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2012 Prius Two -vs- 2013 Prius c

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Stephane Drapeau, May 31, 2013.

  1. Stephane Drapeau

    Stephane Drapeau New Member

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    2012 Prius
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    Two
    Hey guys, it might seem a bit weird for a first post after lurking on Prius Chat for the past 6 months without saying a word but I would like to hear from those of you who have been able to compare firsthand between the regular prius and the prius C. The reason I'm asking is because I literally fell in love with the 2013 C when comparing it's performance AND fuel efficiency to my own regular 2012.

    My girlfriend just got her C yesterday and she doesn't know anything about pulse and glide or about using the road to your advantage when trying to get the best MPG score with a prius. Although I consider myself to be far from a pro, I do put a lot of attention to the way I drive the Prii to get the best scores. So where I'm getting at is this : she got an easy 65 MPG (3,6L/100km for us canadians) while I, using the driving techniques, barely get the same score... I'm officially jealous!! Also, I've noticed that her battery doesn't charge/discharge as much as my own. And finally, she seems to be able to easily accelerate in all electric for a longer period of time than me.

    Am I the only one to have noticed this? Is it normal that my battery constantly fluctuate and that my acceleration is a lot slower? As I said I'm not entirely a newbie but now I am starting to question my knowledge of the Prii. I know the C is lighter and all but hey, aren't all Prius supposed to follow a certain efficiency ratio that's relatively similar?

    Anyway Thanks in advance for your own experience comparing the Prius to the Prius C and for any help you can get me!
     
  2. ewxlt66

    ewxlt66 Active Member

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    Maybe it's because her battery is newer?
     
  3. Stephane Drapeau

    Stephane Drapeau New Member

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    Two
    It would be strange, I have had mine for only 7 months or so. Also the comparison can't be 100% accurate since it's neither the same year or model but hell the difference is humongous! Also, when I got mine the temperatures were dropping and, as some may know, winters in Canada (Quebec in my case), are pretty evil on the prii's performance. But right now with the same conditions, she still equals my performance easily without effort damn :p
     
  4. Quattro

    Quattro Member

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    I think it all comes down to driving style. The best way to find out is to swap cars & drive in the exact same stretch of road w/similar conditions & ECO settings. Make sure both of you are in the same car during the test or the load will be different.
     
  5. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Sooner or later you're going to have to accept the fact that, statistically, women are better drivers. (Puts on flame suit) :D

    My wife consistently gets better mpg in our Prius than I. She drives much more leisurely, and has a high tolerance for people tailgating her. ;)
     
  6. Stephane Drapeau

    Stephane Drapeau New Member

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    Very good idea to try driving the cars with the same settings and conditions to see what might be going on.

    About the driving style, well... I'm considered to be the defensive, slow and considered driver of the couple. My girlfriend is usually more aggressive behind the wheel lol :p the Prius might change her the way it did me and then she'll beat me even more ;)!

    I'll keep you posted tho! I won't go down on the fuel efficiency war without a fight :D
     
  7. michinnom

    michinnom Member

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    the c is rated to get only slightly better mpg. it's less aerodynamic which is why it is only slightly better. you can easily best her mpg if you refine your technique. hardest part is maintaining consistency throughout the entire tank.
     
  8. Stephane Drapeau

    Stephane Drapeau New Member

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    Two
    Indeed, michinnom, I find it hard to be consistent. I can do really good on some of my trips just to knock down my score with a few bad days. I am getting better at getting consistently good scores but there is definitely room for improvement. Heck, I'll even endure 35°C/95°F to get a more efficient trip even though I have a very bad tolerance to heat!

    Then again, I was really impressed with the C. I rode with my girlfriend four times since she had it and it just seems like the car is more zippy in EV and drains the battery at a much slower rate. As I've said, my gf doesn't pay much attention to the way the car works for now although she is quite curious about learning all the tips and tricks that PriusChat has to offer. So she won't pay attention to the proportion of EV use or anything like that and still, she got great scores.

    Oh well, anyway :p, I still need to find time to try out Quattro's idea!
     
  9. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    I suggest you use the air conditioning since it's the only thing cooling the the traction battery.
     
  10. Stephane Drapeau

    Stephane Drapeau New Member

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    Really? I always thought using the AC was a detriment to fuel economy. I usually try to use it sparingly because of that belief. Are you telling me I can put the settings to winter time bliss without an ill effect on consumption?! That would be pretty awesome.
     
  11. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    No you might use more gas. But, your traction battery needs to be keep as cool as possible or it will degrade faster. The car uses inside air to cool the battery.
     
  12. Stephane Drapeau

    Stephane Drapeau New Member

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    Well that's good to know, thank you for the tip!
     
  13. xraydoug

    xraydoug Active Member

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    Location:
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    My wife and I looked at the 2012 prius and decided to get the camry hybrid. we love this car, and now I got a 2013 prius c , I also love it. IMO if you do lots of freeway driving with lots of weight in car. I think the prius c is a little low on power for our mountains at 65-75 with the car loaded. The prius c will do it but the prius would be better. Also consider the camry it has so much more power, and we sitll get 41 mpg average over the 25k so we are happy.:p The prius c is great for in town and also has enough power for freeway unless you load it down. If you drive the car with only one or two in it I think the prius or prius c are great for all types of driving, but if you need to get around a truck going up hill with a loaded car you may wish you had more power. my advice to go test drive them with similar loads that you will have and in similar types of driving. Do some in town stop and go. check out the acceleration go ahead and put your foot all the way down and see how that works for you. then go out on freeway and get up to 65 then see how it picks up with your foot all the way down.

    I really like my prius c and I think it hass plenty of power for me. I usually dont make trips with the car loaded down. This car goes from 65-80 to pass better than I need it to. Also I have heard that the prius c is noisy, (y) but you would be suprised how quiet it is. Our roads out here in Oregon are smooth compared to other places I think bumpy highway roads might be an issue in this little car. so far I get over 60 mpg :p and I know it would be much better if I didnt get to work about the time the car is all warmed up:mad:

    All said the prius is a great all around car, also prius c is a great smaller car. If you are at all unhappy with the ability to accelerate with a loaded down prius, try the camry XLE hybrid it has 200 hp but it feels like much more.:LOL:
     
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