First "marginal" impression of The Prius c

Upfront admission, I've been driving a Honda Fit for about 2 years. So my evaluations and impressions are highly influenced by that comparison. I'll admit I have built in prejudices coming from that vehicle, that someone coming from another vehicle may not have.

Yesterday, I ventured onto a dealership lot. I carried holy water, silver bullets, and the Kelley Blue Book. My goal, was just to get some seat time, and a hands on look at The Prius c, as well as take a look once again at the "regular" Prius, the new refresh.

My first impression of The Prius c, from the outside. Was as I expected. It's a subcompact, visually very comparable to any subcompact. IMO it's looks very much from the outside like a Honda Fit. Dimensionally from the outside it also seems to be very similar. My reaction was neutral. I'm use to, adjusted to a vehicle that is very similar...so I can't say that I was wowed, or disapointed. The Prius c, looks like a sharp enough subcompact hatchback. Nothing more, nothing less.

The first thing I did was open the back hatch. There I was disappointed and underwhelmed. The boot space with the seats up, struck me as being significantly smaller than in my Honda Fit. The load floor much higher, and the space much smaller.

One can argue that this space is not overwhelming in any subcompact. True. But with a low load floor, and a few extra inches, I'm often amazed at what I can fit, in my FIT without having to lower the seats. I can make pretty major trips to the grocery store and sometimes surprise myself with what I can fit behind the seats. Looking at The Prius c space? It's so small, it's almost simply token. This is very much a single piece or possibly 2 small pieces of luggage space. This is "maybe" a few bags of groceries...but for any significant cargo space, you WILL have to fold down the seats. Again, I can't look at The Prius c without making an immediate comparison to what I already own. But comparing hatch space with seats up? Fit easily wins. And that's not including the Magic Seats aspect to the Honda Fit which allows you to keep the rear seat backs UP but fold the seats bottoms up, creating even more space. But I don't think it fair to include that in evaluation because Toyota uses that same space to house the Hybrid Battery in the Prius c. There is no way they could include "Magic Seats" in the Prius c.

I moved on to the rest of the vehicle. Back seats? I think very comparable in size and comfort, look and feel to my Honda Fit. You can use them for friends and family. But they are subcompact back seats. Again..reaction "neutral". IMO nice for a subcompact. Very comparable within the class of vehicle.

Front seats. Dash area. Honda uses analog and round gauges. And kinda of a funky looking dash. Of course The regular Honda Fit does not demand the technology a Hybrid must reflect. I personally LOVE my dash on the Fit. IMO Honda actually made it beautiful. It's blue....and is actually like a light show at night.

Comparison to The Prius c? The space, and layout of the steering wheel, center console, and just "how" it felt to sit in the front seat? Again, very, very similar. Everything seemed to be in about the same reach, Toyota uses similar duplicate tricks to make the front feel MORE spacious than it actually is...the same tricks Honda uses....Huge windshield, diminishing perspective with the dash. I did not feel cramped at all. I was impressed with this when I bought my Honda Fit, and I would imagine if I was new to subcompacts and buying the Prius c, I would again be impressed. If you are sitting in the front seat of a Prius c, you aren't going to feel cramped.

More pre-prejudice comes into play. I liked the front seats and Dash of The Prius c. However, again in comparison there were minutia, I did not like as "much" as my Honda Fit. Mostly the absence of Driver and Passenger dash mounted vent cupholders, and The Prius c has the standard Prius "plastic" steering wheel. My "sport" Fit is leather wrapped. I like the feel of my leather wrapped steering wheel better. The other thing is The Honda Fit, has (like The Prius) a dual glove box. With upper and lower closing compartments. The Prius c? Has a lower glove box and then just an upper hollowed out compartment. This is where you would plug in your USB and leave it laying. Personally? I like to leave my plugged in USB device out of sight. In the Honda, the USB connector is inside an upper glove box. Thus anything I plug in is out of sight. I have to give the advantage to Fit on this. With the c, whatever you plug in, is simply going to be laying in an open compartment.

Now...in summation, I'd say NONE of the things I expected to find with The Prius c, and even the things I did not like as much, would stop me from buying a Prius c, if I felt I wanted a subcompact hybrid.

Most of the faults, were adaptable. Wheelskins give you a leather steering wheel. I could live with the realities in every other aspect. HUGE advantage Prius c? 53 mpg City vs. 28 mpg City in The Fit.

Now for something completely different....

I checked out the refreshed "liftback" Prius or "regular" Prius, or Prius Patriarch, or Prius god of all hybrids...or whatever Toyota is calling it now....Prius Two, Three, Four, Five....give a dog a bone? It's really confusing on a Toyota lot right now. Just walk into a crowd of salesmen and announce loudly "I want to Look at a Prius" and then look at the worried faces. Anyway...onto regular Prius.

IMO....(I looked at Prius Two's) much nicer. Maybe I shouldn't of looked, but I did. And IMO if you are in the 21,000-24000 dollar range? I'd rather have an entry level Prius Two, than a "fancier" Prius c. Just the space available, and the mid-size comfort slam dunked the Prius c imo....

Could this really be a huge prejudice of mine? Yes. When I change vehicles, I kind of like "change". So maybe, I'm feeling the regular Prius is so much nicer, primarily because it is much more different than my Honda Fit?

But everything impressed my with the regular Prius. Backseats...Hatch Space with seats up and down....

Sitting behind the wheel, I even found myself liking the flying buttress and the dongle...two things I generally have disliked.

My venture to a dealership convinced my Toyota has built a very nice subcompact Hybrid in Prius c. To those buying one? I think it's a great product.

For me though? I think it convinced me? I think the regular Prius is a nicer product. Realistically more costly, especially at higher trim levels...but if you can afford it? I'd go with a regular Prius.

I'm not factoring in "Fun to Drive". For some that might be huge. Again, that's just a personal prejudice. From what I hear, The Prius c, is more fun to drive.

I guess I'm slowing down, but the ability to zip...or toss my vehicle into turns? Not as important to me anymore. I'm not getting younger and comfort is more the priority to me.

Oh there are numerous FULL MOON moments when I love pushing my Honda Fit....it's like a go-kart or mini- racecar.

But those moments are pretty rare. And come with the constant fear of embarassing Police Involvement.

I don't mean to upset anyone considering or purchasing a Prius c. Despite it falling short IMO, in comparison to a regular Prius and my Honda Fit (outside of having the enormous Hybrid Advantage)...I think it's a great product. If I lived in the heart of a congested city, or traveled every day to work in a city? That might push my decision over to Prius c as well.

It's very nice to maneuver a subcompact in the city compared to anything bigger.

Just after the holy water, the silver bullets and about an hour of evaluation...I found that what I liked best...was what has been available for about 2 years.

 

Well I have driven a "Regular Prius". I think I have a pretty good handle on how it feels.

I didn't want to throw "Chum" in the water at the dealership by asking for a test drive of The Prius c, when I think it became pretty clear to me that it wasn't what I wanted.

I admitted above to not factoring in "Fun To Drive".

Prius, Prius c, or Honda Fit...I assume driveability.

The Honda Fit's Achilles Heel, IMO...is road noise. This is not a quiet vehicle.

Even with potential creaks and rattles sometimes reported in standard Prius...I'd think at "worst" it would be a wash in comparison to the regular engine and road noise of a Honda Fit.

I have driven my Fit...obviously...and have driven, rented, and test drive- A regular Prius. IMO...The Fit has the tossable, go-kart on rails feel....which can be fun to drive.

The Prius, more of a detached...but comfortable feel.

Again, like I said, as I age, I value one set of priorities less, and find myself valuing the other set more....

But I think BOTH can be fun to drive.....

Maybe I'm not as precise or demanding in this area, because with an automaker like Toyota or Honda....I do assume a base level of driveability.

If the regular Prius was enormously undriveable? I don't think this website would exist, and we wouldn't have over a Million of them sold in North America.

I've hung around here....way too long...So I've think I've read about every possible Plus or Negative to the Prius driving experience.

I have read about The Honda Fit Hybrid. It would be interesting. BUT...I simply think HSD beats IMA. Speaking only for myself? If I'm buying a Hybrid....I want HSD.