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Test drive impressions + photos!

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by lensovet, Mar 8, 2012.

  1. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    So out of the blue decided to call the local Toyota dealer this morning and apparently they had a bunch of c's so I went out to check them out. Also took a bunch of photos, which you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101086196300713.2996509.1230541&type=1

    The Habanero color, which I was personally set on despite the badmouting on this forum, looks way too pastely for my liking. It's actually not bold/bright enough. It's like they had a good color and decided to mellow it out for no apparent reason. A hint of pink where none was necessary.

    The storage in the back is tiny. I mean, there's more space there than in an iQ for sure, but still, tiny. I feel like you get a large suitcase in there and a coat/laptop bag and that's it. This car doesn't make any sense if you want to go skiing with more than one other person. For me, it would be a downsize from the trunk in my Accord, and it seems kind of silly to buy a new car that would have less space than your 15-year-old beater.

    In terms of driving – in the photo album you can see what sort of mileage I was getting — we did a quick freeway segment and it was very very difficult to drive at 70+ mph without engaging the gas engine. Coasting was not a problem, but putting the slightest pressure on the gas pedal resulted in gas engine turning on (and I'm not new to this — have driven many Priuses over the years so I've done it before without a problem). As far as the car being "fun" — not really sure, I tried taking some turns too fast, and while I didn't feel like the car was going to turn over, I didn't get the impression that it was on "all four feet" either (think sharp right at 25 mph or so).

    The radio in the One is absolutely horrible. I mean just ridiculously bad. Super quiet and super dull.

    They didn't have a Four with the wider tires so I didn't get to try that.

    Anyway, at this point I'm highly leaning against getting this car.
     
  2. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Side note: I didn't realize Facebook would so massively compress the photos, but you can get full-size originals by clicking the gear and then Download.
    Also, the last two shots of the consumption display are not from the car I was driving — it was just to show what's available on the screen for the models with navigation/entune.
     
  3. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Oh yeah, also, no touch tracer on the One (and Two, apparently, according to Toyota site)
     
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  4. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Haven't been near a real c yet since they just arrived at the dealership today, but I understand the principle of the car. Small fuel efficient commuter with the capability to carry 3 passengers and not too much baggage.

    A Prius liftback will get a maximum or 3 people to the slopes with skis no longer than 182 cm inside the load area (at an angle) and a minimum of gear. The c might get two or three people to a ski area, but they better use snow boards. Short snow board. And the c One will really have trouble because the rear seat back isn't split, so someone would have to stay home most likely.

    Our old Gen II Prius rear seats were usually in the folded down position and really did handle cargo duties pretty well. Skis, travel baggage and all. The c should do fairly well with the rear seats down, too, but you have to buy a car that will fit your needs. The c will fit the needs of many who commute and don't want to spend a fortune for fuel. In daily driving, the majority of cars I see rolling in to work usually have only one passenger on board, no matter what city or town.

    Plenty of room in back of the c with 2 on board and the rear seats down to get groceries, weekend supplies or even do some traveling.

    Most reviews have already mentioned that the c One has a very weak sound system, if you can call it a sound system. Radio is probably a better way to describe it.

    Sounds like you need to shop for a bigger Prius or something a little more 'sportif' that can make faster 25 mph corners. Ford's thinking hard about bringing over the Fiesta ST!
     

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  5. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    The facebook link you posted goes to a page that says "This content is currently unavailable."
    Could you upload the pics to PriusChat?

    There is definitely more space in the back of a Prius c than an iQ. I sat in the back of both just two days ago. I couldn't really sit in the iQ. I kind of squished myself into the make and "made it work." The Prius c, although yes, definitely smaller than the Prius Liftback, could fit a mountain bike in the back. (Yes, I know this because I have a mountain bike and I put it in the back of my car all the time. Because I am in the market for a Prius c, I definitely evaluated that when I looked at it two days ago).

    I can not comment on the way it handles because I did not drive it. I did not listen to the sound system either.
     
  6. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Thanks for the heads-up about the link; this one should work ok even for those who are not logged in: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101086196300713.2996509.1230541&type=1&l=af02a12dd0
    (the previous link had a visibility of "Public" but required a login)

    Re: skiing, couldn't you fit 4 people inside? In my group of friends I have the longest skis, and those are just 165 cm.

    You're right that the c could probably do fine with just having the rear seats folded down all the time. The only problem with that for me personally is that given the way I drive, my luggage would probably kill me before I get to my destination because it would be flying forward. Of course the other issue is that if you're hauling a lot of people, you're also probably bringing a lot of luggage, and there isn't much room for that in the car. And I'm not questioning the fact that the car will fill a very useful and nontrivial role in the buying market — just that given my personal needs, it's pretty much become a non-starter for me because of the small space.

    Re: the iQ, that was a bit of a joke :) and I was referring to cargo capacity, not seating capacity — the back seats in the c are definitely more than acceptable.
     
  7. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    also, I just added captions to all the photos in case it wasn't clear why I was taking pictures of the things I was photographing.

    Re: cornering, I do not know, I feel like the 2003 Prius corners better. There's more lean during the turn, so if you're not ready for it, you might freak out and think that the car is about to tip over, but the wheels are actually still on the ground and you don't have any lateral skidding on the road itself. With this car, I felt like I was turning too hard. I'm coming from a 1997 Accord with what I believe is a rather crappy suspension, so I'm used to what are effectively sideways skids on turns that are taken too fast…but reviewers keep hammering how this car is supposedly "more fun" to drive…I just didn't get that impression. Sure, the liftback feels a bit like a boat, but at least it doesn't stray from the course, which at the end of the day is primarily what matters…

    (the Ford looks cool, but it's a Ford, and it runs MS software…and it's only a 3-door, which raises the same capacity problems that the c has, lol)
     
  8. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    in measured tests, Prius c handled A LOT better than G2 or G3.
     
  9. priusCpilot

    priusCpilot Active Member

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    This is why I bought mine. Im surprised how hard I can corner in it haha. Can't wait to take vids
     
  10. R11

    R11 New Member

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    Great pic of the rear wiper. Ever since I saw the first image of the C rear end I have been amazed at how short it is. I guess it's only designed to cover the portion of the window visible between the rear headrests ;). As far as handling goes, certainly the car is not supposed to be considered as a vehicle to jam into corners...


    ron
     
  11. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Good point. What about G1?
     
  12. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Re: skiing, couldn't you fit 4 people inside? In my group of friends I have the longest skis, and those are just 165 cm.

    You're right that the c could probably do fine with just having the rear seats folded down all the time. The only problem with that for me personally is that given the way I drive, my luggage would probably kill me before I get to my destination because it would be flying forward. Of course the other issue is that if you're hauling a lot of people, you're also probably bringing a lot of luggage, and there isn't much room for that in the car. And I'm not questioning the fact that the car will fill a very useful and nontrivial role in the buying market — just that given my personal needs, it's pretty much become a non-starter for me because of the small space.
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    Re: cornering, I do not know, I feel like the 2003 Prius corners better. There's more lean during the turn, so if you're not ready for it, you might freak out and think that the car is about to tip over, but the wheels are actually still on the ground and you don't have any lateral skidding on the road itself. With this car, I felt like I was turning too hard. I'm coming from a 1997 Accord with what I believe is a rather crappy suspension, so I'm used to what are effectively sideways skids on turns that are taken too fast…but reviewers keep hammering how this car is supposedly "more fun" to drive…I just didn't get that impression. Sure, the liftback feels a bit like a boat, but at least it doesn't stray from the course, which at the end of the day is primarily what matters…

    (the Ford looks cool, but it's a Ford, and it runs MS software…and it's only a 3-door, which raises the same capacity problems that the c has, lol)
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    Ford is considering a 4 door model for the States' Fiesta ST. I like 2 door hatches for looks, lighter weight and rigidity, not convenience. There's always the upcoming Focus ST (or lesser model). It's a bigger car that would be fairly comparable with your current Accord in size. Maybe even more roomy inside that the Accord, not sure. MPGs are reported to be pretty good for a non hybrid, too.

    That was basically my point about the c... that it probably wouldn't fit your needs especially using the dynamic driving style you report and the interior space you require. I would definitely invest in a good quality tie down net to help keep all that luggage/gear from flying about your car's interior as you fling it into full G limit turns and braking maneuvers! A car with a proper trunk might be able to better manage baggage control under those kinds of hard driving conditions!

    If we all skied on much shorter skis, we could easily get one more person in our car. Unfortunately my 182s are the shortest ski I've ever skied! Others in my ski group average 170 to 178cm skis. I'm planning to demo a set of 174 Blackeye TIs next week for the softer Spring snow we're going to have around here the rest of March and hopefully April. But they still won't be short enough to get that 4th passenger in the car. Maybe I'll get one of those roof top box carriers from Thule or Yakima!

    Not even the Prius liftback or the newer v would really fit your needs if you plan to drive at 10/10ths all the time. Prius are aimed more towards fuel efficient travel that can only be achieved from somewhat gentler driving techniques. But there are plenty of other, more sporty cars being produced that would easily fit your needs!

    Keep us updated on what car you eventually decide to buy. It's always a fun search!
     
  13. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Well, if you drive aggressively in a hybrid, you're still going to get better mileage than a non-hybrid :) if I'm not stuck in city driving, I end up beating revised EPA estimates for my Accord, and there's a very good reason for cornering quickly and rolling through stop signs — you need to spend less energy accelerating back to cruising speed after coming out of them (for example, 28 mpg on 330 miles w/an avg speed of 64 mph; EPA rating 26 highway mpg).

    I'm guessing you're doing cross-country skiing, which would explain the longer skis.

    I've driven the 3rd gen Prius multiple times as a rental. My MPG off the MID is usually in the mid-40s with freeway speeds of 74 mph. My main philosophy while driving is something like "conservation of momentum" — I maximize CC usage, aggressively change lanes to get around slow drivers so I can keep moving at my speed, laxly enforce following distances so I don't mirror 100% the speed of the cars in front of me, turn quickly through turns to minimize braking, anticipate lights, etc. If anything, these techniques should give a bigger fuel economy boost on the Prius since coasting etc. can be done on electric power only.
     
  14. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    At this point it's going to be a liftback or PHV, honestly. The only question for me is how long of a wait there will be to get non-preorder PHVs, and what the price of them will be, and how much I want that moonroof in my car…
     
  15. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Not guessing right! We're talking Alpine skis... like downhill. :smow:

    But I do cross-country ski every once in a while, with 205cm traditional cross-country skis and 195cm skating skis!

    Mid 40 MPG is pretty fair for a 2nd Gen, but we were normally getting 50 to 54 MPG with our '05. Haven't had our 2011 long enough to get a good average. Just got it a couple of weeks ago. There are a lot of great hypermiling ideas you can find right here on PriusChat that will work with almost any car, except the pulse and gliding part. Normal ICE powered cars can't glide that well!
     
  16. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    heh, I said 3rd gen. I am getting my mom's '03 tomorrow, so we'll see what sort of mileage I'll be getting on that. But for me personally, that car is more fun to drive than the Accord — go figure! I'd keep it but the reality is that it's almost 10 years old and the lack of fold-down seats in the back makes it a real buzzkill for any kind of hauling (or skiing…).
     
  17. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Oops! My bad, I meant to type 3rd Gen. Finger-brain disconnect!

    It's amazing how many 1st Gens are still out there. They get pretty good MPGs too. What was your Moms average MPG on her '03? Let us know what you get out of it.

    One of these days I'd like to drive a 1st Gen. The problem with that is I've never seen one for sale at any of our local dealership lots. People must be very happy with their 1st Gens, I would guess!

    You can always see if you can fashion a ski bag from the trunk through the middle of the back seat. Audi (and some other sedan type cars) had those for a while. Does it have a fold down arm rest back there? Would be interesting to see if it could be done.
     
  18. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    Here is Edmunds Insideline (always testing at same track):
    0-60:
    Prius G1: 12.8s
    Prius G2: 10.4s
    Prius G3: 10.3s
    Prius v : 10.5s
    Prius c : 11.3s

    Slalom:
    Prius G1: 57.2mph
    Prius G2: 59.6mph
    Prius G3: 61.2mph
    Prius v : 59.3mph
    Prius c : 64.3mph

    Braking:
    Prius G1: 128ft
    Prius G2: 132ft
    Prius G3: 124ft
    Prius v : 131ft
    Prius c : 118ft

    Prius G3 was V with better tires and handling.

    Here is the handling comment about Prius c:

     
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  19. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Ah I wish! In fact, my accord has the pass-through you're describing, and it's amazing, I've managed to put three skis through that with no problem. Unfortunately none of the Prius models have this.

    My mom, I believe, normally gets ~45 mpg without any of the "techniques" so frequently mentioned here, but she's also a bit of a cautious driver. I suspect I'll be pulling similar numbers but just driving everywhere faster :)
     
  20. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    Which c are they testing btw, the Four w/16" wheels?

    Pushing the car to ESC, however, feels a bit like cheating…