Toyota Prius C.

[anned]

Hi - I currently drive a 2007 Honda Fit (love it!) and am looking at a 2015 Prius C. I love the C because it reminds me of the Fit and I'm looking for better mileage.

My concern is highway mileage - I know that this car was built for City driving, but it seems that some people are also getting great highway mileage with it. Some, however are not and that worries me.

If anyone can shed any light on this, I would love to buy this car but don't want to be disappointed as I drive 400 miles on the highway to work each week.

thanks much,
anne

[Draigflag]

Hello and welcome. Although I'm not 100% familiar with the Prius, I do know that hybrids of this type can get very variable MPG's. As you say, the main benefits will be seen in urban environments, but that's not to say they won't also do well on the highway. Plug ins can get extremely bad MPG, or extremely good, depends how and where you use them.

We have the fit here too, called the Jazz. They also do a hybrid version of that. I appreciate diesels are not as popular or readily available in the US, but they are perfectly suited to long highway stints with excellent economy. Worth considering at least.

The new Prius is just around the corner, so it may be worth holding fire until it's release, it's bound to be a better car than the current Prius.

[luv2spd]

I had a Prius C for a while and it was great in the city and the highway. It also got great mileage regardless of how I was driving it. The only complaint I have is that it felt somewhat gutless on the highway, but every Prius feels that way. I like the Prius C better than the larger Prius because it is smaller, cheaper and weighs significantly less. You should take a new one from a dealer for a test drive just to make sure you like the car. I liked that it was quite inside and very well built.

[trollbait]

Keep in mind that variables that effect fuel economy do so on a percentage basis. This means a car with a high MPG will appear to have a bigger change. A 10% loss to a 20mpg car is 2mpg, but for a 50mpg one it will be 5mpg.

So slight changes in fuel economy that might have been shrugged off before are more noticable in the more fuel efficient one. Short trips in which the car doesn't fully warm up return worse fuel economy for all cars. It looks worse for a hybrid.

Same with speeding, and I expect those in a Prius c with poor highway fuel economy are going on the faster side.

Also, skip the 16in wheels if you are getting the top of the line trim. They will reduce fuel economy. Manufacturers aren't required to post ratings for different wheel sizes in the US.

[anned]

Thanks for the info. I did drive the car and really liked it. Just wondering about highway mileage since I have a 400 mile weekly commute. Do you know what kind of mileage you were getting?


thanks,
anne

[anned]

Thanks for the info. Agree on the wheels!
anne

[Draigflag]

Yes agree with trollbait, there is an epic 40 MPG difference between me driving like a nut case, and me driving like a granny going to church on a Sunday!

[luv2spd]

I used to get 49 mpg in the city, and 46 mpg on the highway using cruise control. I sometimes managed 50 mpg on the highway when I wanted to get good mileage, i.e. turning off the cruise control for hills and using the gas pedal and recovering as much energy as possible going downhill. Little effort goes a long way in a Prius.

[anned]

Thank you very much for the info!

[VanCollector]

Originally Posted by luv2spd

I used to get 49 mpg in the city, and 46 mpg on the highway using cruise control. I sometimes managed 50 mpg on the highway when I wanted to get good mileage, i.e. turning off the cruise control for hills and using the gas pedal and recovering as much energy as possible going downhill. Little effort goes a long way in a Prius.

Not trying to bash, but can't these numbers be easily achieved without buying a tiny hybrid?
I know TDi vehicles can easily crack off 50+mpg hwy, many 80s and 90s cars could as well.