A couple of short drives in the new c...

Finally got a chance to take a short drive in the new c. Air temperature was in the 30s, sunny and breezy. This was the only Prius c left at the dealership after only 3 days, a Black Sand Pearl package One, with zero options attached. They quickly sold the other 3 cs that came in.

The drive was accomplished in an urban/suburban area on a Saturday afternoon with only small elevation changes and 5 stop lights, which only 3 were red when I got up to them and had to come to a stop. Speed limits were observed, +/- 5 MPH and only spanned 35 to 45 MPH on this ride. Traffic density was not that bad.

I started the drive with 3 people aboard, including myself. After adjusting seat, mirrors and a quick familiarization with the non dongle shifter... we carefully pulled out of the dealership lot.

The first thing I noticed was the very tight body structure as we turned diagonally through a good sized road drainage depression. Absolutely impressed with the body rigidity, and even as we crossed a railroad track it felt solid.

Steering was well weighted and precise. No complaints here, although I noticed that the steering wheel was a little off center as we traveled straight down the road. Assembly might be pushing a little too fast to keep up with demand, maybe? Not sure bringing the same steering wheel design over from the 3rd Gen Prius Liftback was a good choice, but it probably saved some significant Yen in production costs. Then why didn't they also include the same dongle that's used in the rest of the Prius family? Economy of scale doesn't somehow work for the dongle?

Noise was the next surprise. This basic c was very quiet on the different road textures that we traveled on. No Lexus/Cadillac/Mercedes comparisons, but for this segment, it was quiet. Probably something to do with the tight body structure and tires.

The interior was roomy enough. Three adults in the car wasn't an issue. Front seats in this particular model seemed a little short under the legs, and could have offered more bolster support, but it is an entry level model and a small car to boot. The cushions were firm enough. It takes a lot more time in the saddle than we spent to really find out how these seats would perform on a longer trip.

The dash is OK. It really reminded me of the first Civic we bought in 1974... that had mostly sharp angles made from hard plastic. I used a '92 Suzuki Swift for about 10 years as a commuter module (I called it my "commute scoot"), and that car had a very good dash and console set up, so I'm not in agreement with most who have posted about this dash being the result of entry level economics.

It took Toyota 3 Generations of original Prius to finally get to a good driver's interior. So, I would hope that Toyota would make this interior better in the next Generation of small Prii. Looks like the designer's wanted to be edgy organic? It's a car, so please wrap the controls and displays smoothly around the driver! That's the person that needs to be in charge of the actual driving detail! See Lotus or your old Supra Mark IV for reference.

I liked the displays and graphics. Info screen is very usable and I think it will allow increased involvement for new hybrid drivers, and as a secondary benefit will probably help bring about more efficient driving techniques overall. This car is about getting great mileage from our now more expensive fuel. The displays are very cool and I wish they had put that display in our Liftback. Probably next Gen?

Rear view is fine, headrests and all. Sorry, from all I read about this so far, I thought it would be completely impossible to see anything out back without a periscope, radar system or a backup camera left in the on position all the time. With all mirrors adjusted optimally, I had no problem keeping track of everyone back there behind the car.

Like I said, this drive was very short. About 7-8 miles. The car had 103 miles on it when booted. No freeway was taken. I noted the average MPG as the displays lit up... an incredible 18 MPG! When I got back it was 49.1 MPG. I have no idea how that happened.

My son was next in line for the "test" drive and he took the same circuit that I had, but this time with only 2 people in the car. When he came back, he asked me to look at the MPG display. It read 69.7 MPG. The display was either wacko... or this is really a super efficient car for around town driving!

We opened the hatch... and found that there's quite a bit of room in the cargo area with rear seat up for a car this size. Go check out a Fiesta if you need confirmation. With the rear seat back folded down, it becomes a credible two seat touring car.

The dealership's gonna call me when they get a package Four to drive before it's sold, so I can compare these two. It won't be in until later this week.

And that basic radio was not that bad. I turned it on in the dealer lot after the drives were done. I've heard way worse sound coming from an OEM system. So for a "basic" commuter/city car, I couldn't see why a Prius c One wouldn't be a great choice at this price point. You could add aftermarket cruise if your commute covered a longer distance and involved Interstate travel, for about 200 bucks.

The car was very composed for what it is made for, so I was pretty impressed over most aspects of its performance. I may order one soon, if I can get over that weird shifter instead the proper Prius dongle. The shifter just wasn't as smooth or user friendly as the dongle. My one big beef with the car.

Good luck finding one, 'cause once the mileage figures start to get around to everyone, I don't think the Japanese factory is going to be able to keep up with sales here in North America.

I went way too long on first impressions, for such a short drive, but there it is!

 

Part of the tight build I noticed on this car. Way better than I expected!