Hey Scotty! Back in May 2021 I sold my 2014 Toyota Prius C (with no problems) with about 78,000 miles on it for my Toyota Matrix which had 176,000 miles on it when I purchased for $3,500 (and no problems either). Was it a good idea to I guess “downgrade”?? I wanted a car without a CVT or hybrid system and it took buying an older car.
Btw I’ve put over 14,000 miles on the Matrix and no problems since!
IMHO, that is an upgrade, not necessarily because of the hybrid drive train, but because of the size class.
If it was a regular Prius to a Matrix, that is more of a lateral move, IMHO. Heck, both the Prius and Matrix are built on the same Toyota platform, IIRC.
But from a Prius C to a Matrix is an upgrade. Even though the Prius C is called a Prius, I think f the Prius C as more like a Yaris.
The Prius C and Yaris are subcompact cars.
The Matrix and regular Prius are compact cars.
I bet to differ, as far as Toyota Platforms of that era,
Toyota's "B" platform is the best built one. The Japanese Toyota Corolla (E160 model) is based on the "B" platform and not on the "old MC". "Old MC" was bad, outdated, and very short lived - all cars based on it are deathtraps.
Choosing old MC is a sacrifice not only on economy but mostly a sacrifice on safety.
(OLD MC PERFORMS WORSE IN EVERY CATEGORY EXPECT ONE WHERE THEY MATCH)
The Toyota "Old MC" used by both the Matrix and the Corolla E130 - is total junk and they are genuine deathtraps.
There's a size difference, but except that a 180k miles issue prone ZZ engine on a terrible platform is not a real upgrade over a practically new 70k mile super efficient and reliable JDM Aqua model.
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The only positive is that the matrix is bigger, and even in that case: not really, Prius C drives like a champ - it has only a 5cm smaller wheelbase, weights almost the same, is of the the same width and is lower to the ground! Those things aren't much smaller than a Matrix in terms of dimensions.
Those old matrixes are also very small, no I don't think the platform and segment argument plays out in it's favor.
Isn’t Scotty’s Matrix old MC?
Yes, Scotty isn't the type of guy to really care about handling, crashworthiness, or safety.
I see safety is the most basic requirement, as I understand it, he sees it as at most a bonus...
Understood and I appreciate the different opinions.
Why tempt fate?
That’s one huge of a downgrade.
That Prius C had probably another 100k miles of life in it.
Im no fan of tiny hybrid batteries or NZ engines - but the ZZ engine are worse.
but as far as transmissions, that 1980s design A260 is probably a bit better than a CVT.
With that being said - am not sure if an auto is better than a modern eCVT (not sure what model the Aqua has) - Toyota has managed to remove all mechanical components from their modern variants leaving only two electric motors.
Here's what those 1.5 Hybrid engines look inside at over 300,000 miles (500k km)
https://youtu.be/ujEJDDB7pBU
Although the regular Otto-Cycle NZ isn't great, Toyota designed their Atkinson Cycle variants well.
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On a car like the Prius C - where the electric motor provides 60HP, the engine won't get strained at all.
(that's genuinely impressive - almost 50% more than what the electric motor system provides on a Kia Niro - and that's a relatively big SUV - not a small zippy supermini. The more I look into it the more I am deeply impressed with the Toyota Aqua / Prius C.)
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To any future visitors and to anyone else who may see this and consider a similar thing:
DO NOT trade in a perfectly good, young, and low-millage Toyota hybrid for a death-trap that's 7 years older and has a bad engine design.