Yahoo Autos Fuel Economy and Driving Range
Fuel Economy and Driving Range Rating:
The Prius C’s many performance compromises might be easier to swallow if the car were more efficient. Most of the cars in this set are significantly thriftier than the C, and all can cruise farther on the highway.
The Prius C’s EPA ratings are impressive in an absolute sense, but since hybrids now routinely earn EPA ratings of more than 50 mpg across the board, the Prius C’s estimated 48 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway no longer turn heads.
Fuel Economy Ratings Compared
We’ve devised our own fuel-economy test in an attempt to replicate how most people drive on the highway. Our procedure entails a 200-mile out-and-back loop on Michigan’s I-94 highway. We maintain a GPS-verified 75 mph and use the cruise control as much as possible to mimic the way many drivers behave during long trips.
The Prius C matched its EPA estimate of 43 mpg during our highway tests, which works out to 400 miles of highway cruising. Both of those numbers would be respectable compared against an average small sedan, but in this class of hybrids the Prius C falls to the back of the class.
Test Results: Highway Fuel Economy
Test Results: Highway Range
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