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 Some drivers may wonder why Toyota made another hybrid Prius. They already have the lift back, Prius V (small station wagon) so to complete the line up with a true city car the Prius C (hence the name) arrived.
This vehicle averages 53 MPG open road and 46 in the city equaling a combined fuel estimate of 50 MPG combined city /freeway. How did they do it? They downsized the car by 19.1 inches, removed 543 pounds of unneeded weight, shortened the wheel base by six inches and pushed all four tires out as far as they could. They eliminated all the drive belts, added electric power steering, and the electric motor was downsized along with the gas engine.
All this downsizing has not affected the handling of the Prius C. It handles the road like a full-sized car, plus the car holds four friends along with the driver. The Prius C is 157.3 inches long, 66.7 inches wide, 56.9 inches of overall height and has a wheel base of 100.4 inches. There’s 38.6 inches of head room up front and 37 in the rear. Legroom is good, 41.7 inches up front and 35 in the rear, with good shoulder room – 52.3 inches up front and 51.7 in the rear. The cargo space has 17.1 cubic feet. The seats split and fold down for added storage. The Prius C weighs in at 2,500 lbs and has a 9.5 gallon fuel tank.
 The Prius comes in four levels starting at $18,950 for the base level, level two is $19,900, level three starts at $21,635 and the top of the line level four starts at $23,230. The car has all the comforts of a well-equipped sedan but for little money and with great fuel mileage.
The Prius C is aimed at the younger generation that is looking for a smaller, sleeker car with today’s technology in the sound system and operations with connectivity. I think it’s a car for anyone who travels more than 10 miles to work daily, or for a student trying to get through college.
I drove it this car and loved it. I may even put one in my driveway as $5 a gallon is just around the corner – best to be prepared. The Prius C will hit showrooms in March. For anyone whose lifestyle is being cramped by the gas prices check out the Prius C.
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