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What is the Point of the C Model??

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by kenmce, Mar 12, 2012.

  1. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    Went down to the the Toyota dealer, no pluggables in stock but they had one of the Prius station wagon and one of the "C". The C is basically a third gen. Prius with the trunk sawed off. Their initial price is modest, but I could get a lightly used normal Prius for the same price and still have a trunk.

    What advantage does the C have over any other car? What are you supposed to do with one of these?
     
  2. outhouse

    outhouse Member

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    best fuel economy of any hybrid car out there.
     
  3. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    you can get used corolla for much less and it will run forever, so whats the point of any other car i guess?
     
  4. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Not everyone needs a car as large as the Prius. Just because it's not the best choice for you, doesn't mean it's not the best choice for others. Preliminary sales figures suggest it will do very well in the marketplace.

    Comparing apples and oranges is like judging new cars against old ones.
     
  5. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    The driver's seat (and front passenger's) is at least twice if not three times as good as that in the 2nd gen 2004-09 Prius'.

    c is about 16" shorter than 2nd /3rd gen Prius, easier to park.
    c will get 5 more MPG in city, maybe more than that if EPA estimate is low.
    c apparently a whole lot more frisky and fun to drive than regular Prius.
     
  6. formula

    formula Member

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    I love the C more than the Prius. lol more fun to drive.
     
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  7. HabaneroBomb

    HabaneroBomb Junior Member

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    I second that motion! The Prius c corners like a champ - think Mazda Miata but not as fast, very nimble with flat cornering! I can do u turns on city streets!
    And 60 mpg can be obtained in real life city driving with Eco turned on, just follow the Eco meter! And my tuba fits in the back!! And finally I can now afford to buy a hybrid, thanks to the Prius c!
     
  8. mpb

    mpb ção

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    The prices of the C and liftback do overlap but the C is cheaper when comparing features. Don't forget the C is a new model and it should be difficult to bargain. I guess the difference will increase in the future
     
  9. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Yep. It's also starts at a significantly lower price than the '12 Prius Two.

    Buying a used Prius or any car means having less peace of mind (you don't know how the car was treated before) and potentially less warranty left. There will eventually be used Prius c's...
     
  10. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    The Prius c, is Toyota's North American entry level hybrid.

    In many environments, large cities, smaller vehicles are popular.

    Believe it or not, there are advantages to driving a subcompact.

    For some people, lower entry price point for a new Hybrid will be a huge attraction.

    Basically Toyota has started the Prius Family with Small, Medium and Large...and Plug In....

    Each with diverse buy in points...and trim levels.

    I hope Prius c , continues to be popular. Aqua is evidently a huge seller overseas.


    I do think demand is likely to taper off some, once Prius c is no longer the latest or newest thing available.

    "What are you suppose to do with one of these?"

    I suspect Toyota hopes people will buy them, drive them and enjoy them. So far early returns suggest that is what people are doing...
     
  11. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    It's smaller and lighter than a Prius liftback. It's cheaper. It's inherently more efficient, especially in city driving. (Just don't drive too fast). It has better rear visibility due to the more conventional shape. They say their target market is the young, but that's just because they're keen on hybrids. But, in truth, if you don't have children or drive a lot of miles alone or as a couple (that's us) and the cargo space is sufficient for you as a couple (with the rear seats down if necessary) why spend more on the liftback?
     
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  12. Sunkiss'd C

    Sunkiss'd C Junior Member

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    I don't know...the rear headrests seem to get in the way of the cramped rear windshield. Maybe you're talking about with the rear seats down?
     
  13. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    I thought trunks only referred to the luggage compartments of the sedans. Since the Priuses are hatchbacks, "the trunk sawed off" doesn't sound right.

    These are the specs on the cargo volume:

    Prius c: 17.1 cu. ft.
    Prius: 21.6 cu. ft.
    Prius v: 34.3 cu. ft.

    Prius c cargo volume is 80% of Prius. Prius cargo volume is only 60% of Prius v. A Prius v owner could then simply ask you what you are supposed to do with one of these regular Priuses.
     
  14. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    The c will make a great commuter for anyone in or around a city. If you drive it gently, it will get huge MPGs. We saw 69.7 after two short test drives in town. The car indicated a much lower MPG figure when we first got in and started our drive. We found it to be a pretty nice riding car for its size.

    The c is a usable car for anyone that doesn't require more than 4 seats, and as a 2 seater with the rear seat backs down, it becomes a very nice small touring car that can still get those huge MPG numbers. Cheaper to travel in, compared to almost any other car out there. We manage a great 51 to 54 MPG with our Liftback Prius, but have never achieved 69.7 MPG. The best single mileage that I was able to get with our Liftback Prius was 59 MPG, and I thought that was great. We will probably buy a c and use it as a "2nd" car that happens to get huge MPGs! Might become the first car, who knows?

    So the advantage of a c clearly comes from its very high level of efficiency, especially now that fuel prices are up quite a bit.
     
  15. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    First what is the point of a yaris.
    - Its point is to be the cheapest car built by toyota:D

    What is the point of a prius
    - Its point is to get the best gas milage in a comfortable non-econobox manner

    Then the prius c versus yaris
    Much better mileage
    Much more refined drive train
    Better equipped
    Higher tech
    Larger cargo space
    better styling


    Prius c versus prius liftback
    Good
    - Same high mileage YMMV 53/46 vs 51/48
    - less expensive
    - better styling (subjective)
    - better handling (subjective)
    Bad
    - less room
    - less power
    - doesn't really look like a prius (subjective)
    - misses some options

    It seems the prius c combines some very good traits and will be a good seller. It will likely provide an entry point for a different segment of people that for reasons of price or style did not buy a prius.

    Finally IMHO c for city is really a stupid name. It really is more compact, but not really a city type car. It also makes the prius call itself liftback to differenciate from the c's hatchback. Don't think they thought out city that well. How about a locking box like a trunk because cars in the city get broken into. Where is the sub woofer sound system that you can blast? Where are my 17" or 18" rims.
     
  16. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    You can add that blaster sound system and sub. And you can also add the dubs, if you want to do that.

    The c, when it was first announced, wasn't explained. I thought the c would stand for compact, cute or maybe claustrophobic or something. City never came to mind. Honda already had a model called the City. So Toyota had to leave it to our imaginations, and left it on the car as a c. See?:)
     
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well it has the best mpg of any non-plug hybrid and it has the one of the lowest, if not the lowest price of any hybrid on sale today too.

    Reports here say it's pretty fun to drive compared to the Liftback and it also appears to get much better mpg than the EPA. (and we're still in winter though parts of the country feel like Spring and the cars haven't been broken in yet! Can't wait to see summer mpgs!)

    It's also a bit more conventional. It doesn't have the split rear window that some people cannot get used to. It's also more familiar to those that never drove a hybrid before (aside from the centre gauge cluster unless you've had a Yaris or xB before).

    And lastly, some people just don't need a big car. A Prius c is great in busy cities where those 16" can mean parking the car or circling the block, looking for another one.
     
  18. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    When I moved from a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass to a 1988 Honda CRX, I found out exactly the benefits of a smaller car with a sawed off trunk. I could park that little beasty ANYWHERE, and it could U-Turn on a dime.

    Edit - I looked it up turning diameter was 30.4 feet (radius = 15.2 feet)!
     
  19. LizKauai

    LizKauai First PriusC3 owner on Kauai!

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    Waaaaaay better mileage than the larger Prius if you pulse and glide... and have lots of stop and go or residential traffic.

    Benefits of way less carbon footprint. Spends a lot of time in EV mode.

    Glad I bought one.
     
  20. SquallLHeart

    SquallLHeart The Techie Guy

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    tuba??? I'm a drum corps geek.. what are you? lol..