Autoweek: hates 'prius c' less

Hi,

Ok, so Autoweek is not likely to ever care for a car that takes more than 6 seconds to reach 60 mph and driver seat that is not a 'comfy chair.' But apparently they dislike the 'prius c' less than the other Prius models:
2012 Toyota Prius C review notes - Autoweek

So what do they like instead?

Model	MPG	ft{3}
prius c	50	104
Honda Fit	30	112
Chevy Sonic	28	105
Hyundai Accent	34	111

Credibility loss here: "When you're not in Eco mode, and you floor it, the Prius provides a decent amount of push from the line, but no more."

Me: “Well, that's it.”
Passenger: “What do you mean?”
Me: “I got my foot to the floor.”
Passenger: “Are you serious? This is awful.”

....Sounds like they had some fun testing the 'Trial-sized' Prius, huh?
Really though.....what do you expect? AW is a car enthusiast's magazine!!
Despite this "bad press" from the "experts", Toyota is selling them.
All of them.
As much fun as it is to have folks in an automobile magazine say that something like "...the Sonic is a better alternative", I think that many people will be drawn to the C, just as they were to the adult sized Prius, and for many of the same reasons. Toyota doesn't seem to be having any problem moving them either.
At $25,100 (as tested) I personally think that the C-type is overpriced, but that doesn't matter now, does it? I always say that if there were ONE best car on the roads...there would only be ONE car on the roads.

Again...
Toyota is moving units.
All of them.
This either means that P.T Barnum was right all along, or maybe.....juuuust maybe, in this case the "experts" are wrong.

YMMV

I had a chance to finish reading Autoweek's review. When doing my shopping and decision-making for the C I had to decide what was important to ME - not to a car enthusiast reviewer (and boy there are many of them). I find some of the oft-repeated "cons" a little amusing to be honest - like how "slow" the C is. Well, I drove a Chevy Metro for 14 years. It had LESS hp than the C and I sure know it when I'm driving the C. Acceleration is DIFFERENT in the C but I expected that. I didn't expect luxury car comfort or handling. What I got was comfort and handling vastly superior to my previous cars (all hatchbacks). I'm not the kind of person that gets a new car every few years - the total cost to own the C becomes, in my opinion, a better calculation for a longer period commitment which I anticipate making.

My criteria? Fuel economy and reliability were at the top. But I wanted more comfort, more modern conveniences....and I got those in the C. (and the fuel economy that some of these reviewers get just cracks me up - they're clearly not grokking a hybrid on its own terms).

Last Saturday I was meeting with a group of friends, a few of whom didn't know I had a new car. They asked what I got - initially I just pointed out the window at my C3 habanero. One of them looked at it and turned to me and said "you got a sports car?!" (I had a nice laugh before explaining)

I agree with all of you who replied before me. I had a 2000 Camry before this and I guess I have always been a fast driver. I love that the Prius C helps me to focus on the MPG and helps me to be a more patient driver.

However, if I want to punch it, which I do sometimes, it can GO. No, no one should buy it for speed, but I find it can get up to 80 or 85 MPH very fast. I try not to do that but sometimes I just have to.

Overall, I am thrilled with this car--it has cut my gas expenses in half, which was what I had hoped for.

Yes!, the writers from these magazines are how old? Although, I have seen some well written reviews, others appear to be written by teenage boys. Whether or not a car accelerates to 80 in a couple of seconds makes the difference between a desirable car and a poor one. Strange criteria unless you are a race car driver. Hybrids are really in their own category and I have had no problem getting on the freeway at 70-75 from a short onramp so what gives? Another fact which is also promoted by Toyota is that the C is a city car. We get several mpgs better on the freeway than in town and we use ev and eco primarily in town and are very easy on the gas and brake pedals. Funny! This car is a great commuter. I am glad we test drove this car rather than believing some of the reviews written by so called professionals. I wonder how many people won't even try it due to the damaging and ridiculous article published by Consumer Reports? Hopefully people will read these posts and try the C out for themselves. If there is a problem with a car, buyers will scream out loud! So far, everyone buying the C seems to absolutely love it. We do!

I have 'new eyes' when driving around town seeing the various 'pony cars' the reviewers like . . . slowing down for the 25 mph school zone or fitting into 35 mph traffic on a 45 mph posted, rush-hour road. Even accelerating onto a ramp, no drama, just stay in the right lane until speed is up to move over. But often I'm not going very far and will be coming off in a couple of miles.

I would note we don't see a "Prius" or "Efficient Car" magazines. We see occasional articles in non-car magazines but nothing really in the 'trade' mags. But we are also only 2-3% of the market.

Bob Wilson

You can look at this another way. The Corvette ZR-1 is a truly amazing car, but it gets 14 mpg city.

Most Prius enthusiast would agree that it sure is fast, see the specs, but it only gets 14 mpg! That is "AWFUL" !!

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 - First Drive Review - Car Reviews - Car and Driver

If you noticed that the car magazines are more than $7 a pop. only the affordable will buy it.
In order to keep the circulation, the mags will have to cater to the rich. What pleases the rich are the fast luxury cars.
Once the writers have sat in those exotic cars, they will never look back to the econo boxes.
Their feeling is relative and the writing is relative.

These guys are just clowns. They should be in circus magazine instead of AW. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Chevy Sonic.

Thru scenic Brown County IN this past week, someone in a Prius C first made a single pass immediately followed up by an unusual double pass in 55 mph zones. Hum, . . . all while achieving 50+ mpG for the trip. I suppose those OLD dogs at AW can't learn new tricks like P&G.

Actually our Prius remain pretty efficient even when driven by idiots . . . Top Gear not withstanding.

Bob Wilson