Which year is the best Prius C? 2012-2017

latest and greatest is always best if you can afford it. iirc, the c only gets an 8/120 hybrid battery warranty

 

kms don't matter much to these, just get the youngest one you can afford.

I don't know if the warranty bisco mentioned is offered in Australia, but it still serves as a point of reference. Every hybrid car needs an expensive new hybrid battery after _ years. The c has a smaller battery than the regular Prius, and thus needs replacement slightly more often.

If you keep the battery cooling fan clean and keep the cabin cool with plenty of aircon usage you'll maximize the battery's lifetime.

Good luck!

 

8/100 .

But as @Leadfoot J. McCoalroller noted, might be worth checking the warranty down under .

Good luck with your purchase decision .

 

Less miles and a newer battery bodes better for longevity, but if you’re wondering if there’s problematic model years with common issues, there really isn’t one with the Prius C. They’re reliable cars, and usually cheaper and easier to fix than the bigger Prius.

 

Looks like we may go for a 2012 c with around 60K miles. Has been in a cooler climate so I'm hopeful the battery will last somewhat long ( our other two are on the original batteries ). Well...I guess our other 1 now...our 2010 liftback was totaled due to an accident.

Now to research how to install a backup camera...and which backup cameras are the best.

 

That may not be the best choice.......IF you can afford a newer model.
The HV battery life is often more sensitive to time than to mileage.
And there are some bothersome little weaknesses with the older models......like door lock actuators which I believe the dealer charges $600 each to replace.
And best to get an OEM backup camera if you really want that.
The installation is NOT "plug and play".

 

I agree about the battery. However, I'm convinced that climate plays into it as well. I think batteries that reside in hotter climates are more prone to failure. Lots of older Prius around here still on the same battery ( my own survey, of course ). Our 2012 v wagon still going strong at 165K miles. 2010 liftback at around 140K was doing great as well ( before the recent accident, that is ). I guess I'll take my chances.

Interesting about the door actuators on the C. I actually recently replaced a drivers side door actuator on the v wagon as well. I would *not* pay $600 for a dealer to do it...that's for sure.

Looks like lots of discussion about backup cameras over on Prius c Audio and Electronics | PriusChat. Lots of non OEM ones as well. Also note that the 2012 two model doesn't have a head unit screen at all. Some folks have replaced the head unit to include one though ( and also included the backup camera option ).

 

I encourage it. I always put an aftermarket deck in my cars, sometimes minutes after buying them. The Prius c really shows itself as a 'world' car design in this regard- it is falling-off-a-log easy to do a head unit replacement. Lots of decks fit, the wires are right for everything, it just works.* Lots of creative space for camera systems and more.

*for someone accustomed to ordinary automotive sound & electronic installation. Not the same as "plug and play."

 

That sounds really encouraging. Thx for the info! Any idea where to look as far as what aftermarket decks to put in...etc? I'm assuming there are threads around here. This should be fun. The last time I did head unit stuff was with our Mazda MPV minivan...a loooong time ago.

 

I didn't bother doing one for mine, it just didn't seem interesting enough.

I put a Sony digital media deck in ours. It mostly does carplay, and that does whatever we need. It can also do Android Auto if we switch phones.

I bought the whole set from Crutchfield. They had a few errors in their database for the Prius c at that time, but they swore they fixed it. I do recommend them as a vendor, having received excellent support and service.

The bottom line is that the spacing is generous- virtually any double-DIN sized deck will fit, and the power & speaker wiring is "toyota standard" that goes back to 1978 or so.

 

Looked at the Boss BE7ACP-C package on Crutchfield. Pretty reasonably priced for carplay, the backup camera, and the install kit. Looks easy to install. Running the backup camera wire will probably be interesting though...but that is true with most of them...except the wireless one like the kit mentioned in another thread.

 

My first one was fixed under warranty.
When the second one failed, I traded the whole car in for a new one.

And I got a backup camera in the deal.

Alas, that isn't an option anymore.

 

I have a 2012 Prius C Two with 105k miles. Great commuter. Owned it for 6 years. Only issue i had was high beam light went out. I installed sony deck with apple car play, lowering springs and 15x7 wheels with summer 205/50/15 tires. It’s a lot more fun this way and I will drive this car until it falls apart.