Open thread: Ask Danny your Prius c questions

- Typical mileage (local/hwy)?
- Any "feels like a Geo Metro" moments? I'm not expecting as such.
- Any idea about the EV mode having an effect on the lifetime for the battery? I'm new to the Toyota Prius world, I drive a First Gen Insight with 150k and still on the first battery. I was wondering whether frequentish use of the EV mode would help prolong, shorten, or have no effect on the lifetime of the battery.
- Room in the back, comfy for an adult?

Thanks.

 

impressions!!!

 

How tall are you and what is your inseam? I'm 6'3 with a 36" inseam and I'm concerned about how I'd fit.

 

Hello Danny and everybody. I've been lurking here since I learned about Prius C and just want to thank everybody for the wealth of information I got from this forum. Thank you all.
I've never owned a hybrid but I'm very interested in the little Prius. Currently wife and I have a '07 Civic and moving to a high MPG hybrid is something we've been talking about on and off which is what lead me to this site and forum.
Here is my question Danny:
Under driving first impressions greencarcongress.com says the following:
"The most noticeable downside in delivered performance is on a steep incline, or when attempting to overtake on the highway. Under those conditions, the power is not there, and the car labors."
I am curious if you experienced any similar behavior during your 6 hours of driving. I wonder how the little C would compare to our current Civic in this respect. Civic is by no means a powerhouse and on steep inclines on a highway it downshifts frequently too so the little Prius might be similar in that respect. There are instances in the Civic on longer steep inclines where the 5 speed automatic has to downshift to 3rd to maintain 75MPH.
Thank you in advance for your response.

 

I guess the impression I would be most interested in hearing an opinion about would be comfort.

Toyota say's The "C" stands for city...and they are definently marketing it as a youth based urban commuter.

So my question is? How comfortable is it? Is it viable for road trips? How would you feel about a longer drive in it?

I currently own a Honda Fit, and while it also is a subcompact, marketed to be an urban commuter, I at least feel comfortable using it for longer drives and Non-City transportation.

As someone who owns a "regular" Prius...how would you say it compares on these grounds?

 

I agree with Marsupial. I happen to also own a Civic ('09) but I think a lot of people who are new to hybrids (self included) will be concerned about reviews that discuss the engine struggling or the slower speed for merging in traffic. Can you speak towards the power safety-speed of the Prius C for regular driving needs?

Thank you so much for all that you do here! It's greatly appreciated by many! :cheer2:

 

First of all I want to thank you for answering just a fraction of our question. We are many who will first be able to get our hands on this car in March the earliest.

My questions are:

- Is there a measurable difference in acceleration times from a full vs. as-empty-as-it-gets battery?

- Does the battery under the rear seat have any negative consequences, such as less foot room in the back (vs. a Yaris) or less cushioning seats?

- How many areas are there in the interior with lids where you can hide change, credit cards, etc.?

- Where is the wind noise the loudest? (side mirrors vs windows and so on)

- Can you find any hints that indicate other markets could get HUD like in the European Prius?

- How comfortable is it to rest your elbow on the door while driving?

 

That's tall. It is a 157" long car. Seems you'd at least need the Four with the height adjust seat, but only you can tell.

Question -

Does it have a coin tray or trays?

 

any idea when is toyota going to post the actual price on their website?
how does it handle? if driving on an open road w/ strong wind does it
shake?how is the power going uphill?

 

1 has cheapo seats, others have nicer... i thought in NA, Corolla has hard plastics? probably nicer then .

 

My dealer in the Philadelphia area is insisting that the Prius c will not be launched in Pennsylvania before the fall of 2012, possibly even the spring of 2013. They went on to say that if I really wanted a c this summer that I would need to purchase it in New Jersey. The odd part of all this is that they made no effort to sell me something from their existing inventory.

Is there any truth to what they are saying about a delayed launch in Pennsylvania and other states?

 

I forgot...but I assume I already have the answer because I haven't read anywhere that it does..

The Prius C I'm assuming doesn't have the heat reclaimation system of the original Prius? The system within the Prius that reclaims exhaust heat to warm coolant tempatures faster for more efficiency. On the Gen 3, the system that replaced the Coolant Thermos..I'm assuming this whole system didn't make the downsizing? Or did it?

 

It has a better/improved exhaust heat recovery and EGR as well.

Exhaust Heat Recirculation used to heat engine coolant
1) Newly designed heat exchanger
- More efficient fin-type heat exchanger
- Provides improved cold-weather performance
2) Reduces time for coolant to reach operating temperature
- Shortens time until gasoline engine can stop
3) Improves heater performance
- Reduces time to warm air by 1 minute

Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)
1) Adoption of a Cool-EGR system reduced cooling loss and pumping loss
2) With lower exhaust heat, heat efficiency was enhanced and, consequently, fuel efficiency was enhanced as well

 

Mr. Danny thanks for the info:

 

Hi Danny,

Been lurking on this forum for a while now since I'm in the market for a Prius for my wife. Put down a pre-order deposit at my local dealership a few weeks ago and I was told that there is at least one Prius C that is arriving in the next couple of weeks.

Quick question regarding the SKS. Looks like only trim III or above will have it, does that mean trim I and II will only have the traditional system where you turn your key to start the engine, instead of push button start? Thanks in advance!

 

And a big round blob on the dash to remind you you don't have SKS.