Why did you choose a C over a liftback?

Not sure. Foreign cars usually have higher insurance, but if you look at other cars in this group, Mazda 2 is made in Hiroshima and insurance is very low. I suspect it is b/c of hybrid drive, they would need to bring it for repairs to dealer, and that would drive repair costs up.

Also worth checking with different insurers the is a big gap. My Eirie rates are ridiculously low on "C": full coverage only 150$/year more then liability on Talon.

 

Even less.

 

It was discussed here before actually:

How did the C end up on the most ticketed list?!?!?! | PriusChat

Like I theorized in that post, it's probably because the c is affordable, so likely to be driven by lots of younger guys who don't have enough cash to get a fancy sports car and/or may want to save on gas while driving fast. They are also statistically going to get more traffic tickets/accidents as well.

The article also makes mention of higher end cars costing less to insure, because they tend to be driven by older people, as they usually have more disposable income to use, and probably don't want to crash their ride by driving it fast and recklessly weaving in and out of traffic. So that translates into safer driving, and less accident claims to have to make.

Of course, there are exceptions to that last statement I made, such as this guy who wrecked a brand new Dodge Challenger an hour of owning it:

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Crash: Totaled in Colorado after 1 Hour from Purchase - Updated - autoevolution

 

Beg to differ. It was my initial impression too, but there're several facts which do not fit into this theory. For one, regular Prius insurance as high, and it is way down the ticketed car list. Second, the other cars also popular with young like Spark, Mazda, Scion have lower rates

 

I picked the C over the hatch because of the price. Simple as that.

 

Someone else mentioned earlier - we get a greater range of colours in the c. And I drove a lift back (we had them in the company fleet), and it didn't do it for me. The split rear window was really distracting.

 

In 2012 the C was $5000 cheaper than the liftback and more compact... I average on the highway 3.9 to 4.1 L/ 100km in the summer and 5.4 to 4.5L/100km in the winter

 

Interesting article...it would surprise me if the lions share of tickets is due to speeding violations given how long it takes a Prius C to get up to speed. I would think younger guys who would purchase a Prius C would not be in the same market for a sports car even if they do have the funds...if they have limited funds, they would probably buy used, and there are preowned sports cars out there that are cheaper than used Prius Cs. Plus, I would think younger guys with a speed mentality would not want to be spotted in town driving a Prius as their only car.

 

If I based my opinions only on the postings in this forum, I'd say that most C owners are obsessed with how it looks and how much speed they can get out of it.

 

From what I recall the difference btw #20 and #115 on the list was only 1.5%. Nowhere study indicated that the tickets were received in the XYZ car, or those were speeding tickets. And it doesn't explain high insurance on Prius hatchback, which is down the list #72(? don't remember). Have to find study before get hand slap.

My co-worker used to have Viper and Gen2 Prius. In 6 years he put 205K on Prius and sold Viper with less then 30K. I suspect the Prius performance is due to miles Prii owner put on them; YMMV

 

Agreed - I suspect there is not much a correlation between insurance rates and the data from that article. As you mentioned before, in event of a collision, it's probably more expensive to fix a Prius than a gas-only Corolla (particularly if this affects the battery cells or hybrid electrical system). I was browsing through an extended warranty program for kicks (Route 66), and noticed that they charge over 70% more for hybrids than standard vehicles (but same price for 'premium' vehicles - not defined in their latest brochure, but I assume this includes basic BMWs, Mercedes, etc. which are more expensive for parts & labor). While Prius cars are overall great and reliable, they can be severely compromised in event of an accident.

I think owning a Prius and a performance car is a perfect combination...one for commuting and one for pure driving enjoyment. Prius' performance and value hold pretty strong even after 50-100k miles, whereas it has a heavy toll on depreciation and wear/tear for a car like a Viper (more of a weekend or semi-weekend car). It doesn't make sense to me why people would own a Prius C for purposes of constantly speeding, though it might be interesting to test out the top speed once in a blue moon - but I would imagine guys of all ages and economic statuses would do that with any car, not just younger guys w/ smaller bank accounts.

 

I believe a Tesla S and a BMW i8 would be a better combination myself.

 

I was wrong there is more discrepancy in ticket rate; here is car ticket info:
Which vehicles get the most traffic tickets? | Insurance.com

Here is an example of Progressive Direct rates for 21yo male student, 5 years licensed, no tickets
2014 Mazda2 - rank #10 28.1% rate insurance 21yo male student $1109.00/6mo
2014 Prius C - rank #20 27% rate, insurance 1568.00/6mo
2014 Prius - rank #89 23.1% rate, insurance $1568.00/6mo
2014 Mirage - rank #273 18.9% rate, insurance $1156.00/6mo
2014 Spark - rank #140 21.1% rate, insurance $1109.00/6mo
2014 Fiesta - rank #130 21.9% rate, insurance $1250.00/6mo
2014 FR-S - rank #3 32.6% rate, insurance $1445.00/6mo
2014 Miata - rank #247 19.4% rate, insurance $1464.00/6mo

as you see the ranking and insurance rate not necessarily correlate.

Viper is special as there arent that many of them made ~2,000 a year or so. But even with low depreciation rates, drop in value on 100K+ car will be huge. From value point of view for a sporty drive 2016 Miata may be the best deal around. Underpowered, but still good handling, decent MPG, and OK insurance. FR-S is a great car but MPG just isn't there.

 

why would you state things about a miata that a fr-s also excels in (and also is underpowered too), then turn around and say that a fr-s wouldn't cut it because it doesn't have the mpg? when a fr-s has better mpg then a miata (25-34mpg compared to miata's 21-28mpg), and even if both cars are supposed to be fun cars...even fun boys and girls needs to buy groceries or things once in a while or haul their carless friends around...so a fr-s would probably be a better bet

 

I meant upcoming 2016 Miata. It is fitted with the same engine as Mazda3 which gets 41hwy. Would not expect it less in smaller 650lbs lighter Miata.

FR-S 34hwy is rated with automatic, with std it is 30hwy, plus it requires premium. FR-S will cost $500 a year more in fuel than Mazda3 with stick @15,000mi annual.

 

I chose the "C" for several reasons.

1. I was retiring at the time and wanted to pay cash for a quality vehicle that got great mileage, and my limit was $25.000
2. I am petite and needed a car that I could see over the dashboard/hood in.
3. I live in a city where parking is at a premium and needed to be able to squeeze in between all the monster SUV's

Orange is one of my favorite colors. It is the color scheme throughout my home, and I wear it a lot. So, my "C" is habanero. People have come up to me and tell me they either "love" my car and wish they had the "nerve" to buy one, or they tell me they "hate" my car and I have a lot of "nerve" buying one. That stupid statement generally comes from people who are pissed off because they can only buy $25 worth of gas at a time and it lasts them for three days.

And sometimes when I get out of the car, heads turn......I've had more than a dozen people tell me they have NEVER seen an African-American driving a hybrid. Weird, eh?

 

i wasn't even thinking about the size/maneuverability when i bought my c, but it is a great advantage.

my old car's turning radius was [one of, if not the] worst in it's class, driving my c now is a night and day difference. extremely helpful in tight parking structures.

 

I am not a woman and I am not black so not sure now to react to such comment... would feel insulted?? What is surprising there, that I have a driver license??

 

I bought a C for the mileage and the interior. I like the way it feels and the simple layout. I drive about 3-400 miles a week. And get paid 57.5 cents per mile. The car pays for itself in gas. The better the mileage the more profit for me. I financed it with house money and I'll let the mileage checks pay for it.

My stereo sounds more than good enough as well. With the power options and aggressive 2015 front end I feel good about the purchase. I have 3 young boys but they never ride in my car for work. I have 2 suvs if we need the space. With the gas mileage tho I imagine I would take the prius on trips. They actually fit in it just fine but I will need a cargo rooftop box before any real traveling can be done.

 

Money .. it's a gas

The regular Prius was well above my budget. I was originally considering the Veloster (for its bad boy looks and warranty), the Insight (for its hybrid credentials and anticipated discounts) and a young second-hand Impreza (for the 4WD and residual value). Almost picked a Veloster, but the Toyota dealership happened to be open on Sunday, so I stopped by and spotted a bright red Prius c a few grand below the sticker price. I didn't even bother to test-drive it, just ensured my work gear would fit inside