Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Hybrids
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-11-2012, 09:42 PM   #1 (permalink)
Left Lane Ecodriver
 
RobertSmalls's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
Posts: 2,257

Prius C - '12 Toyota Prius C
Thanks: 79
Thanked 286 Times in 199 Posts
RobertSmalls' Prius C

I've got a new vehicle: a 2012 Prius C. This replaces my ecomodded 2000 Insight as my daily driver.



The fuel economy won't be as good as the Insight's, and I'll miss the way the Insight lets people know I'm serious about fuel economy. But all in all, I like the Prius C so far.

I plan to EcoMod the Prius C, but in more subtle ways than I did the Insight. Any externally visible modifications must look like it could have come from the factory that way (plausibly deniable). On the interior, I'll allow myself a freer hand, but I won't tear out half of the interior panels like I did on the Insight.

I've already removed the 541g owner's manual and the rear floor mats. The rear speakers are slated for deletion, but I'll make sure you won't be able to tell. If I can go the whole winter without wanting to turn on the rear wiper, then I'll delete it in the spring. I don't expect big gains from minor weight reduction, but every little bit helps.

I'm hoping to get bigger gains from instrumention, electronic modifications, a grille block, and possibly an engine block heater. I've pumped up the tires to sidewall max.

Here's a shot of the two cars, with the camera level with the Insight's roof:


I do love the stick shift in the Insight, but I believe the Toyota transmission is more efficient in most cases. Toyota Prius - Power Split Device

The Prius C is no wider, 2" longer, and 3.6" taller than the Insight. A Prius Liftback (the "regular" Prius) is 2" wider, 21.1" longer, and 5.4" taller than the Insight.

Code:
             Insight   Prius C   Prius
Weight (lb)     1850     2500     3042
Cd               .25       .28     .25
Normalized CdA     1      1.20    1.13
I could go on for hours, and I probably will at a future date. But that's all for now. I'm looking forward to seeing what this car can do.

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-11-2012, 10:46 PM   #2 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
3-Wheeler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 827

AlienMobile - '00 Honda Insight
Team Honda
90 day: 80.05 mpg (US)
Thanks: 101
Thanked 560 Times in 191 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertSmalls View Post
I've got a new vehicle: a 2012 Prius C. This replaces my ecomodded 2000 Insight as my daily driver.
Robert,

First of all, welcome back to EcoModder!!

I have not seen a post from you in a long time!

Secondly, can you reduce the size of those two pictures above? They are pretty large.

Thanks, Jim.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2012, 12:04 AM   #3 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Congrats on the new vehicle! (What prompted the change?)

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the C.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2012, 08:03 AM   #4 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,585 Times in 1,553 Posts
It is good to see you back on the forum again. I look forward to seeing what you have planned, and what kind of mileage you can squeeze from the C.

I'd also like to know what prompted the purchase?
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2012, 02:43 PM   #5 (permalink)
MPG is not linear police
 
ciderbarrel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 121

Ciderbarrel's P*2 - '22 Polestar 2
90 day: 108.13 mpg (US)

Ciderbarrel's Civic - '08 Honda Civic LX
Team Honda
90 day: 31.56 mpg (US)
Thanks: 7
Thanked 10 Times in 9 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertSmalls View Post

The Prius C is no wider, 2" longer, and 3.6" taller than the Insight. A Prius Liftback (the "regular" Prius) is 2" wider, 21.1" longer, and 5.4" taller than the Insight.

Code:
             Insight   Prius C   Prius
Weight (lb)     1850     2500     3042
Cd               .25       .28     .25
Normalized CdA     1      1.20    1.13
The Prius is a different size because the Prius C is a Prius in name only, literally. It is a Toyota Yaris hybrid with a Prius C nameplate.
__________________


  Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2012, 03:07 PM   #6 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 7,907

Mica Blue - '05 Scion xA RS 2.0
Team Toyota
90 day: 42.48 mpg (US)

Forest - '15 Nissan Leaf S
Team Nissan
90 day: 156.46 mpg (US)

Number 7 - '15 VW e-Golf SEL
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 155.81 mpg (US)
Thanks: 3,475
Thanked 2,950 Times in 1,844 Posts
Good to have you back! Something that stands out between the profiles of the Insight and the Prius C is the apex of the roof is proportionally closer to the front of the Insight. It looks like the final angle of the roof on the Insight is a tad steeper, as well?
__________________
Sincerely, Neil

http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2012, 07:25 PM   #7 (permalink)
Left Lane Ecodriver
 
RobertSmalls's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
Posts: 2,257

Prius C - '12 Toyota Prius C
Thanks: 79
Thanked 286 Times in 199 Posts
It's good to be back. Also, happy 5th anniversary, EcoModder. I suppose I should make a gift out of wood somehow.

Cider, you're right that the car is based on the Yaris hatch, with slightly improved aerodynamics, different interior, and a smaller version of the Prius' engine. This is badge engineering done well.

Btw, Europe will not get the Prius C. Instead, they'll have the "Yaris Hybrid". This will give us good information on the cost and weight associated with this particular hybrid system.

Neil, a (photoshopped) shot with less perspective in it would allow for more accurate comparisons, but I agree with your assessment. The C's less aggressive rear taper, further aft roof apex, and earlier truncation of the Kammback shape are all compromises to allow for rear seats. As with all cars, I only wish it were four feet longer.

What prompted the change? No one thing in particular, but the combination of the following:
*the need to move larger things
*the cosmetic deficiency of the "teach yourself collision repair on a budget" approach I took with the Insight
*the Insight is a 12 year old car. Not the end of the world, but it's needed service to the HV battery, 12V battery, ground wires, exhaust, and clutch hydraulics this year. I expect that the C won't need anything but scheduled maintenance for half a dozen years.
*Rear seats. Those may become a requirement sooner or later.
*Toyota PSD > Honda IMA. Also, the Prius C can make much better use of a grid charger and/or additional battery capacity than the Insight can.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2012, 10:23 PM   #8 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
CigaR007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 680

GreenTurtle (Retired) - '01 Toyota Echo Sedan
90 day: 44.85 mpg (US)

Zulu - '14 Honda CR-Z
90 day: 49.05 mpg (US)
Thanks: 150
Thanked 236 Times in 147 Posts
Congrats on the new car ! What will be the outcome of the Insight ?
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2012, 04:37 PM   #9 (permalink)
Old Retired R&D Dude
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Woburn Mass USA
Posts: 702

Little Red - '12 Toyota Prius c 2 Two
90 day: 57.82 mpg (US)

"Whitey" Bulger - '14 Toyota RAV4 LE
Thanks: 10
Thanked 18 Times in 17 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by ciderbarrel View Post
The Prius is a different size because the Prius C is a Prius in name only, literally. It is a Toyota Yaris hybrid with a Prius C nameplate.
That's true, you can check the real world MPGs of both cars right here:
Toyota Prius MPG Reports | Fuelly
Toyota Prius C MPG Reports | Fuelly

When it comes to cost and MPG, the C is a totally different animal..
__________________
Cheers,
Rich

Current ride: 2014 RAV4 LE AWD (24 MPG)

Wife's Pizza Transporter
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2012, 01:17 PM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 2,643
Thanks: 1,502
Thanked 279 Times in 229 Posts
Wow, Robertsmalls got a prius... Dont worry, it wont be long before you are approaching 100 mpg in that vehicle too.

  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com