Prius C - Test Drive thoughts

After driving my 1999 Nissan Sentra SE (140HP) for 230K miles I am thinking about a new car. Prior to that I owned a Mazda 323, both with manual transmissions.

From all of the cost to own data I can find it looks like the Prius C is one of the lowest cost cars to own on the market. After being affected by a restructuring at age 60, that factor is now very important to me. I have also found that I am still driving and putting miles on the car going to various networking events. The Nissan although performing well needs work to pass emissions, tie rod ends and ball joints. Luckily I have enough cash to purchase a new car.

In many ways I thought the Prius C would fit my needs. However I am concerned by the lack of acceleration. I think got very used to being able to drop the Nissan down to a lower gear and quickly jockey myself the position I wanted to be in to merge into traffic.

Any one go from a high HP car to a Prius? Have any difficulty with the reduced HP?

I live in Connecticut. In practice I drive on lot of 2 lane country roads where passing is rarely done. But it's nice to know the HP is there when I need it.

Danielle

Reply to
DanielleOM
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Drove it. Lacks power. CVT constantly hunts, with significant hysteresis.

Couldn't recommend it, but can't compare it to other Prii.

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Reply to
Bruce Richmond

After driving my 1999 Nissan Sentra SE (140HP) for 230K miles I am thinking about a new car. Prior to that I owned a Mazda 323, both with manual transmissions.

From all of the cost to own data I can find it looks like the Prius C is one of the lowest cost cars to own on the market. After being affected by a restructuring at age 60, that factor is now very important to me. I have also found that I am still driving and putting miles on the car going to various networking events. The Nissan although performing well needs work to pass emissions, tie rod ends and ball joints. Luckily I have enough cash to purchase a new car.

In many ways I thought the Prius C would fit my needs. However I am concerned by the lack of acceleration. I think got very used to being able to drop the Nissan down to a lower gear and quickly jockey myself the position I wanted to be in to merge into traffic.

Any one go from a high HP car to a Prius? Have any difficulty with the reduced HP?

I live in Connecticut. In practice I drive on lot of 2 lane country roads where passing is rarely done. But it's nice to know the HP is there when I need it.

Danielle

I have a conventional 2010 with great acceleration when I select the power mode. Test drive the current year of that model. The C model hold what, an additional 2 cu. ft. that will block the rear window? I parked mine alongside a "C" and the difference was so insignificant as to not justify the higher price. Either model will carry a 10' 2 X 4 positioned diagonally with one end resting on the dash.

Reply to
Al Falfa

Had my Prius C3 about two weeks now, and when I first test drove it, I felt the same way you did. And like you, I wasn't coming from a very powerful engine either- just a 4 cylindar 2003 Accord. Going from a 2.4 engine to

1.5 engine, even though in a much ligher car, there is bound to be some difference, but I think most of it is the deceptive way the CV transmission works. You don't get that momentary seat of the pance surge you would get when down shifting a manual, or even when an automatic downshifts in response to you flooring the pedal.

The CVT works very gradually, and often the only feedback that you are accelarating is when you see the numbers on the speedo rising, and of course the sound of that smaller engine trying to keep up with your demands. It takes some getting used to, and if you drive it in Eco mode, engine response is even more muted. Turn Eco off, and you lose a few MPG, but engine response will be at least a lttle better, but the CVT will always make it feel less responsive than you are used to.

I think most Prius owners will tell you, and it's happening to me already, that the car sort of challenges you to drive differently. The constant feedback on the dashboard display of what every little gas pedal movement is doing to your gas milage is a powerful inducement to moderate old habits, and a reminder of exactly why you bought the car - saving on gas. I try to drive in Eco mode all the time, but old habits are hard to break so once in a while I turn it off just to have a little more fun with the car on some back roads. I tend to drive fast - almost always over the speed limits, and I may be one of the few Prius owners with radar detector on the dashboard. So I find myself driving a little slower now. Maybe only 10 miles over the limit where I would have done 15 before, but I still don't want to be the one pulled over for the ticket, so the detector will stay there. But I sure am enjoying the steady 50-55 MPG.

Bob

Reply to
rjdriver

Hi Bob, Thank you for your in depth reply. I suppose that I have not yet ruled out the car. There are certainly aspects of the car that I really like.

I thought I would get the two. From what I see the main difference between the two and the three are electronic items.

Danielle

Reply to
DanielleOM

I started out with the two in mind. Figured I would replace the radio with an aftermarket unit. The display was just too dim for my eyes. I hadn't had steel wheels in a very long time, but was trying to keep it to a certain price.

In the end, bolstered by a small lottery win, I was able to bridge the gap between the two and a three with alloy wheels, and that's where I ended up. Glad I did. The audio/nav system is really nice. And keyless entry has already saved me some scratches near the door handle. My 9 year old Accord was full of them. I'm not sure if the two has voice activation, but that feature is not just a neat toy, it's a great way to not have to take your eyes off the road. I never got into iPods, so I converted a bunch of my CDs to MP3s, loaded them on a USB thumb drive, and have that plugged in all the time. No fumbling with CDs anymore. I just say "Play" "Bonnie Raite Luck of the Draw", and a second or two later, the album starts playing. Of course, you can do that with MP3s loaded to a smart phone as well.

Dropped into the dealer today with a few questions and they said that C was getting harder and harder to get, that I was lucky a got mine when I did. Toyota didn't anticipate the demand. When they introduced it in Japan in December they planned on selling 12000/month. They now have the single plant making it on constant ovetime to keep up with the sales that are 5 times what they expected. I got mine before they started their advertising blitz here in the US. Now that the word is out more widely, there are not enough to go around. I hear one dealer in Florida is tacking a $6800 "market adjustement" on top of the sticker price.

It's not a perfect car by any means. The seats could use lumbar support, the visors could use extenders, an anti sway bar is needed in the rear to reduce body lean when you push it hard, and the audio/nav system could use a sun shade when in direct sunlight, but again - there's that 50-55 MPG bringing the smile back to my face.

Happy shopping. Bob

Reply to
rjdriver

A little pricy, $23/each, I bought two, Toyota SAE papers discussing the Prius c:

2012-01-1017 - Development of the New THS-II Powertrain for Compact Vehicles 2012-01-0623 - Development of New Hybrid Transaxle for Sub-Compact- Class Vehicles

I don't know your technical background but I found both papers covered my technical questions:

o 1.5L engine with cooled exhaust gas recirculation - improves high- power efficiency o 20 module battery - saves weight o important transaxle design changes - saves weight, volume, and reduced noise o improved control laws - optimized for short trips

The 'Prius c' is in effect a refined version of the NHW11 (2001-03) but 265 lbs lighter and the practicality of a hatchback. Acceleration is not as fast as the 1.8L ZVW30 but it is still faster than competing, compact cars.

Bob Wilson

Reply to
bwilson4web

Sluggish, in my opinion.

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Reply to
Bruce Richmond

Indeed, I fully intended to, but now won't.

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News

Although, I have reservations about the acceleration, I will be getting the Prius C Three in habanero color. I should be picking it up tomorrow afternoon. I used to own a Mazda 323 with about the same HP and I suspect they are not terribly different in size.

Most of the time here in CT we seem to drive at 35 - 50 miles per hour over rolling hills.

Danielle

Reply to
DanielleOM

It's 10.5 second 0-60 time won't win any drag races. But as cars in general go, it's got plenty of company at that rate, and as small compacts go, unassisted by super or turbo chargers, it's better than some. Hope you test drove it without ECO mode on. That dampens the pedal response.

And as I mentioned previously, the CV transmission can be decepetive. It just doen't give you that "kicking into gear" surge feeling you get with other tranmissions. The car *is* accelerating, and you *will* get up to highways speeds in plenty of time on the entrance ramps, but you will not have that same feeling your looking for. A turbocharged Golf TDI might be more suitable for you. You'll still get 50 mpg, but with the turbo and a normal transmission, at will do 0-60 in about 8 seconds. I had my choices narrowed down to that and the C, but found the Golf lacking in some critical areas.

Bob

Reply to
rjdriver

The CVT hunted incessantly and evidenced significant hysteresis.

The typical automatic slushbox has more positive feedback.

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News
Reply to
Bruce Richmond

Be sure to demand a discount. And invest in spell-check.

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News
Reply to
Bruce Richmond

Troll? Just helping you avoid a sluggish first-year model, and if not that, save a few bucks on rapacious dealer markups, which you seem unable to do for yourself.

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News
Reply to
Bruce Richmond

And you still have that spelling problem... moron.

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