Performance and Driving Impressions

From Car and Driver

Performance and Driving Impressions Rating:

The Prius C’s small frame makes for a bouncy ride over rough pavement, and there’s no interest to be generated from the powertrain. A well-modulated brake pedal is one of the C’s only high points.

Acceleration

We propose an improvement on two popular English idioms: henceforth, “like watching paint dry” and “like watching grass grow” will be replaced by “like waiting for a Prius C to achieve highway speed.” This car is almost comically sluggish, and passing maneuvers should only be attempted, if at all, when traffic is very light. We estimate the Prius C’s top speed at 105 mph, but during our time with the smallest Prius we found it challenging to achieve speeds in excess of 85 mph.

Test Results: Acceleration

Ride, Handling, and Steering

It was too snowy to take the 2018 Prius C for a jaunt on our skidpad during its stay in Ann Arbor. Previously, in more temperate conditions, a mechanically identical 2012 Prius C managed 0.79 g of grip in that test, not a particularly poor showing. The C’s short wheelbase means that the ride is jumpy and unsettled over bumpy roads. While turn-in is quick, the steering wheel provides almost no feedback from the road, and the C sometimes feels tall and ungainly around corners. That’s the bad news. The good news (unless you’re the Prius C, that is): several cars in this set manage to achieve both genuinely good fuel economy and solid driving dynamics, so drivers who choose not to buy a Prius C will have plenty of other good options.

Test Results: Maximum Cornering Capability

Braking

The Prius C’s well-modulated brake pedal is basically the sole high point in its performance portfolio. Some hybrids struggle to seamlessly blend regenerative and mechanical braking, which can leave brake pedals feeling soft and inconsistent. The Prius C doesn’t suffer from this problem. Its brake pedal has a consistent feel and is neither too soft nor too firm for a car of this caliber. The Prius C also recorded the shortest braking distance of this set of cars, an achievement possibly aided by its low curb weight.

Test Results: Maximum Braking Capability

Test Results: Curb Weight and Weight Distribution

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