Any Prius c owners out there?

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Brule

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My Civic SI has been sold and I'm considering getting a high mpg car due to me doing about 30k per year at the present. I test drove one [a new '13] and yes, it's slow, but I may be able to deal with it if the mpg is really around 50...my driving is 50/50 mix [maybe a little more city].

My previous cars were a 350Z and an M Coupe so I have a thirst for speed, handling, and power. Next year I am going to buy a 5.0 Mustang, but in the meantime I need something practical. That's about it...trying to keep this short. Mainly I'm looking for driving impressions, regrets if any, and real-world mpg's. Note, this is the Prius c I'm talking about...the smaller one based on the Yaris, I think.

Thanks,

Brule
 
We've talked about this car repeatedly on this site:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2581378

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3185301

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2723577


It is basically a Yaris underneath and is nowhere near as good as the normal Prius. The consensus seems to be that it's not worth the money.

You could get a Fiesta or another small gasoline car and have a much nicer vehicle that still gets excellent gas mileage.
 
What will you do with the Prius C after you buy a Mustang - will the Mustang be a weekend-only car?

You have a desire for performance. You will not be happy in a Prius C and risk trading it early,negating any gas savings in depreciation
 
If you want to save money, get a used regular Prius that has a higher highway mpg, or even a good condition 1st gen Honda Insight manual (that has lean burn) may be a better deal even when you factor in the fuel cost.

Or another approach like they always said: Geo Metro.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
What will you do with the Prius C after you buy a Mustang - will the Mustang be a weekend-only car?


Exactly...once a week/good weather only.
 
Couldn't pull the trigger on the slow Prius C though I really liked it, then they had a couple of Camry's for $4K under MSRP and offered me way above $ what I expected for the Frontier in trade-in so I left with a V6 Camry SE. I even bought a 5 year 100k bumper to bumper extended warranty for just under $1000 more. Mustang GT is on hold for now. Pictures of the Camry coming soon.
 
Congrats on the Camry, I think you'll enjoy it more than they Prius C. That said, it's funny that your goal was a high mpg car and you ended up with a V6.
 
Originally Posted By: glock19
Congrats on the Camry, I think you'll enjoy it more than they Prius C. That said, it's funny that your goal was a high mpg car and you ended up with a V6.


He will be back later to complain about the lousy MPG the V6 Camry gets.
 
Driving 30k miles a year, most of those are likely highway miles. A larger, quieter Camry will likely return about 28-30 mpg in that scenario, maybe higher if those miles are on 55 mph roads. The difference in fuel costs over a year is about $500-600 between a 28 mpg car and a 40 mpg car. I did 30k miles a year in a 28 mpg Buick, then got a 40 mpg Chevy for similar mileage, so I know from experience.

Driving that much, it's nice to have a quiet, comfortable car. The 4 days I did my old commute in a buzzy Toyota Yaris while my Cruze was in the shop, I was counting the hours until I got my Cruze back. The Yaris was that unpleasant to put serious miles on for a week straight. It made my quieter, better-riding Cruze feel like a luxury car in comparison.

Seeing how a Prius C is a hybrid Yaris, I'd say the right choice was made.
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
The difference in fuel costs over a year is about $500-600 between a 28 mpg car and a 40 mpg car.

I'd say the right choice was made.

Agreed. That is a small price to pay for a comfortable and quiet ride.

Assuming an average speed of 35 mph (50/50 mix of city/hwy), the OP is spending more than 800 hours per year behind the wheel. Might as well make it more bearable.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: sciphi
The difference in fuel costs over a year is about $500-600 between a 28 mpg car and a 40 mpg car.

I'd say the right choice was made.

Agreed. That is a small price to pay for a comfortable and quiet ride.

Assuming an average speed of 35 mph (50/50 mix of city/hwy), the OP is spending more than 800 hours per year behind the wheel. Might as well make it more bearable.

He probably will be spending twice as much on gas though in the Camry... 10 years of that becomes a down payment on a closer house to work and then he won't need a comfortable car anyways.
 
Originally Posted By: Doog
Get a Jetta TDI

While certainly better road performance and comfort than a Prius C....the mpg's aren't really close nor would the reliability (my opinion).
 
Originally Posted By: Brule
Couldn't pull the trigger on the slow Prius C though I really liked it, then they had a couple of Camry's for $4K under MSRP and offered me way above $ what I expected for the Frontier in trade-in so I left with a V6 Camry SE. I even bought a 5 year 100k bumper to bumper extended warranty for just under $1000 more. Mustang GT is on hold for now. Pictures of the Camry coming soon.

Certainly a good vehicle....but you've stepped outside the criteria you started with. Yes, it will be more comfortable (but not that much), more power (to do what?), and more room (no denying that). No way near the mpg's though.
The regular Prius would have been a very good choice IMO...but pricey. Yet you still put the Mustang on hold...?
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg

Certainly a good vehicle....but you've stepped outside the criteria you started with. Yes, it will be more comfortable (but not that much), more power (to do what?), and more room (no denying that). No way near the mpg's though.
The regular Prius would have been a very good choice IMO...but pricey. Yet you still put the Mustang on hold...?


I was "considering" a high mpg car because only this year I should be doing a lot of miles. Probably 12k/year after that. At that point I'd really be regretting the Prius c. This is why I finally changed my mind.

The V6 Camry's are plenty quick, no not Mustang GT quick and not RWD, but 0-60 is 5.8. This with no shifting, decent mpg, regular gasoline, and Japanese/American quality.

"more power (to do what?)"...kind of like if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand. One example is safety when merging onto a highway, many of the drivers being distracted idiots driving poorly maintained cars in excess of 70mph.

Pictures coming soon...and I found out something interesting about the oil changes on this thing.
 
Originally Posted By: Brule
Originally Posted By: andrewg

Certainly a good vehicle....but you've stepped outside the criteria you started with. Yes, it will be more comfortable (but not that much), more power (to do what?), and more room (no denying that). No way near the mpg's though.
The regular Prius would have been a very good choice IMO...but pricey. Yet you still put the Mustang on hold...?


I was "considering" a high mpg car because only this year I should be doing a lot of miles. Probably 12k/year after that. At that point I'd really be regretting the Prius c. This is why I finally changed my mind.

The V6 Camry's are plenty quick, no not Mustang GT quick and not RWD, but 0-60 is 5.8. This with no shifting, decent mpg, regular gasoline, and Japanese/American quality.

"more power (to do what?)"...kind of like if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand. One example is safety when merging onto a highway, many of the drivers being distracted idiots driving poorly maintained cars in excess of 70mph.

Pictures coming soon...and I found out something interesting about the oil changes on this thing.

I had a Mustang GT a few years ago. I had no need for that kind of horsepower to drive safely....and we have a LOT of traffic here including several on ramps I go through every day. I'm not trying to be rude....I just always laugh at some saying they require gobs of power as a "safety" need. I guess as I've aged I have no need to do 0-60 times in under 4 seconds. But it would be fun.....just not worth the costs.
O f course, you made a very good choice given the deal you got plus a warranty. A Prius C HAS been described by some as a little bit fun however. But as described by some as a "Yaris as a hybrid"...that is why I would say the regular Prius would have been a fine choice.
Enjoy the new car.
 
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