2016 Toyota Prius C vs. Its Competition

John Voelcker

The Toyota Prius C now stands alone as the only hybrid in the subcompact hatchback sector.

But other competitors come with steadily improving gas-mileage ratings, making its 50-mpg appeal less clear in an era of gasoline at $2 a gallon.

The Honda Fit, for example, was all-new last year, and is rated at 37 mpg.

It's also by far the most flexible and versatile of all subcompact hatches.

Among high-efficiency hatchbacks, Nissan's Versa Note gets a high rating as well, at 35 mpg.

But it's cheaper than the Prius C, and definitely feels it.

In Toyota's own showroom, the all-new Prius Liftback is a larger car, but also a much nicer one, with more refined power and conventional-car handling (at last).

It's $5,000 more than the Prius C, but rated even higher, with its Two Eco version at 56 mpg combined.

Another Toyota competitor, the Yaris hatchback, is very similar to the Prius C (you'll recognize some of the switchgear) but uses a gas-only powertrain that tops out at 33 mpg.

Meanwhile, the closest competitor to the Prius C, the hybrid hatchback Honda Insight, went out of production after 2014.