Toyota has dominated the hybrid compact car market for a number of years since the first generation release of the Prius. Their version of a hybrid has been reliable and durable, producing promised performance and huge fuel efficiency savings for customers. However, eventually, someone else was going to get into the game with a similarly reliable vehicle, and Ford has done so with the C-Max hybrid compact. Here are the pros and cons of a Prius versus C-Max hybrid comparison.
The Toyota Prius
Option
Heavily winning the award as one of the most efficient hybrids on the road today, the Prius definitely returns its price tag to customers in fuel savings year after year. This efficiency is controlled and produced with a 1.8 liter engine that switches between gas combustion and electrical power as needed. The performance from this feature gives a driver 47 to 50 mpg on combined street and highway use.
In terms of exterior, the Prius has a standard look that hasn't changed much since the car was first introduced. As a result, people feel a bit like they are driving a company car without anything to call it a personal vehicle. The interior looks bit dated as well. Nothing much has changed with the package for years, so compared to modern cars, even the latest version of the Prius feels like a mid-2000's throwback.
The Ford C-Max Option
In a Prius versus C-Max hybrid match up, the C-Max doesn't score as well as Toyota's Prius when it comes to fuel efficiency. The car model currently produced less than 40 mpg combined on street and highway even though the car is rated to produce 47 mpg combined. In terms of performance, however, C-Max drivers are noting they enjoy the car better than the Prius when it comes to handling and driving. The interior tends to be fairly thick as well, dampening outside noise and make the car very quiet to drive. The interior space is bigger than the Prius as well with 100 cubic feet for riders and 24 cubic feet for bags and storage. The exterior takes on more of a mini-van look than a compact car, however.
In Summary
The Ford C-Max may seem initially a bit more attractive as a domestic car, but at the end of the day, the performance claims of the C-Max are not measuring up quite so well. The Prius is now in its fourth generation of production, with many of the initial problems that come with a new model long-since worked out. Customers can buy a hybrid with the Prius that is fully tested, reliable, and incorporating tried and true features. Further, the Prius still dominates the fuel efficiency game, producing the best figures for a reliable hybrid compact. As a result, hands down, the Prius ends up being the best hybrid car in 2013. However, customers can do their own Prius versus C-Max hybrid comparison by enjoying a test drive at Dayton Toyota in South Brunswick.
