Looking for info

Not a Prius owner yet, but am seriously considering it. This seemed like a good active place for everything about Prii. My story, Army guy getting out soon to go to college, who has a 2010 Mazda 3 and a Toyota Tacoma. Looking at getting rid of the Mazda 3 and buy a hybrid but trying to decide which one. I've narrowed it down to these cars:
2012-15 Toyota Prius
2014-15 Honda Accord Hybrid
2012-15 Honda Civic Hybrid
2017 Hyundai Ioniq

My priorities are fuel economy, price, space and features.

Fuel economy is important as I am an Uber/Lyft driver in a city where 20 min trips are common, also to reduce fuel overhead. At least 40 mpg city and 45 mpg highway. The Honda Civic Hybrid according to EPA is the worst with 43 city, 45 highway. The Honda Accord Hybrid is next with 49 city, 45 highway. The Toyota Prius does 50 city, 46 highway and the Hyundai Ioniq gets 55 city and 54 highway.

Price wise the Ioniq is the most expensive and used inventory is slim since it only came out in 2017. The Honda hybrids are also rarer since they were only made for a limited run and Honda cars hold value well.

Space, it seems a no brainer the Accord would feel the most spacious since its a in a different class than the others. I was surprised by the Ioniq as it felt roomier than an Elantra. The Civic has grown and looks bigger than the Prius but about the same as the Ioniq. The Prius seems to take pride in its small size but that's not necessarily a negative thing for fuel economy.

Features, this is where I am not familiar. I just test drove an Ioniq and it was equipped with a package that included everything but a sunroof and leather seats. I fell instantly in love with it, being how I'm coming from a 2010 Mazda3 base model where the best thing it has is auto down drivers window, cruise control and intermittent windshield wipers. I guess Hyundai is stepping up their game but this wasn't a base Ioniq. So I guess my question is which of these cars comes standard with the most features or which car is the best value? Uber and Lyft riders do appreciate the creature comforts and showing them off can earn a good rating and maybe a tip. I would sacrifice for a higher mileage hybrid that has more features over a low mileage hybrid that has little to no features. The plan is to keep the car until Uber or Lyft says it no longer qualifies, so having features will future proof it against newer cars that come standard with them.

Dependability, I have no experience with any of these cars or any hybrid cars so I can't say. I own a Toyota so I guess I'm biased and their reputation for reliability is well known but Honda's don't seem to have many complaints either. Hyundai has the best warranty in the business but I'm not sure how reliable they are in the long run. I have no clue about battery life performance and replacement cost. All I know is what I've heard is that they can be expensive to replace, so a lifetime warranty on batteries is nice to hear but is that necessary?

This is probably a bad place to look for unbiased information but what would you say to someone to convince them to buy a Prius over those other cars?

 

I did look at the Camry and Avalon Hybrid as well as the Sonata and Optima Hybrid but they don't have much better fuel economy than normal gasoline only cars. My preference is a car that can get at close to or more than 50 mpg combined. I was surprised the Accord is more efficient than the Civic and actually the Civic misses. the 50 mpg mark.

VS995 ?

 

If I can find a fully loaded 2016 for $17k then I would go for it. $15k is the max I want to be though.

VS995 ?

 

The Mazda3 has 130k miles and I've had to do things maintenance wise I was not expecting and it still gives me issues. I have had a same mileage Acura and Subaru need nothing at all. I'm at the point where I want to stop dumping money in it to keep it on the road.

Its also not fuel efficient compared to other compact cars, nor is it very roomy, except the trunk is surprisingly big. I get 25 mpg around the city and maybe 30 mpg highway. Most miles are city, on average 250-260 mile range. I've been increasing miles every year and with a switch to civilian life I project more time and energy towards driving. On track for 15k miles driving part time. That's about $1,470 a year on gas for avg fuel economy. If I can halve that number, that would be a big help.

Maintenance wise the Mazda has needed a battery and terminal connectors, tires, front discs and pads, spark plugs, struts and shocks, inner and outer tie rods, sway bar links, driverside lower control arm, rear camber arms, A/C recharged (still sucks), cabin air filter, an air vent is broken, bent transmision pan replaced and a better trunk light.
Glove box light to work (bulbs are fine), shifter gets stuck in P sometimes, suspension or steering still pops and creaks, seat moves when braking or cornering (supposedly fixed through recall), radio static when braking or indicating on certain stations (its grounded well), unsure about reliability of passenger airbag, steering wheel and emblem are worn through, paint is oxidized all over top surfaces, has been in an accident that wasnt reported and driverside wheelwell, engine undercar shield and bumper have damage, rear bumper damage, battery cover broken, air intake damaged, and there's a plug missing in driver footwell letting outside air in. Some are minor but combined make it less enjoyable for myself and passengers that notice it. The car feels and sounds cheap and I know that's normal for a high mileage car but I want something that doesn't have all these faults for my peace of mind. My Tacoma has more miles and has no issues so I'm hoping to get that better Toyota fit and finish in a Prius.

VS995 ?

 

I've been looking at used 2016 Prii and noticed they aren't that much more and look and feel better. So now I'm focusing my search on one of these.

VS995 ?