Would I be a fool to buy a Prius C if I don't drive much?

If you drive rarely, but long distance when you do drive, the c may be more attractive.
If you drive daily, but for very short distances, say 5 blocks, it will save you less.

In your situation, the cheapest MSRP would appeal to me.
Cheapest Cars of 2013 -- Least expensive cars on the US market

 

how often do you drive and how many miles per year? these cars don't like to sit around unused.

 

Keep in mind the Prius is low maintenance. They only car I would say is lower maintenance if you drive very few miles is the Nissan Leaf (there is a 2013 leaf that is a cheaper version that would compete with the Prius C though it still might be more expensive).

Assuming you qualify for the tax deductions and depending on your cost of gas and electricity the Leaf S could be cheaper than the Prius C both out the door and cost per mile. But could you stand being range limited?

Personally I'd be happy to drive either car but I'm not you.

 

The 12 volt battery can become unhappy in 3 weeks when new and one week when near end of life. The big battery is good for 3 months when new.

 

8k miles per year is not insignificant. Most "toy" cars and most motorcycles rarely see that much use throughout the year. With that many miles, you're cycling through fuel often enough that you're just wasting your money on Sta-Bil, honestly. Just change the fluids by time instead of distance. Oil once a year, brake fluid every 3, etc. It's all spelled out in the owners manual. If you were only driving the car 3k miles a year, with weeks between operation, there'd be more to talk about.

Do you simply want a new car, or is the MPG attraction enough to offset the new car cost. The Yaris is the same platform underneath the Prius C, but without the hybrid powertrain, it's much less expensive to buy new, and their resale values are still strong.

 

Maybe you didn't notice the price increase on the Yaris? It's not as cheap a car as it used to be.

 

8,000 isn't bad. i only have 7,500 and i bought mine last april. i drive 5-6 days a week tho. as jimbo said, the 12v is the main worry, but you shouldn't have any problem with it. take a long test drive, if you love it, go for it!

 

I drove my car 1200 miles last season. If the C is what you want, buy it. I wanted my car and bought it even though it sits more than driven.

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

 

8000/year is not that low. I say go with it and don't sweat the details.

 

$14,370 is cheap in 2013 money for a functioning new car, especially compared to $19,080 for a Prius C. If you look at the math, that's 32.8% more expensive, hardly a trivial change in price.

Even the OP pointed out the big price delta.

 

I'll probably have just over 6,000 miles on my car when my first year is up in March. No, I'm not saving that much money on my 3.4 mile commute (about $0.40 per trip says the car), but you know what? It's the car I wanted. I was drawn to it, I love it, and I wanted it. So it's the car I bought. I plan to keep it for a number of years, so perhaps my commute will increase, and I'll save more. But regardless of that hypothetical, I bought it because I wanted it.

People always focus on whether a Prius is "worth it" over other cars. If the fuel savings are really the only reason you're considering the car, and those savings are minimal, then maybe it's not. If it's the car you truly want, and you can afford it, it is worth it.

 

Unless "new" is a non-negotiable condition, I'd suggest a compromise and get a used, factory certified Prius.

 

There is a lot more to any car than sticker price. US News rates the Yaris 7.1 and the Prius C 8.2 overall, with the critics ratings at 86. vs 6.8. Comparing a C-1 to a base Yaris is not apples to apples. A Yaris 5 door auto LE is closer, and is then only $2500 cheaper.

 

14,370 is for the 3 door version without delivery fee (or any other fees/taxes).

15,395 is for the 5 door lowest trim version.

I don't know about your location but in my neck of the woods they add $795 to those prices for "delivery fee".

Prius c "one" is more expensive off the lot but it'll save money on gas, maintenance, and repairs vs the Yaris at hardly a trivial change in cost.

 

I totally agree. This is the car I wanted and I have no regrets. I only drive about 8,000 miles a year, but could not personally justify buying a car that got less milage. Although, regardless of the milage, I have to say that I love, the interior layout, comfortable seats, the decent stereo, the quiet ride, road feel, and I have no problem at all with acceleration. Although, so far, I am only achieving a realistic average of about 46 MPG, it's always a thrill to see the computer tell me I'm getting over 60 MPG under optimal conditions. Because those really short trips kill the overall milage I find that I walk a lot more, which is a good thing.