Had the Prius C been available when we bought the Corolla, we would have strongly considered it. We tend to keep our cars for a long time and regardless if the C paid for itself long term, the reduced consumption of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse gases is worth some premium.
Was the regular prius considered when you bought the Corolla? Or was the premium too much?
I almost went the c route when buying the focus... but I really wanted a manual and the price difference was very very significant.
Before I decided to get the Escape Hybrid, I was close to buying a used Prius. I had negotiated final pricing for three cars from three different sellers. Two dealers, one private. The pricing was consistent between them when options, mileage and condition were factored out. They were all 3-years old, with the Technology package. Typical of them was a 3-year old 2010 with under 80,000km on it and I could find nothing wrong with it. Literally like new. I had the price down to $18,000, but a month later I saw it advertised for $17,000. Like the other two, they'd started at around $22,000.
Now, would I rather have that used Prius for $17-18,000, or a brand new Corolla? I'd take the Prius. I think it's a lot more "car" than the Corolla without considering the drivetrain/mileage. Especially with the tech package. And the useful hatchback. In that condition with that mileage, it would last me as well as a new Corolla. I don't rack up enough miles to wear out a car in the 10 years I'll own it. The surprise in my shopping was that used hybrids cost no more than equivalent non-hybrids, so by buying used I could get all the benefits without the hybrid cost premium.
