Toyota Prius c, industry best 53 mpg city, arriving March

[Doppel]

Sub $19k, though not sure what options it does or doesn't have at that price point. Puts it a few thousand under the standard Prius. You may note that its 53/46 mpg rating, compared to the regular Prius' 51/48, is about the same combined. However, the c is substantially smaller and has a weaker motor. For many I think it will be offset by the low price, and I expect strong sales for this car.




http://www.dailytech.com/NAIAS+2012+Toyota+Presents+Sub19k+53MPG+Prius+C+Hybrid/article23731.htm

 

[MotF Bane]

1.5L 73HP. Do they put pedals through the floorboards so you can help move it along? D:

 

[Perknose]

The Prius c hybrid will offer standard equipment such as an AM/FM/CD stereo with Bluetooth hands-free and audio connectivity, remote keyless entry, steering wheel audio controls, nine airbags and 15-inch steel wheels.

Non-alloy plain janes, or the ones in those pics?

Otherwise, looks like it might be reasonably well equipped right off the boat, although there's no mention of A/C, which is probably part of the $2,000 comfort package that includes pre-installed seats, genuine armrests, and windows that roll down!

 

[LTC8K6]

2 for one on the Volt...

 

[Dr. Detroit]

This just moved up into my top 3 for next car.

Been carpooling the 90 miles a day in a 2nd Gen Prius that my coworker owns and will be on my own again the first of March.

Driving stick in gridlock using premium unleaded is not fun or cost effective.

Looks the same size as the Kia Rio - slightly larger than a Chevy Sonic.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

73 hp WTF how does it move? That might be tolerable for 1 passenger but you start adding a few more I don't see how it will hit 40mph and I'm sure your mileage will tank when you have to mash it like no tomorrow to get there before then.

I currently drive an old beater corolla that was rated at like 125 or something like that (probably not close to that anymore) and I can't imagine living with less. Stick more than two people in the car and it just feels slow(er) everywhere.

 

[Franz316]

It's 99hp combined with the electric and gas engine, it's not additive. It sure isn't a rocket, but then again that isn't its purpose. If they can keep the price around 20k, I'm sure people will overlook the style and loss of power for 50mpg compared to the other compacts which hardly get 30 in the city.

 

[dbk]

doesn't even look that ugly

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Looks suspiciously like the Auris HSD here...

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/01/10/bloomberg_articlesLXK78V6K50XT.DTL

Hybrids in U.S. Losing Appeal as Vehicles Run on Less Gas
...
While past auto shows have been stocked with gas-electric hybrids and SUVs, slow hybrid sales have brought a dose of reality to the industry. Carmakers are realizing they can give buyers what they want and avoid the expense of electric motors and batteries by shrinking cars and wringing better fuel economy from traditional gasoline engines.

"The advantages of hybrids are getting harder to justify," said Scott Corwin, a vice president with consulting firm Booz & Co. in New York. "It's the cost differential. Consumers are rational and they understand the cost of ownership."

Hybrid sales slowed last year to 2.2 percent of U.S. auto sales, from 2.4 percent in 2010, according to researcher LMC Automotive.

...

 

[RavenSEAL]

Prius

No thanks.

 

[Perknose]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/01/10/bloomberg_articlesLXK78V6K50XT.DTL

Three words: Strait of Hormuz.

By which I mean, we are but one hiccup in the delicate and internecine international oil delivery system away from yet another huge spike in gas prices.

Tell me, longer term, which way do you think gas prices will trend? :hmm:

 

[jhu]

Three words: Strait of Hormuz.

By which I mean, we are but one hiccup in the delicate and internecine international oil delivery system away from yet another huge spike in gas prices.

Tell me, longer term, which way do you think gas prices will trend? :hmm:

This 100%. Do we really need to go to war over oil?

 

[LTC8K6]

Three words: Strait of Hormuz.

By which I mean, we are but one hiccup in the delicate and internecine international oil delivery system away from yet another huge spike in gas prices.

Tell me, longer term, which way do you think gas prices will trend? :hmm:

Gas was already well past $4. It won't be as big of a deal unless we see much higher prices, which world events could certainly trigger. That's always been the case.

Regular cars are getting better and better economy, making the already big price difference harder and harder to justify.

Hybrids are sort of stuck, while conventional cars are moving forward.

I want a cheap V8 anyway. :biggrin:

 

[Doppel]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/01/10/bloomberg_articlesLXK78V6K50XT.DTL

An amazing claim, and one I don't agree with at all. Remember when a Prius cost a sh*tload? Now the Prius c will be much better on gas than the original, similar size, and TONS cheaper.

I wonder if that author for a moment, in his 2.4->2.2 even considered, for just an instant, that there was a major fvcking earthquake in Japan last year and Toyota, the dominant hybrid seller, was literally not able to stock showrooms at all with Prii for months. Nah, that couldn't have influenced anything :biggrin:

Guarantee that hybrid sales will be higher this year than last. They are getting cheaper and gas is getting more expensive.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

73 hp WTF how does it move? That might be tolerable for 1 passenger but you start adding a few more I don't see how it will hit 40mph and I'm sure your mileage will tank when you have to mash it like no tomorrow to get there before then.

I currently drive an old beater corolla that was rated at like 125 or something like that (probably not close to that anymore) and I can't imagine living with less. Stick more than two people in the car and it just feels slow(er) everywhere.

Took a 2nd Gen Prius Camping -
2 Adults
2 teenage girls
hatchback completely full, 15 cu ft cargo hard top carrier on the roof rails with another 70lbs of equipment.

Climbed elevation, two lane roads and hit speeds of 75mph on the freeway stretches of Hwy 101 N to the Oregon border.

Averaged 38mpg and the uphill stretches were a bit rough doing 45- 50mph on the severe grades but I also never pushed it and floored it.

They are worse on paper than in real life. They are strictly appliance like with no fun to drive factor. Great fuel economy and cheap maintenance but comfy, roomy, and decent enough interiors. The interior wind noise over 65mph is the worst due to the paper thin glass and lack of sound deadening to save weight.

 

[LTC8K6]

An amazing claim, and one I don't agree with at all. Remember when a Prius cost a sh*tload? Now the Prius c will be much better on gas than the original, similar size, and TONS cheaper.

I wonder if that author for a moment, in his 2.4->2.2 even considered, for just an instant, that there was a major fvcking earthquake in Japan last year and Toyota, the dominant hybrid seller, was literally not able to stock showrooms at all with Prii for months. Nah, that couldn't have influenced anything :biggrin:

Guarantee that hybrid sales will be higher this year than last. They are getting cheaper and gas is getting more expensive.

It will still cost a lot more than a regular car in it's class.

 

[mmntech]

1.5L 73HP. Do they put pedals through the floorboards so you can help move it along? D:

It's no worse than the Smart Fortwo. Then again the Smart Fortwo is the worst car I've ever driven. They're both kei cars though, so what do you expect. I doubt it will sell very well in North America. Just no demand for vehicles that small.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Gas was already well past $4. It won't be as big of a deal unless we see much higher prices, which world events could certainly trigger. That's always been the case.

Regular cars are getting better and better economy, making the already big price difference harder and harder to justify.

Hybrids are sort of stuck, while conventional cars are moving forward.

I want a cheap V8 anyway. :biggrin:

This car only costs $19k. That's only a few grand more than a Ford Fiesta which gets only 28mpg city. For someone who drives a lot/commutes in congested city traffic this car makes a lot of sense. If you drive 15,000 miles or more a year and you keep it 5 years it would pay for the difference in price.

 

[LTC8K6]

Nissan Versa starts under $11K, Chevy Sonic is under $14K, etc.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Nissan Versa starts under $11K, Chevy Sonic is under $14K, etc.

Ford Fiesta is $14.5k. Versa with the CVT, carpeted floor mats & dimming rearview mirror (a whopping $339 in options for the last two) comes up to $14,280. Add an automatic to the Sonic and it bumps the price up to well over $14k and both the Versa and the Sonic get worse gas mileage than the Fiesta (and look worse too).

Still, I'm leaning toward the 2013 Fusion Hybrid next year as my next car. 47mpg city, midsize sedan with all the options should be the perfect commuter car for me.

 

[LTC8K6]

Looks like you just break even at about 6-7 years with a low cost econobox vs Prius C. Fuel will have to go up for it to make sense, but that never stopped anyone.

 

[MaxFusion16]

econobox versus hybrid cost calculations are a little more complicated than gas price and mpg.

unless you plan on driving the car into the ground, you have to also factor in the depreciation schedule, and generally speaking, this is in favor of the hybrids, they have better resale value, especially with gas prices trending up.

I'd guess the break even point to be closer to 5 years, possibly even less.

This is definitely on top of my list next year, I'd like to see the plug in prius first though.

 

[LTC8K6]

Several econoboxes are now rated at 30mpg city, the Kia Rio starts under $14K.

The Prius C is 53mpg city.

The gap is getting smaller and smaller...

 

[Doppel]

It will still cost a lot more than a regular car in it's class.

And get 50% better mileage.