Overview & Reviews
Capitalizing on the success of the original Prius, the Toyota Prius C is a smaller and more urban-friendly variant. The Prius C's smaller dimensions allow for a downsized hybrid powertrain and a lighter curb weight. These, in turn, result in improved driving dynamics while returning nearly identical fuel economy figures to its larger sibling. As further enticement, a new Prius C rings in several thousand dollars less than the standard Prius liftback.
Sacrifices made in the name of pricing are few, and are generally limited to ride and interior refinement. Considering the Prius C's strengths of unmatched fuel economy, nimble handling (for a hybrid) and hatchback versatility, we think it's a pretty smart choice for an affordable economy car, hybrid or not.
Current Toyota Prius C
The Toyota Prius C debuted in the 2012 model year as a smaller, entry-level alternative to the standard Prius liftback. The smaller size places it in the four-door subcompact segment. As one would expect, the Prius C is powered by a smaller, less powerful version of the hybrid powertrain used in its larger stablemates.
A 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine is paired with two electric motor/generators that combine to produce 99 horsepower. The gas engine both drives the wheels and charges the nickel-metal hydride batteries, while the electric motors augment propulsion and charge the battery under deceleration. Power is sent through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to the front wheels. The Prius C obviously won't provide much in the way of excitement, but its performance is adequate, and owners will likely find satisfaction with an EPA-estimated 53 mpg city/46 mpg highway and 50 mpg in combined driving.
The Toyota Prius C is available in trim levels that are numbered from One to Four. Standard feature highlights for the Prius C One include 15-inch wheels, automatic climate control, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and a USB/iPod interface. The Prius C Two adds cruise control, a height-adjustable driver seat, 60/40-split-folding rear seats and an upgraded sound system. The Prius C Three is further enhanced with navigation, keyless ignition/entry, Toyota's Entune smartphone integration system and satellite radio. Finally, the Four adds alloy wheels, heated mirrors, faux leather upholstery and heated front seats. Sixteen-inch wheels and quicker-ratio steering are optional on the Four, while a sunroof is available on both the Three and Four.
While the Toyota Prius C is pretty similar to other Prius vehicles, there are a few distinct differences to be aware of. Taller drivers may find it hard to be comfortable due to a lack of steering wheel adjustment range, while the front passenger's footwell is limited by an intruding glovebox. Backseat adult passengers, by contrast, will enjoy ample head- and legroom. The cabin suffers from an overabundance of hard plastic surfaces, which give the Prius C a decidedly cut-rate feel.
Hybrid vehicles in general, and the Prius lineup in particular, tend to be rather dull and uninspiring to drive. The Prius C, with its more compact dimensions, manages to inject a little liveliness into the mix, with more responsive steering and composed handling. Unfortunately, this added athleticism results in some ride harshness. But considering the Toyota Prius C's miserly fuel consumption and its favorable pricing, these faults are pretty easily forgiven.
Used Toyota Prius C Models
The Toyota Prius C debuted in 2012. Since then, changes have been very minor.
User Reviews:
Showing 61 through 70 of 84.00-
this is the one you have been waiting for - 2015 Toyota Prius c
By philip schwartz - April 11 - 4:00 amgreat deal now
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this is the one you have been waiting for - 2015 Toyota Prius c
By philip schwartz - April 11 - 4:00 amgreat deal now
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Most economical hybrid, just dont expect ZOOM - 2015 Toyota Prius c
By Danny L - March 19 - 9:16 pmUpgraded interior from the year before, definitely was a plus. Navigation and push start is standard at Three trim and above. LED headlights and tail lights are standard on all Prius Cs. The car has a smaller engine than the regular liftback, but at the same time more efficient on gas. Easy to park, being about 155" long. We did a lot of research on compact cars before settling on this one, a close second was the Versa Note and the third car, the Honda Fit. Dont expect to take road trips without letting others behind you pass because you cant make it up the hill at the same speed as they are keeping. 10% inclines had us pushing the engine. The range that this car was most comfortable in is: 5 mph parking lot - 55 mph hwy. Overall, if I had to buy a car again, I would still go with this car because of the gas savings per month, I drive 2,800 mi per month, and I spend about $135 versus a gas-only car where Id be spending $250.
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Most economical hybrid, just dont expect ZOOM - 2015 Toyota Prius c
By Danny L - March 19 - 9:16 pmUpgraded interior from the year before, definitely was a plus. Navigation and push start is standard at Three trim and above. LED headlights and tail lights are standard on all Prius Cs. The car has a smaller engine than the regular liftback, but at the same time more efficient on gas. Easy to park, being about 155" long. We did a lot of research on compact cars before settling on this one, a close second was the Versa Note and the third car, the Honda Fit. Dont expect to take road trips without letting others behind you pass because you cant make it up the hill at the same speed as they are keeping. 10% inclines had us pushing the engine. The range that this car was most comfortable in is: 5 mph parking lot - 55 mph hwy. Overall, if I had to buy a car again, I would still go with this car because of the gas savings per month, I drive 2,800 mi per month, and I spend about $135 versus a gas-only car where Id be spending $250.
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Good little commuter car - 2016 Toyota Prius c
By D White - February 22 - 2:01 pmWhile this is not the car you want for long trips (wouldnt be comfortable after a couple of hours) or the car for a family with lanky teens (Back seat legroom is tight even for my short wife!) it will get you from point A to point B with great gas mileage and in relative comfort. Acceleration isnt great, but I didnt expect it to be with an engine smaller than many motorcycles. It will hold weekend luggage for three, but not much beyond that. Sound system and Bluetooth are adequate, and the microphone for my phone is actually better in the C than in my V!
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Great car but not for shallow people. - 2016 Toyota Prius c
By Ron R - January 23 - 5:13 amThe Prius C is built to save gas. Acceleration is slow even if you try and and gun it. It is adequate enough to speed up more than the average car in normal driving. In freeway entrance with two lanes, Im more than 90% faster than other cars I assume driving normally and not racing me. The battery charging without the plug in, but by the combustion engine is adequate to lower MPG by assisting in acceleration and taking over the stop and go without turning the gas engine on. Ive heard people complaining about the braking system. It doesnt take long to get used to it and enjoy the regenerative braking and see the animation of your batteries being charged. If you are childlike in terms of personality youll probably hate and throw a tantrum, so dont buy it. For the thinking person, its quite a joy to see how efficient the Prius C is. I see it more appealing to people who eat healthy and understand the importance of quality living and not the junk food crowd who are more into satisfying their hunger and feelings. The CVT continuous variable transmission is awesome. Its actually more efficient and quicker than the regular planetary automatic or manual transmission. The CVT does not have a pause power is constantly applied making it quicker. I heard that CVT was rejected by dumb consumers on regular cars because they wanted the feel of the inefficient of gear shifting. CVT was acutally conceptualized by Leonardo DaVinci in 1490 and was first patented in 1829 for a saw mill. First cat to patent is Daimler Benz in 1886. I got the Prius C one the most basic, for me the car is not for luxury or sport use, its a way to save money. I got 2 Mercedes, a Ram Hemi, a BMW Z4 and Mini Cooper S for the fun, sport and luxury part of driving. For my cheap side, my family drives the technologically advance, and energy efficient Prius C. You cant help but love it.
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Love my "C"! - 2012 Toyota Prius c
By kpmick07 - January 5 - 3:59 pmI got my Prius C for a great price at a "Hail Sale." It has a few dings in it, but I cant see them through the gas meter! I traded in my 17mpg truck, $70 twice a week, for the "C." Now I fill up about every 10-14 days for $30. I got the windows professionally tinted and now they look great! I also went online and found a 1 1/4" trailer hitch and cargo carrier so I can carry a little extra gear on the back when I need to. That has been a lifesaver for camping trips!
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In the end we bought something else - 2016 Toyota Prius c
By Mid-Mo Car Shopper - October 5 - 2:27 amMy husband and I are both 70. We are conservative, very conservative, and the idea of buying a high-mpg car usually drives our car searching. We were pretty sure we were going to go with a Prius and we narrowed it down to a Prius C Four or a Prius Three Touring. We wanted the amenities of leather seats and a navigation system. We were tired of allowing time to get lost every time we were going to a new location. We drove a Prius C Four first - it was bright yellow, which was probably not age-appropriate, but we liked it, except for one thing . . . the way the engine groaned when you needed it to climb a hill. We loved the car more than we had expected. Then we drove the Prius Three Touring and there wasnt anything about it we didnt like. The price difference between the two cars was about $4000. We were trying to drag out the shopping timeframe to guard against an impulse buying. Our sales person told us about his Prius Four Touring that he had just traded in the day before. It wasnt ready to test drive, but we looked at it and noticed it had the blind spot detectors. It was 3 months old and had less than 4000 miles on it. So the idea of that car was just hanging out on the "back burner" for a week or so. Another dealer let us take either of the cars we were interested in over the weekend. So we took a Prius C Three (they didnt have a four at that dealership) for the weekend. So on Saturday, we took the borrowed Prius C on an outting that took us to the dealership with the Yellow C Four and the Used Prius Four Touring. We drove that yellow car again, and still liked it. Then asked to drive the used Prius Four Touring. Our original salesman was off that day, and they were busy, so they let us drive the Four Touring without a salesperson in the car. We hardly drove off the lot before we looked at each other with eyes of super approval. When we got back to the dealership, the substitute salesperson was nowhere to be found. We waited about 20 minutes and then just left and took the borrowed Prius C back to the other dealership. I emailed the original salesperson and told him we wanted his Four Touring. And two days later we took it home. It still growls a little going up hills from a cold start, but not as much as the C did. In the end, it was the extra safety features that sold us on the car, . . . afterall, were not as mentally sharp as we once were. :-(
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Happy Motoring with my "C" - 2012 Toyota Prius c
By rfelton - August 3 - 3:36 amEvery day is a pleasure with this car. We live in West Va with hills everywhere. After 7000 miles and with normal driving are average computer miles is 50.6 mpg. Best mpg on fill ups is 54mpg the worst was 45.4 in the winter we had a lot of ice and snow then. The only flat road in my area is from the post office to my house 1.4 miles and I avgerage about 65 mpg, 50 to and 80 back. Because on the return its on ev most of the way. Next week we are moving to Ga all flat ground so I will give you a report in a few months. This is our 4th Toyota since 1988 and it is the greatest by a wide margin.
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Quality better then professional reviewer - 2015 Toyota Prius c
By Alan - March 19 - 3:25 pmDid not find this car in the budget category, the over-all quality seems superior. The dashboard, seating , workmanship are great. The ride, handling is pretty much what I expected from a gas electric powered car. I would recommend this car.
