Toyota Prius C Fails to Get Consumer Reports' Nod
Ravenous demand for the Toyota Prius c drove dealerships to jack prices up above the MSRP when it initially launched, but that isn’t helping it win any extra points with Consumer Reports which said it couldn’t recommend the vehicle.
The negative report stemmed from the organization complaining that the car had a noisy and harsh ride, ultimately resulting in a 53 out of 100 score, putting it one point below the Honda Insight. Despite that, it is expected to be very reliable and got exceptional gas mileage: 37/43 mpg in the city and on the highway in the group’s tests.
As an information source that’s seen as generally objective, automakers hope for good ratings because so many people base purchasing decisions on the feedback in the print edition and online.
Still, Consumer Reports, admits it expects the car to be very reliable. For those who pay attention to the group’s recommendations, it probably seems particularly odd because Toyota generally gets more nods for its cars than most other companies.
It seems unlikely that the little Prius will suffer any significant sales damage, though. With high mileage and solid branding to back it up, there will probably still be plenty of people willing to put up with a noisy ride.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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I own a 2009 Prius. Looked at the Prius C but decided to buy the standard size instead this year. The car is nice but not big enough for me and my needs as a home health nurse. I love Prius. My car has been reliable and meets my needs very well. Keith