specs start at the 56 second mark.
We recently bought a 2018 C. I'm 6'4" with any kind of footwear on. I fit fine in the front seat, pretty comfortable actually. I also fit fine in the back seat, as long as I am not sitting directly behind a front seat that had been adjusted to seat me in front. In other words, it's fine if I'm sitting behind my wife- she's much shorter. Likewise she has plenty of room seated behind me. We bought the car to replace a Hyundai Accent. In terms of turning radius, parking and garage fit it may as well be identical. Interior is really quite close, with the old car having a scratch more headroom in the rear. If it helps on the math end- I worked it out that $75/mo in gas would let us travel about 1100 miles per month based on the MPG scores we've seen.
Laugh at this, but the biggest downside to a "C" is the lack of a dome light over the rear seat/cargo area. I'm clueless as to why Toyota didn't think to put one up there.
It cracks me up that it is the exact opposite situation from one of our other cars- a station wagon whose only dome light is aft of the oversize sunroof, so the front seat area is too dark at night. Domelight Goldilocks is not the name of my EDM polka mariachi band. Yesterday I did the first long trip in the C. My wife has driven it much more than me at this point, as was the plan. I continue to be pleased with the car and she hasn't reported any difficulty. The low entry/exit affects my middle-aged knees a bit more than other cars but I think the benefits are worth it.
Thank you so much everyone, especially Leadfoot for the comparison with the Accent. Thanks also for the rjdriver and his comparison with the Yaris. I've been in the backseat of a Yaris. And dubit, nice Prius C but it is a long drive there.
Yes, the Accent is a strong contender for small efficient cars. My wife loved our old one but she really didn't like the styling on the new model. I liked the Yaris overall, but I was dissatisfied that the car has seen so few updates. For us, buying a c was a way to get a better Yaris than the Yaris. I really didn't want another 90s-era 4 speed automatic. Gas prices will have to stay up for this to be anything other than a lifestyle elective.
