Just picked this up - Prius C

[kimona]

Well... it's a Toyota, so it's a great car, but I'm not a fan of the body style, especially the C pillar and the tail lights.

[baseballfan416]

I just can't justify the price hike for a car that inevitably will have higher upkeep. Adding in the threat of a hybrid battery needing replacement at some point is enough to offset the 8-10mpg difference for quite some time. Take away the fun factor 5 speed, the fact that you can get a used yaris pretty cheap and the prius is essentially dead to me.

Bought my 07 sedan 5sp with under 50k for 8grand in January 2011, hands down the lowest total cost of ownership of anything I've ever been around.

[edmscan]

For all those that whine about the Prius C .. I say don't kick it till you have driven in one. It is a great car and if I had the money I would trade in my Yaris for one.

It is fantastic on gas .. (it does get probably about 20 MPG better than the Yaris - 3.7 L/100 KM.) much more so than the Yaris, and is a fun car to drive. It should be noted that I am not a fan of the 5 speed in the Yaris .... I really am sick of shifting (in light that 90% of my driving is in the city). I would gladly have an auto transmission.

[brg88tx]

i do like the mpg, but those tail lights are the ugliest ive ever seen. if i got one i would have to get a silver one so the big ugly silver side of the tail light would somewhat blend in with the paint.

[rningonfumes]

I like it. Barring a better Econo-hybrid from another manufacturer, I would pick one up when the current Yaris is elderly and I am in need of another commuter.

I'm also in that boat with those against the CVT...because there is so much more I can do with a manual....

[bronsin]

So the Prius was $4000 more than a Yaris. (and of course, you could have bought a cheaper model of Yaris just like you bought a cheaper model of Prius...)

If the Prius gets 50 mpg and the Yaris gets 35 mpg over 100,000 miles @ $3.50 a gallon you will save $2450.

Of course gas could go UP. You could drive it more than 100,000 miles.

The batteries dont give trouble. The Prius has proven to be very reliable.

[Hershey]

Consumer Reports write up / video of owners 2004 Prius with 200,00+ miles with same battery and very little cost to maintain . http://news.consumerreports.org/cars...000-miles.html .

[Hershey]

Here's a 2002 Prius with 200,000+ miles and same battery that's tested by C.R.. http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/04/auto...life/index.htm . Hope these give TK solace for the years ahead .

[Thirty-Nine]

I've been driving a Prius c for the last two days, and I must say, so far I'm impressed. Much more so than I was with the Prius v. The c is more fun to drive, much more nimble, and I really dig the interior. Yes, it's on low rolling resistance tires and the suspension is soft, but it's pretty good so far. Would I pay $23K for one? Not sure. Over about 30 miles I'm averaging about 44 MPG, which is all city driving.

My wife got 39 MPG out of our modded Yaris over the last tank of gas, however. That was about 65% highway, if I had to estimate.

- Andy

[bronsin]

The mileage for the Prius is HIGHER in city driving because of the battery. 44 mpg city is not a good result.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

I've been driving a Prius c for the last two days, and I must say, so far I'm impressed. Much more so than I was with the Prius v. The c is more fun to drive, much more nimble, and I really dig the interior. Yes, it's on low rolling resistance tires and the suspension is soft, but it's pretty good so far. Would I pay $23K for one? Not sure. Over about 30 miles I'm averaging about 44 MPG, which is all city driving.

My wife got 39 MPG out of our modded Yaris over the last tank of gas, however. That was about 65% highway, if I had to estimate.

- Andy

Which Prius c have you been driving? The One, the Two, the Three, or the Four? (I'm assuming the Four, but when you mentioned price you didn't mention if that was base or out the door)

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

The mileage for the Prius is HIGHER in city driving because of the battery. 44 mpg city is not a good result.

You're right, it isn't. As Why? wrote a while back, most Americans aren't use to the different style of driving that garners the best results behind the wheel of a Hybrid of the type Toyota manufactures. The You Tube video that Hershey has posted a link to several times -- from MPG-o-matic featuring the Prius c -- touches on the driving style needed to get the results he obtained. Others have done even better MPG wise than the MPG-o-matic guy (probably with less traffic and more regenerative braking).

[tk1971]

Originally Posted by bronsin

So the Prius was $4000 more than a Yaris. (and of course, you could have bought a cheaper model of Yaris just like you bought a cheaper model of Prius...)

If the Prius gets 50 mpg and the Yaris gets 35 mpg over 100,000 miles @ $3.50 a gallon you will save $2450.

Of course gas could go UP. You could drive it more than 100,000 miles.

The batteries dont give trouble. The Prius has proven to be very reliable.

The Yaris quote back in early 2011 was for a 5spd 5-door hatch (apparently very difficult, if not impossible to find - so I believe they just made up a high number to discourage me from looking for that exact configuration). After getting off the phone with them (the only dealer to call me back - I had reached out to several for this specific configuration), I went to my local CarMax and got a used 08 Base Yaris 3-door / 5-spd for about $12.8k out-the-door with 17k miles. Not a great deal by any means, but better than new for sure. I'm still enjoying my Yaris and have already hit "gravy" over whatever cash (<$3k) I shelled out for it minus my trade in. When it's all said and done, my Yaris is the best <$3k car I've ever owned. Filled up today and calculated 41.5mpg even with occasional A/C use.

BTW, my wife is really enjoying her Prius C. She can't drive stick, so the CVT works for her. I don't get what all the complaints are about on this car. The premise is to put a proven but slightly scaled down Prius drive-train into a less Prius-looking Econo-box body in order to keep the MSRP of the base model a hair under $19k. This is what we got for that MSRP that I don't see in other "Base" cars: Bluetooth/CD/MP3/USB/Aux input, projection halogen headlights, LED tail lights, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, digital instrumentation (speedo, fuel, etc), steering wheel mounted controls for the radio/bluetooth, automatic climate control, keyless entry, power door/windows, side mirrors with integrated signal indicators, stability/traction control, Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS), hill assist, ABS, and the 3.5" TFT multi-information display.

I believe the critics of this car are short sighted and don't see what's really going on. Toyota set the bar very high for their latest high-tech econo-box. In a couple of years, when they really start churning out the C, it'll be a better deal than it is now (currently MSRP only). I believe by then, the econo-box expectation will change and it'll be everyone else who will have to "catch up".

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by tk1971

I believe the critics of this car are short sighted and don't see what's really going on.

One of my friends has a Prius C .. and maybe tomorrow I can drive in it. I really like the car and the gas mileage is amazing. I know that he would never let me drive it .. but driving in it is fun. It is a nice car ..

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by tk1971

The Yaris quote back in early 2011 was for a 5spd 5-door hatch (apparently very difficult, if not impossible to find - so I believe they just made up a high number to discourage me from looking for that exact configuration). After getting off the phone with them (the only dealer to call me back - I had reached out to several for this specific configuration), I went to my local CarMax and got a used 08 Base Yaris 3-door / 5-spd for about $12.8k out-the-door with 17k miles. Not a great deal by any means, but better than new for sure. I'm still enjoying my Yaris and have already hit "gravy" over whatever cash (<$3k) I shelled out for it minus my trade in. When it's all said and done, my Yaris is the best <$3k car I've ever owned. Filled up today and calculated 41.5mpg even with occasional A/C use.

BTW, my wife is really enjoying her Prius C. She can't drive stick, so the CVT works for her. I don't get what all the complaints are about on this car. The premise is to put a proven but slightly scaled down Prius drive-train into a less Prius-looking Econo-box body in order to keep the MSRP of the base model a hair under $19k. This is what we got for that MSRP that I don't see in other "Base" cars: Bluetooth/CD/MP3/USB/Aux input, projection halogen headlights, LED tail lights, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, digital instrumentation (speedo, fuel, etc), steering wheel mounted controls for the radio/bluetooth, automatic climate control, keyless entry, power door/windows, side mirrors with integrated signal indicators, stability/traction control, Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS), hill assist, ABS, and the 3.5" TFT multi-information display.

I believe the critics of this car are short sighted and don't see what's really going on. Toyota set the bar very high for their latest high-tech econo-box. In a couple of years, when they really start churning out the C, it'll be a better deal than it is now (currently MSRP only). I believe by then, the econo-box expectation will change and it'll be everyone else who will have to "catch up".

Thank you for including the base Prius c features in your post. This is a much more visually compact way to view the information than the way it is organized on the Toyota website.

[Hershey]

Agree with TK . Do get a good bang for the buck with a "C" 1 . Fun to drive as well ( test drove a 2 ) . Thinking of a "C" or the hybrid FIT if it ever arrives here . Hold off until sometime next year .

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by tk1971

The Yaris quote back in early 2011 was for a 5spd 5-door hatch (apparently very difficult, if not impossible to find - so I believe they just made up a high number to discourage me from looking for that exact configuration). After getting off the phone with them (the only dealer to call me back - I had reached out to several for this specific configuration), I went to my local CarMax and got a used 08 Base Yaris 3-door / 5-spd for about $12.8k out-the-door with 17k miles. Not a great deal by any means, but better than new for sure. I'm still enjoying my Yaris and have already hit "gravy" over whatever cash (<$3k) I shelled out for it minus my trade in. When it's all said and done, my Yaris is the best <$3k car I've ever owned. Filled up today and calculated 41.5mpg even with occasional A/C use.

BTW, my wife is really enjoying her Prius C. She can't drive stick, so the CVT works for her. I don't get what all the complaints are about on this car. The premise is to put a proven but slightly scaled down Prius drive-train into a less Prius-looking Econo-box body in order to keep the MSRP of the base model a hair under $19k. This is what we got for that MSRP that I don't see in other "Base" cars: Bluetooth/CD/MP3/USB/Aux input, projection halogen headlights, LED tail lights, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, digital instrumentation (speedo, fuel, etc), steering wheel mounted controls for the radio/bluetooth, automatic climate control, keyless entry, power door/windows, side mirrors with integrated signal indicators, stability/traction control, Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS), hill assist, ABS, and the 3.5" TFT multi-information display.

I believe the critics of this car are short sighted and don't see what's really going on. Toyota set the bar very high for their latest high-tech econo-box. In a couple of years, when they really start churning out the C, it'll be a better deal than it is now (currently MSRP only). I believe by then, the econo-box expectation will change and it'll be everyone else who will have to "catch up".

Im not a critic. It is what it is. With me its all about bottom line. Right now the Prius C is the loser when it comes to a Yaris in that department.

Its not in my interest for cars like the Prius to do well. I dont want Toyota to make cars I dont want to buy. I want Prius's to sit on the dealers lot and rust. I want Toyota to lose BILLIONS of dollars making the PRius. So I have to tell my side of it. I need as many people who think like me as possible.

I must crush the Prius anyway I can.

I want a small car like maybe the iQ that weighs less than 1800 pounds and has a 1 liter or less GASOLINE engine, costs less than $15000 and gets 50 MPG. I could live without airbags, crush zones, ABS, traction control, and a lot of other things I cant think of. I bet without those things like car would be <$12000.

Its nothing personal.

If gas goes over $5 you will do very well with the Prius. You will have made a wise choice. We need to drive cars that get better than 50mpg on a large scale and bring the oil companies and the hostile foriegn countries that hate us to their knees. The Prius does that.

Unfortunately it just give the money we would give to our enemies to Toyota.

[auxmike]

I've seen one before and I think it's real sharp looking in real life. It does'nt seem to photograph well. I'd get a metallic color and alloy wheels on mine though. Seems it comes loaded with goodies on the base model too. Yeah, it may take years to break even on the buy, BUT what a thrill it must be to pass the gas station while flipping the bird! Good luck with it, I think it's cool... Interior pics?