Test drive impressions + photos!

Bad mouthing? Well I never bad mouthed it...just said it looked like Frie Sauce.

It's up to the individual whether they want fries with that....

And size? The Prius c has always been presented as being a subcompact. That's what it is.

If your priority is transporting people on skiing trips with equipment? Yeah...get a regular Prius or Prius v.

 

Looks like it was a C4 with the 16's.

2012 Toyota Prius C Four Full Test



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Canadian perspective: My dealer just got two Cs in, one Canadian base (US II), one tech pkg. I sat in it and drove it around the lot (it's not ready for driving yet.)

I have been test driving the '11 and '12 Prius liftback and am extremely impressed with the C. Right from the get go, it's zippier and more responsive. Handling is also quite nice, even around the lot.

The displays are better than the pictures reveal, nicer and clearer than the '12. The phone controls are on the wheel even on the base (my dealer wasn't sure.)

Sadly, I'm a big guy, 6', 300 pounds (and shrinking) and the elbow room was really limited and somewhat uncomfortable on the driver's door. Sitting in the back seat, there is lots of legroom available but the headroom was limited. I brushed against the ceiling.

The Kia Rio is bigger (it's been bumped up to compact class in Canada.) We started by test driving the Rio earlier in the year, just for reference.

My other impression is that they did a really good job with the texture on the plastics. IMO it looks nice, even nicer than the liftback in some ways.

The stick on the floor really 'clicks' and it feels like it's actually doing something even though it's just an electronic control. (I prefer the shifter on the liftback.)

The roof becomes thicker at the back and looks really well insulated for sound but I wish it had an extra inch there.

We have a young family of four and are considering it for environmental and personal economic reasons. It would be our first new car purchase and we're in our mid forties.

We'd like to add dealer installed heated seats but I (and the salesman) are wondering if they'll work with the seat air bags. It'll be a while before he has an answer.

I will post pics and further impressions when we do a full test drive tomorrow.

 

I think you'd be a lot happier with a gen III prius. Has the room while maintaining great mpg, nice styling, and descent sound system (although I think mine sounds perfectly fine after setting the stock EQ). With the right haggling, you can get a price that's not too far from the C's price.

 

Yes, I noticed this, too. My legs aren't large, but there was not an inch of space between my left thigh and the armrest on the door. It made the interior feel claustrophobic. It was my ONLY major issue with the Prius c. For comfort, I bought a Gen III Prius. The Prius c is still a great design, but it won't fit everyone.

 

this is funny. I am wondering where I can find this tiny wiper. lol

 

The very last thing I'm concerned about is how much crap can be stuffed in the back of the Prius C! The fact is, there isn't a better hybrid made by anyone else and the C fits a niche rather nicely for a small commuter car. If you routinely carry more than a single passenger, this is not likely the care for you. If you routinely carry sports equipment including skis, a roof rack is / will be a magical thing!

As for me? Although my commute is not terrible, it is still 30+ minutes of stop & go Minneapolis traffic each way. As we live in the heart of the Metro, having a car which excels in city mileage will be fantastic and the fact mileage goes up with speed actually may mean some of my daily grind can be done faster allowing me to potentially spent less time driving to and from work each day!

As to carrying capacity, I believe someone has already shown a half-dozen or so bags of groceries tucked into the back of the C, which isn't bad. Again, it's all about what you need and how the C will fit those needs as opposed to what it is incapable of doing or how bad it is compared to this, that or the other model.

Toyota appears to have done well. Being Prius owners, we already understand the benefit of the hybrid system and the overall quality of manufacturing. Heck, we just replaced our first headlight in 4 years and nothing else has ever gone wrong with our 2008! I am rather excited to semi-retire my Miata to the garage and look forward to ordering our C in May or June!