Interested in a Prius C, but... inferior body style?

The coefficient of drag (Cd) of the C isn't particularly bad until you compare it to a regular Gen 3 Prius. The main reason it's not as good as a Gen 3 is that it needs to be somewhat box shape to have a useful amount of interior volume and it is a shorter car which makes getting as low a Cd as a regular Gen 3 all but impossible.

 

Compared to the SE-R, you're still going to save a ton on gas money, especially since the C-model burns 87.
You're only knocking down about 9K a year.
2-MPG? Not worth worrying about, IMHO.

Of course, you're going to have to pay some for the newer car, and there are going to be ergonomic differences between the Sentra and the C-type as well as performance delta's that you're also going to have to contend with.
If you're cool with all of those, then the 2-MPG difference between the C and the G is nothing.
They just started selling the C-model in the US.
My guess is that the re-design is years away, and it will not change the body shape that much. There's just not that many ways you can radically change the shape of something the size of a Yaris (or C-type.)
UNLESS.......
The folks in Aichi decide to actually deploy a two-seat roadster...


Good Luck!

 

You are the only one who can answer the worth of a C2 vs a C4. Take the list of differences and decide how much they are worth to you. Don't forget to consider that if you keep the car for long time you might be spending over 3,000 hours in it which might make something you just sort of want seem worth while.

My big problem with package deals like C2 toC3 to C4 is that the $5000 is most likely paying for some extras that you don't care about.

 

Aerodynamically the ideal shape is a teardrop. The liftback has a good imitation of a teardrop, but the v needs cargo room and the c is too short unless you quit having back seats. (CR-X?)

Honda CR-X - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drag coefficient - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Automobile drag coefficient - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

the reason why the Prius in general does worse on highway is the fact the hybrid system is much more suited for city driving... look at the V and the Liftback... EPA highway estimates are going to be worse than the city mileage estimates.. it's not a factor of aerodynamics really.. as the cd of the C isn't that much worse than the regular liftback..

it's the hybrid system itself... what information you are getting about the car having a lot of drag which causes poor MPGs.. is completely incorrect.. though there is a very small part of it that is true... it's not the main reason.

 

The Prius c's body style doesn't have to be fixed. A shorter car will generally yield a poorer cd, but, understanding that, the c does have pretty good aerodynamics for it's size. Toyota could make it more "aero", but then it would probably lose most of its utility and it's ability to hold 4 passengers in relative comfort. So some compromises do have to be made in the design process with the real world in mind.

The real conundrum you face is whether the Prius c would pay you an advantage if it replaces your Sentra. The Prius can achieve between 50 and 60+ MPG depending on how and where it's driven. On my test drive, we started with a very low indicated MPG figure and by around 10 miles it was up around 57 MPG. Then my son took over and drove the same 10 mile loop, ending up with an indicated 68 MPG. My wife also rode in the car, so we had a total of 3 people in the c during the 30 miles we put on it.

We were not hypermiling, and the drive took us through a mix of urban and suburban areas. MPG will drop some in highway driving, but if you keep it sane, it should return 50 MPG or so. Not bad at all.

So you are going to have to figure out the payment amount vs. your gasoline savings (say around 55 MPG compared to your Sentra's 26 MPG) to see if the Prius c allows you to save money overall. If I ever sell my car, I'll be going down to the Toyota dealer to order a c. This car fits my needs and I would really love getting that kind of mileage from each gallon of gasoline. I would be going from a competent little car that averages about 36-38 MPG to a car that would probably end up averaging around 55 MPG. Tough decisions.

 

if you want 2-door hybrid, honda CR-Z may be a good one? looks good.

 

If you want a C4 with a sunroof it as far as I've seen only comes with 16s as a package so you would have to special order it.

SGH-T989 ? 2

 

i have a fully loaded c4 16s and moonroof and love it. easy to obtain 50mpg all day

 

From what I've read about the cd of the c, I figure mpg would fall apart at 70 mph..
But, it seems to hang in there at 50 mpg, while at 70 mph..
Xringer's Prius C - Page 5 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com

Plus, my wife and daughter took our c2 for a 437 mile road trip to VT and noticed 50 mpg displayed at highway speeds (60-70 mph) on the way out and back.
They did a little slow driving in the towns (& hit some hills in Burlington VT) which is why the average shows 51 mph.

At no time was there any attempt at hypermiling. They were in a hurry...

~~~
So, I have to ask, how many hybrids can get 50 mpg at 70 mph on a long highway trip?
It sure makes me think the aerodynamics are pretty dang good..

 

I test drove one with 15s and one with 16s and there was a little harsher ride but not enough of a difference to stop me from getting the 16s. Try both and go with whichever suits you. The MPG difference isn't enough to worry about.

SGH-T989 ? 2