New Prius C... it's now AWD

If the 2012 Impreza really gets 36 MPG on the highway, that would be an improvement of over 38%! (the EPA rates the 2011 Impreza at 26 MPG HWY)

That is pretty impressive.

 

It sounded implausible but the Subaru site is claiming such an increase. I'll be very impressed if this is true.

 

Not very far fetched. They dropped the weight, made it more aerodynamic, put in a more efficient less powerful smaller motor, put in a cvt, changed it up to a electronically variable split power instead of 50/50 on the cvt model.

Still a awd prius would likely have a configuration similar to the lexus rx, which weighs in only 120lbs more than its 2wd sibling, gets 2 mpg less in the city and the same mileage on the highway. I doubt they are doing it, but with the right gear ratio and motor sizes, they could move mg2 to the rear axle without adding more that a few pounds, and give a through the road 4wd system with similar fuel economy and production costs.

 

Also, those are figures for the automatic. The manual gets 25/33.

 

To my eye, the spy shots here are simply the 2012 Yaris. It's clearer in other shots. They've just mis-identified the car, or assumed that the 2012 Yaris will be the production 'Prius c'. However, Toyota's press releases indicate that the Prius c will be different from a Yaris. The concept was a (US) compact car, the size class between the Yaris and the Prius.

We're not getting the Prius c in Europe because the Auris HSD already fills that niche

You do have to question why Toyota are bothering with the checkerboard pattern to disguise the car's lines when Toyota GB already released publicity photos of it!

 

Oh, it's not an opinion; it's actually a fact. You can Google search for the mechanical explanation or you can watch this video and prove yourself wrong. Either way, my opinion agrees with the fact from that stand point thus you are wrong. Not like I had my pom poms up but I know your ego takes less of a hit if they were up and I was wrong like you.

:cheer2:

 

i used to be able to get 32 mpg in my parents lexus.. sure.. they only got 22mpg.. but it's such a powerhouse...

if you go slow with it and cruise, you could probably get higher 30's.

so... a smaller car, that only really uses it to regen, and keep the motor torqued out... probably not even that.. it probably only kicks in during a slip or something.

 

Just a thought (and probably irrelevant to this topic)...

Toyota should fit an RX450h/Highlander Hybrid rear axle mounted electric motor (MG3) in the rear of a Prius, raise the ride height slightly and add some plastic wheel arches (think Subaru Outback) and sell it as a crossover/AWD Prius. I think it would sell well in colder climates (Europe, Japan, US) and possibly make the Prius more appealing in rural parts of Australia where light AWD capabilities are handy on dirt/gravel roads.

Wouldn't it also bump up the total HP of the Prius as well?

 

Didn't see it mentioned, but with the system Toyota uses in the Highlander and RX450 hybrids, it's a loss of a few percent. The 450h gets 30mpg overall in 2WD, 29mpg overall in the AWD version.

 

That is pretty exciting. When friends ask for car recommendations I generally recommend a Subaru when they live beyond the flats and foothills in the higher elevation areas of the Sierra Nevada. I usually have to frown when they ask me about the type of mileage the Subarus get. Now I won't have to.

 

My wife replaced her Outback with a Prius. It was a nice car, but didn't manage even half the fuel economy of the Prius. Cargo area was a bit bigger, but no more passenger space. AWD may be essential in rural and hilly areas that get snow. On the other hand, it is all but worthless in metropolitan areas like Chicago and its suburbs, where it isn't too hilly and streets get plowed. About all it's good for is getting SUVs and trucks stuck at the side of the road because they don't realize AWD doesn't help you stop in slippery conditions. I wish I could have saved some money and fuel economy by getting a Highlander Hybrid without AWD.

We considered another Outback when we were buying the Prius. One strike was that Suburu had them reclassified as a light truck for federal CAFE fuel economy purposes. Their fleet average for cars was almost below the requirements, so removing the Outback kept them in compliance. Subaru's spin was that it was now an SUV instead of a glorified wagon because of the AWD and ground clearance. Nice, huh?

So, if the Legacy is really getting a fuel economy boost, think they will call the Outback a car again, like the essentially identical Legacy wagon?

 

Sounds like the CVT Subaru might have dropped the 'real', symmetrical AWD also.

IMHO, AWD isn't worth the extra purchase price and gas. A FWD car with good snow tires does as well as a Subaru with all-seasons in the snow, and a second set of steel wheels and tires will likely run you a lot less in the long term. With stability control, torque vectoring, and all the other systems going on cars, the performance need for it is mostly gone. If you absolutely have to go out in the worse weather, or off road, you will be better served by a truck with part-time 4WD and ground clearance.