PriusC 2 review

I have found this site helpful while determining what car to buy. I hope that my review will be of equal value to those in a similar situation.
About a year ago, I started looking for a car to replace my 10 year old Nissan Sentra, which was having issues. I had three requirements: I wanted a hatchback, good milage, and a price under $20,000.
The first car I test drove was the ubiquitous Honda Fit. I found the drivers seat very uncomfortable, the ride bumpy, the engine whiney, and the stereo sub par. The next car was a Hyundai Accent, I found everything about it, except the electric green color, mediocre. I felt that neither car was an improvement over my Sentra except for milage and even that was not so great..
This spring, I was elated to read about the Toyota PriusC and equally dismayed to find that, because of short supply and high demand, the dealers were charging up to $600.00 above SRP. No way am I paying above SRP for any car.
Fast forward five months. Out of curiosity and an upcoming 8 hour trip to Maine and back, I checked the price again and got a quote for under $20,00 for a PriusC 2. Time for a test drive.
You probably know that the exterior looks very cool, well it’s even cooler in person. I found the drivers seat very comfortable and supportive, the layout of the dashboard/controls, the shelf above the glove compartment, the shifter on the floor, and included cargo cover equally appealing. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the six speaker sound system is, not audiophile, but very decent quality sound for a stock stereo.
One of my concerns was how well this relatively low powered, automobile could accelerate up hill, merge into traffic, etc. Let me tell you, I did not find this a problem, even in Eco mode. Three things impressed me about the drive train, the seamless integration of the EV and ICE, the very smooth function of the Continuously Variable Transmission, and the sound of the engine itself. Unlike the previous two cars I test drove, when I stepped on the accelerator I was extremely pleased to hear what I can only describe as a pleasant thrum instead of an obnoxious whine.
Another concern was cargo space. On my recent trip to Acadia National Park in Maine I was able to fit everything, food, clothing, supplies into this sub compact car. Even with a full load, driver and passenger, I got over 50 MPG, and the engine is not even broken in yet! On short trips I was able to achieve over 70MPG according to the computer. So, even though I have only driven this car less than a month, I love it. It is everything that I hoped it would be.