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I beat EPA estimates in all vehicles without trying. The C-max couldn't be achieved even with trying. They didn't just fudge the numbers a little, but by 18%.
The 2012 Prius was the best year to buy it because it included more features as standard (like Bluetooth phone connectivity), and the Gen III is a solid platform with loads of utility.
Don't know much about the Gen IV, but consumers continue to prefer CUVs, and now that models such as the RAV4 can get 40 MPG, they are becoming the more popular choice.
Also, tons of vehicles are getting MPGs in the ballpark of the Prius. Used to be you had to buy a Golf TDI to approach that fuel economy, but there's plenty of vehicles that get 45+ MPG now.
The problem with the Prius is that it painted itself into a corner. Each iteration is expected to get way more fuel efficient, but that's a game of diminishing returns. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if the Prius gets 55 MPG, or 60, yet the trade-offs to achieve that difference become significant.
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