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Highway merging & uphills

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by jcal0820, Mar 27, 2013.

  1. jcal0820

    jcal0820 the 'Stan

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    After much research, I'm considering a 2013 Prius C. I commute on avg 40 miles each way on a daily basis. My usual route consists of freeway and uphills... overall, from actual owners experience, has it proven adequate, or more so, for merging with highway speeds and climbing upgrades? I've heard mixed reviews from professional reviewers, & would like feedback from real Prius C owners on this.
     
  2. winnertakesteve

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    100% "adequate" for sure. Merging safety was one of my biggest concerns going in as well. You don't win any drag races of course, but I've done just fine on the 400 series highways around Toronto Ontario, and they can definitely be as white knuckle as any US freeway!

    Hills are fine too. Honestly I've found it's more likely for the driver to hold back on the pedal than anything else, as you have all the various displays egging you on to drive for economy!

    One note that I haven't seen many people mention, so maybe it's just me, but the blind spots seem more pronounced than the corolla I'd driven previously, so I do find myself being extra vigilant when changing lanes and merging.
     
  3. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    I don't own a Prius c (but rather a 110 hp Gen 2 Prius), but IMHO, this is a subjective call. It depends on your tolerance, how much you have to press on the go pedal, how much vs. how much NVH you hear while you're accelerating and what you're used to.

    What make and model of car do you drive now so we can get an idea of what you're used to? Any Prius family member will of course feel weak next to 250 hp+ 6+ cylinder cars (esp. those w/smooth and quiet engines... e.g. my former 255 hp 02 Nissan Maxima).

    You can see how the c did in CR's acceleration tests at Fuel Economy vs. Performance | MPG vs. MPH - Consumer Reports and Fuel Economy vs. Performance | MPG vs. MPH - Consumer Reports .

    In the LA area, of course everyone drives fast there, provided the highway isn't jammed.

    If you want better acceleration, you should also consider a regular Prius (aka liftback) or MUCH better, a 2012+ Camry Hybrid. A previous gen Camry Hybrid (07 to '11) is slower but still much quicker than any Prius (Consumer Reports - Fuel economy vs. performance).
     
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  4. Rob.au

    Rob.au Active Member

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    For me, this car has absolutely zero problem merging onto our 110 km/h freeways - complete non-issue. I will be at traffic speed every time, without a second thought.

    Hill climbing - not the fastest car on the planet. Can it do it? Of course it can do it. If you're someone who is going to get upset because someone overtakes you or tailgates you because you're not doing 10 over the limit up the hill, you need to get another car.

    This is not a car for lead foots, but it can do everything any 2WD car can do.
     
  5. Emily Allerton

    Emily Allerton Junior Member

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    I also have a 40 mile commute, most of it highway and with a lot of hills. The car has done fine. It does lose a lot of speed on the hills if you let it but it won't if you accelerate enough--depends on your preference. Also, the merging is great. If you punch the accelerator, the car GOES like any other car, you just are compromising your MPG. I tend to average 42-48 mpg for my commute. And that is with me accelerating to merge and also up the hills, and averaging probably 73 mph.
     
  6. fourenty

    fourenty Junior Member

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    I agree completely. I have driven my C throughout the Andirondack and Catskill mountains. The C will climb hills like any other average 4 cylinder car. To do it, you will sacrifice mpg. Just like Emily said. It depends on your preference. My daily commute to work is just under 10 miles one way. I climb about 800 ft in elevation in those 10 miles. I average high 30's mpg up hill in the winter/cold days. Mid 40's summer/warm days. That might sound sort of crappy, but I easily get 65 mpg in the winter on the way home and up to 80 mpg in the summer. So if you average the up and down I am still happy with the overall mileage
     
  7. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    Is it a hotrod? No. Does it get the job done? Yes.

    Does it sometimes sound like it's working a bit hard to do the job? Yes. Is it? Probably not, it's just the nature of the transmission and engine speeds.

    By the way, the gas pedal goes all the way to the floor, though you'd be hard pressed to find many that ever do that. I do. If you have any questions about it, just ask.
     
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  8. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    I do, this car will outrun a lot of cars from 0-30:D, but it's that last 30-60 that really is a bog...:oops:

    But I have never found a time where I had to floor it. I've only done it when I want to.
     
  9. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    All the power an adult could need, just not all the power a boy could want.
     
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  10. jcal0820

    jcal0820 the 'Stan

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    Thanks for all the input... BTW, my route involves going up/ down the Grapevine on I-5 here in SoCal, for those who are familiar with that stretch.
     
  11. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    +1
    The Gen 3 engine is 98 horsepower, the same basic engine in non-Atkinson form puts out in the neighborhood of 140 hp at 6,000 rpm and higher compared to the Prius ~5200 rpm max. The Prius engine doesn't produce enough power to hurt itself, it just whines like its being abused when asked to do some real work.
     
  12. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Probably not any worse than the mountains in North Georgia... unless you are deep in Rocky territory.
     
  13. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    What makes the Grapevine a little hard on low powered cars is that it's a fair grade for many miles with traffic typically moving at 70mph+ so it's sustained high power output.
     
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  14. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Sounds a little like the Smokeys or the Apps.
     
  15. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Yep, I'm somewhat familiar with it. Driven to/from So Cal bunch of times.

    Now that I think about it more, how long do you plan to keep the car? On earlier Priuses (Gen 2 and earlier), there seems to be a correlation between early/earlier hybrid battery failure and either high temperatures or significant hills as a regular part of a commute. The Prius c's HV battery is only warranted for 8 years/100K miles.

    The regular Prius (liftback) and Camry Hybrid in CA and CARB states has a 10 year/150K mile warranty on the HV battery.

    If you think you'll keep the car past 8 years/100K miles, might be better not getting the c.

    Re: my earlier points, see 2005 Prius 241,000 Miles Hybrid Battery Replacement Story | PriusChat and a theory at 2005 Prius 241,000 Miles Hybrid Battery Replacement Story | PriusChat.
     
  16. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    If you do most of your miles at speed the Gen 3 hatchback might give you better mileage than the c.
    Doesn't the c get the CARB warranty on the battery? If not, get the hatchback for that, too.
     
  17. jcal0820

    jcal0820 the 'Stan

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    Now that you mentioned it, I heard about premature battery degradation of Prius and other hybrids from prolonged heavy loads like repeated steep grade drives... didn't know if it was just conjecture, rumors, or anything substantial, so never paid much attention to it. I know high temps also impact longevity. As for the warranty, I assumed all Toyota hybrids, and perhaps all hybrids sold in CA, came with 150,000 mile warranty on the traction battery. Maybe not.
     
  18. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    No. See http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms/T-MMS-13PriusC/pdf/2013_Toyota_Prius%20c_WMG_lr.pdf vs http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms/T-MMS-13Prius/pdf/2013_Toyota_Prius_WMG.pdf.

    One can look at the rest of the warranty booklets via Toyota Online Owners Manuals and Technical Manuals.
    Nope. I haven't checked all the Lexus hybrids but when I last checked the CT, it didn't get the 10 year/150K warranty, which is disappointing.
     
  19. vernon birdman

    vernon birdman Active Member

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    I have never had issues. I live and drive in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. (Look it up on Google Map) it is quite mountainous and climbs the mountains well.
     
  20. B2FiNiTY

    B2FiNiTY Active Member

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    The grapevine has pretty painful to go up in the c. I had to keep the pedal to the floor for most of it in order to maintain 60 in the slow lane.
     
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