Why did you choose a C over a liftback?

I was originally considering a used liftback when the c was announced. I would have had to get a fairly older model with very little features. The c was at the very top of my budget (or maybe slightly over...), but it meant I could get a brand new car with more features for only a little more money. And as luck would have it, when I test drove the c and sat in a liftback, I much preferred the feel/look of the c, inside and out. I've never disliked the look of the liftback, but I certainly do prefer the c. And it just confirmed what I already knew--I prefer a smaller car. The liftback felt too big, and I didn't like the center console.

I don't haul stuff around, have no kids or dogs (though I think it could handle one), and almost never have more than one passenger. I have no use for more space. It's perfect for me.

We wanted to replace my wife's 10 year old Corolla and had picked the KIA Rio as our main candidate.
The test drive wasn't too bad, but we wanted the ISG (Idle Stop Go),
since 90% of our driving was in heavy city traffic.
But then I started seeing some poor reviews of KIA's ISG implementation, and couldn't find a Rio with ISG installed.
Then we got the word it would be delayed (working out bugs). Later on, KIA said ISG was going to be on the new 2013 models.
When the projected price for a Rio with the ISG package came out, it was only $150 lower than a plan old 2012 C1.

So, we took a test drive in a C1. It was great! My wife loved it! (She's a Toyota fan).
But, it had no cruise control, so we asked for a red C2. There was one in transit.
We had our new C2 by that weekend..

I have had several people ask what kind of car it is and then say it looks "sportier" than a regular prius. I liked their comments

That's exactly what happens to me. I replaced my 2002 Solara with 193K trouble free miles which I loved in 2011 with a brand new camry.
That was a huge mistake. As a commute car I need something small and very practical, bumpy and reliable.
Still will be able accommodate my family of 3 short skiing and fishing trips.
So I was looking for something close to my first car, which was 1988 VW golf.
Yet MPG definitely had to be way better than 30 to justify my swap from camry.
That's why I rejected Veloster. Based on my friend's feedback Veloster real life mpg is close to 30.

So Prius C it is. I still couldn't understand how Toyota manages to kill
almost all cool factors every time when concept goes to production.

One word - Price! I believe most of us choosing a Prius (c) 'cause of the money... save ga$! Otherwise, we would probably drive a 300hp Lexus.

wanted a work car and knew it had to be a hybrid. I wanted something I could beat and not feel bad about. The liftback is nice but it's getting a bit long in the tooth. Once toyota announced this car was going to be 500lbs lighter, with a more traditional layout, along with more sporty handling, that was enough for me. I've driven the Gen 3's a lot when I rent. I was sick of seeing all types of people drive it. You got the single mom with a dog, or soccer mom, or single silicon valley guy who got it just for HOV stickers, or that school teacher....lol. It's definitely a different crowd than what I'm used to. I showed this car to my friends, and their attitude is "meh." Probably the best compliment I got was "it doesn't look like a prius!" Their reaction is typical since I have a few sport cars, and they thought I sold one to get this. I didn't and now I have a car to appeal to all the greenies out there.

I think that's one of the great things about the Prius line! That it appeals to all sorts of people. I'm pretty sure that's going to be the case for the c pretty soon too, though perhaps skewing slightly younger.

Originally I was looking for a Yaris due to my long distance work (190 miles approx daily). The sales representative show me the PC1, take the drive test and the car was amazing, better than driving a Yaris, plus the MPG savings between PC and Yaris.

Then was more the attraction when I drive the PC4 that the sale representative owns. Damn I wanted it but no PC4 at time, so I have no choice to buy the PC3.

I like how it looks, how the drive is, the challenges when driving to beat MPG rating.

I will definitely buy one of these in the near future.

For me, I do not really like the Prius at all, and the center "bridge" is just to odd for me. I always liked hatch backs. And the price and look of the C fits me.

I street park, and I like smaller cars.

Why did I get the Prius C? hmm......
..........I think the major factor was that the C doesn't look like a Prius.

Price was cheaper, Looked "cooler" im 29 still want to be a little youthful. I liked the the color display better and lack of big center counsel. I don't drive much highway so figured it would get just as good or better MPG than the regular Prius. I am happy with the car.

the liftback was my first choice, but the price .....

It was price and mileage for me! Where else can you get a brand new car that gets 50+ mpg for $18K and change? I too don't have any kids or dogs...just my wife and I so it's perfect for us.

I felt the same way about that "floating" console. While it might be ergonomically desireable I didn't care for the "divider" in the middle of the front compartment. The C's console on the floor just makes more sense to me.

I tested both- among other things, being only 5' tall myself, I could reach the handle of the open C hatch without hurting myself to close it, whereas the regular prius was too big.

I don't like the regular Prius styling. Looks like a giant door stop to me. The C looks more like my Yaris, basically like a normal sub-compact car, but with high MPG's.

Here's a side by side of the C next to my 08 Yaris 3-door.













They're about the same size.