PriusC or Gen3?

I would go with the gen3. Much more cargo space, smoother ride, bigger more powerful engine, and I've read from owners that it gets the same fuel economy if not better.

 

welcome! c battery is well tested, so don't concern yourself with that. it's going to have more to do with highway vs local driving, and interior volume. drive them both and get a feel for comfort. the lift back will return a few more mpg on the highway, and vice versa. i would try not to make price part of the equation if possible. all the best!

 

For that price range you can do much newer. I bought a 2012 liftback in April for 12k and it had 42 thousand miles, and still under warranty. Trust me for that type of money you can do much better than a 2010.

 

just expand your search to the southeast, and be careful of matthew cars.

 

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In, Sea Glass Pearl

 

i just lost a couple thousand in value, and wonder if i should sell before prime comes out and wipes out the remainder.

 

It's not really the fact it's a plug in I just wanted you to know you can get a much nicer and new car than you think!

 

Definitely get a gen 3. I picked up my 2014 for $15,300 with 36k miles, brand new tires, leather seats, navi, and an installed hitch with a basket. Trust me, take your time looking through the dealers or on craigslist. I found a one owner 2012 gen 3 with 67k miles for $9500. Decided last minute to get the 2014 instead even the the 2012 was a great deal. The gen 3's have more room, looker better imo, and as others said...get the same mpg if not better I believe. Also, don't be afraid to travel a few hours if you're getting a better deal. Just be sure to ask plenty of questions, ask for maintenance records, and many many pictures before making the trip out there. I was set on driving 3 hours to pick up the 2012 until i found the 2014 that I now currently own.

 

If you need a smaller car to park , get the c.
If you ever expect to use the back seats or cargo space, get the liftback.

 

I thought the C had significantly less get up and go than the regular Prius. Presumably because of the smaller engine.

To be fair, I didn't know much about Prii then; perhaps I was in economy mode and 1st half of pedal travel was all electric. ...
But I suggest you try both in Power mode before deciding. I got the regular Prius and am please as punch with absolutely adequate space and terrific cost savings.

I also thought the C had undersized leg room for the back seats. If anyone is going to be riding back there, I'd adjust the front seat the way you like it and have someone similarly sized to your regular rider try the back seat. For my son, that was a no go ! He's a bit tall.

Also, for putting lumber in, etc, I measured a comfortable 9' 8" in the regular prius, although I've heard tell on this board of 10' boards in the prius with all passenger seats down, hatchback closed.

For me, the C had too many potential annoyances to bother with, i.e. if ANY of the issues will come up sometimes...you may want to go mid sized.

Another thought: if you're at all concerned about gas mileage, DON'T BE!
As my thread here.... You won't save much money by hypermiling | PriusChat
lovingly delineates, saving 5 or 10 mpg when comparing to an already 'high' number only saves you like $100 a year.
I.e., if, for some reason the C gets 5 mpg better than the regular hatchback, that will only save you $100-130 per year.
Yep...you really won't save much.

(others disagree with the definition of the word 'much'. For me....$100 is no worth repeated aggravation)

Another thought: depreciation is significantly higher in years 1 and 2 (as well as 3). Which is why I chose a 2013.
2013 was also the mid-generation re-fresh. I don't think it had significant changes, but there were some tweaks.
Years 3 or 4 through 7 are the traditional sweet spot for depreciation; I suspect for the Prius it's more like 3 or 4 through 10, since it lives so long with few repairs or maintenance issues.

Hope this helps! Core dump of info, here...

PNB

 

Prius c 0 - 60 10.9 seconds Top Speed 102
Prius Liftback 0 - 60 10.5 seconds Top Speed 115
Both via Car and Driver

 

Their numbers probably address this, I suppose ..but I care more about 0-->20, 40-->46, stuff like that. It's pulling out into traffic and giving it a little juice while passing that matter. Just a thought

 

I was originally considering a C, but then I tested it going up a hill and on the highway. Definite nope for me. I don't need a high performance vehicle, but I need something I don't need to hold the gas all the way down just to hit appropriate speeds.

 

As an owner of a 2010 Prius Gen III and a 2012 PriusC, you need to ask yourself what do you plan to be doing with this car, if its mostly you driving alone or one passenger then the C has plenty of space and power to keep up with traffic. If you have kids or additional passengers who ride with you then you should get the Gen III, as it has much more space in the back seat area as well as in the trunk. The C feels sportier and handles slightly better then the Gen III. But the Gen III does have more power and gets slightly less MPG then the C. I average 55 MPG in the C and about 45 MPG in the Gen III. The C will be newer, and I believe N.J. is a CARB state so your warranty on the batteries will be a few years longer then on an older Gen III. Make sure you see the service records on the car you consider buying. Oil should be changed at 10,000 miles if not sooner.

 

If the car is CARB warranty eligible (originally purchased in CARB state and being currently purchased in CARB state), then the Gen III has the advantage of 10yr/150k mile warranty on hybrid components, whereas the PriusC will only carry 8yr/100k mile warranty for the hybrid components.

 

It all depends on the age of the vehicles and mileage as these are used vehicles.....