2012 Toyota Prius c
By now you’ve heard much about the Toyota Prius family of hybrid cars. Well, the latest member to join the family is its smallest one yet, the Prius C. The C-for-city promises the best around town fuel economy of any non-plug-in hybrid on the road. But, is there anything more to the C, than just good mpg?
Every family is happy to see a new “little-one” arrive, and this 2012 Toyota Prius C is no exception. With great fuel economy being one reason that more people are looking at smaller cars and certainly the main reason people buy hybrids, the C looks to be the perfect marriage of the two and the right car at the right time.
But before we declare that, let’s download the data. The Prius C is based on a shortened Yaris chassis, so when we say it’s a small car, we’re not exaggerating. Wheelbase is just 100.4-inches. Overhangs, both front and rear are very brief, making it appear even shorter than it is. Overall length is just 157.3-inches.
Standard wheels are steel and 15-inches in diameter, with 16-inch alloys optional. Up front, the look is familiar Prius, but with sizable trapezoidal grille openings that help to give it a sportier tilt.
The rear-end tapers in a bit to optimize aerodynamics, which are also helped by a hatch-top rear spoiler. Tall, vertical tail lights wrap up into the fenders to help give the look some substance. Good thing since the C only weighs 2,500 pounds, or about 500 less than the standard Prius.
So, not surprisingly it is powered by a downsized Hybrid Synergy Drive system, starting with a 1.5-liter I4 rated at 73-horsepower and 82 pound feet of torque. That little engine-that-almost-can gets much needed help from a pair of electric motor-generators to give a combined output of 99-horsepower.
All of that gets you a Government Fuel Economy Rating of 53 City on Regular gas. While that’s the best of any current hybrid, its highway rating of 46 is actually less than the larger Prius, so the C’s combined rating of 50 is the same.
Energy Impact Scores also match the regular Prius at a stingy 6.6-barrels of oil per year, while emitting only 2.9 annual tons of CO2.
Despite the miniature powertrain, the C’s light weight makes it feel more spirited than its larger brethren. Still, we estimate the 0-to-60 time is similar at about 10.5 seconds.
You can tool around in ECO and EV modes only; there’s no Power mode like the larger cars, and power still flows through a foggy CVT transmission, so there’s nothing sporty to note here either.
For a car that’s designed to be a “city car”, the C holds its own on highways just as well. We never felt a lack of power, but we did have fairly low expectations going in. Visibility is good all around, and the C doesn’t feel tiny when you’re behind the wheel; it’s also quieter than the typical subcompact.
The tilt/telescoping steering wheel has redundant controls, and as in all other current Prius’, Smart Key with keyless entry and push button start is standard.
The two-tone interior is a good mix of youthful styling with comfort and user-friendliness. Seats are cloth except for top- level C4 trim that get SofTex simulated leather. The folding rear seat is either 1 or 2 piece, depending on which grade you purchase and trunk capacity is generous at 17.1 cubic-feet.
In current Prius vein, the dash-top gauge cluster includes a color info screen with a multitude of different fuel economy screens, and on the passenger side of the dash is a media tray with USB and auxiliary inputs.
With four trim levels, pricing begins at $19,710 for a Prius C One. That’s some 3 grand less than the standard Prius. The top level C Four is stickered at $23,990.
There’s no argument that the best selling point of the 2012 Prius C is its great fuel economy. But beyond that, the C is also a pretty decent subcompact overall. Add in a well equipped price that doesn’t break the bank, and it looks like the C is indeed more than just good MPG.
Specifications
- Engine: 1.5-liter I4
- Horsepower: 73
- Torque: 82 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 10.5 seconds
- EPA: 53 mpg city/ 46 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 6.6 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 2.9 tons/yr
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera
Ever Evolving 911 Reaches New Heights
The Porsche 911 has existed for 60 years now! Amazing! And, you could argue that major changes over all those years have been relatively few, as constant incremental improvement is more the way that Porsche does business. With that in mind, let’s hit the track in the latest 911 and see what constant improvement means for 2025.
We’ve driven so many 911s here at MotorWeek, each seemingly more special than the last, so it’s a bit refreshing to be ripping around Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway in a 2025 Porsche 911 that’s about as close as you can get to base these days. And the fact that it’s just as fun as all those exclusive pieces says a lot about how far the 911 has come. Perhaps it also speaks to how much a base 911 will set you back today as well; more on that later.
For now, we’re just thinking about the next apex, holding steady throttle as we approach, and getting on it way sooner than you’d expect without upsetting anything, as the 911 rockets off the corner thanks to tremendous grip and a PDK trans that finds the perfect gear before we even gave it a thought. Even with very cold track temps, we never struggled for grip or battled any wheelspin coming off of corners. And trying to land it in that perfect spot in braking zones is easy with strong brake performance that was predictable and consistent lap after lap; no wandering, and great feedback too.
Yes, even the standard 911 is near pure perfection on a racetrack. It gives you all the right feedback, stays incredibly flat through corners, makes you always feel totally in control, and again is just plain fun. Unless you’re chasing lap times, there’s really no need to head further up the 911 tree. Though it is worth noting the few upgrades that were on our Carrera did help the situation a little. The 20- and 21-inch Carrera S wheels enabled plenty of grip from the 305 Pirelli P Zero tires, the Sport Chrono Package allows 0-60 sprints of 3.7 seconds, an extended range fuel tank meant we could lap all day without having to fill up, and the fantastic Sport Seats provided great support and better comfort than we remember experiencing in a 911. The Sport Exhaust system didn’t add anything to performance, but made things sound a whole lot better, and the oval silver tips look great too.
We never struggled for grip or battled any wheel spin coming off of corners.
Our track time got cut short thanks to a rare snowstorm in Coastal Georgia, but the white stuff and blue sky made the perfect backdrop for our Guards Red Carrera. Exterior tweaks for what is officially the 992.2 include a reshaped front fascia with improved aerodynamics. All front lighting is now contained within the Matrix Design LED headlight housing. The rear fascia has also been smoothed out, the license plate moved higher, and Porsche 3D block lettering spelled out across the back beneath the active rear spoiler and new decklid grille.
Even without Turbo in the name, the standard 911 engine is indeed a turbo these days, a 3.0-liter flat-six twin-turbo delivering 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft strictly to the rear wheels in the Carrera Coupe.
Inside the cabin, the 911 continues its slow crawl towards the modern, now including a 12.6-inch fully digital gauge display and a start button located on the left side of the steering wheel, with drive modes easily accessible on the wheel itself. In another no brainer move, Porsche now makes the rear seat a no cost option, so you can choose if you want it or not.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 18 City, 25 Highway, and 21 Combined. That’s only slightly worse than average for the Energy Impact Score; 14.2 barrels of annual oil consumption with 7.0 tons of CO2 emissions.
The good news is this 911 had the fewest number of options of any Porsche that we’ve tested in some time, and it was still plenty awesome; the bad news is, a base Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe now starts at $122,095.
But can you really put value on “the force,” this mythical power that Porsche seems to have, that somehow turns average drivers into great ones? It’s useless to resist as far as we’re concerned, as it only gets better with the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-6
- Transmission: 8-speed PDK
- Horsepower: 388
- Torque: 331 lb-ft