Life is a series of choices, and when we make the right ones we’re bound to find some amazing experiences along the way. Of course, one of the key elements to get the most out of life is to go new places, and try new things…That’s a given. But doesn’t life taste that much sweeter when we get from point A to point B comfortably, efficiently, and with style? At Busted Wallet we happen to believe that the journey is just as important as the destination, and to help gain a little perspective on the best way to get there, we took to the roads of southern California driving the Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius c, Scion iA, and Scion iM.
The selection of vehicles we drove was not random. Although there’s no better time than the present, and no age limit for epic road tripping, the vehicles here are well suited to youngsters fresh out of school and looking for a little adventurous freedom as they ease their way into career mode. The starting price-points before adding any available bells and whistles are nowhere near the realm of what one would consider “luxury”, so the cars we’ll be looking at are available to a broad range of consumers young and old. With already well established reputations for style and performance, we were pretty excited to get behind the wheel of all of these vehicles and hit the road.
We started our adventure in Downtown San Diego. The weather forecast could not have looked better, and we couldn’t wait to get going. For this first leg we headed up the coast in the Prius, a staple of the hybrid marketplace since its conception. Right away we could see that this time around Toyota put some extra added effort into tweaking the design without completely removing itself from its beginnings. The dashboard design remained similar to past models, and just about every bit of information from navigation to performance statistics were on display. We found this to be a bit much going on in our peripherals, but one could certainly get used to that over time. In terms of performance, The Prius was impressively responsive, but struggled just a bit at reaching full highway speeds. This is definitely more of a city driver, but once we were cruising it handled great. Over all we estimated about 50 miles per gallon on average between all of the terrain we found. Not bad at all, even when it comes to hybrid standards. The ride was smooth and steady, and within the first hour we found ourselves at Mission Bay where we grabbed a quick adrenalin fix on jetpacks and jet boards.
For the next leg of our Journey, we headed further north, this time driving the Prius c. Different, but not entirely far removed from the Prius, this is a slightly smaller hybrid. Not as spacious for occupancy and cargo, but with a similar hybrid power system to the Prius, the ability to catch highway speed still leaves something to be desired. With this minor setback considered, the Prius c will only average out a few miles per gallon less than the Prius over all, and it handles just as well once top speeds are reached. The Prius c also has a base value of almost $5,000 less than the Prius. All around, we enjoyed driving both vehicles, and a consumer interested anything from the Prius lineup should consider both depending on their needs. Prius delivers better performance, but with the Prius c you’ll probably get a little more bang for your buck. This is the point of our journey where we took in some down time by kayaking and paddle boarding the channels of Laguna Beach. We then checked in for the evening at the Balboa Bay Resort, and enjoyed sunset from a Yacht, which took us to Sol Cocina for some amazing Mexican Cuisine.
The next morning we were back at it bright and early, and this time we were excited to get behind the wheel of the Scions. We started out in the Scion iA, definitely the more compact of the vehicles we had to test drive. Having gotten acquainted with all that was happening on the dash of the Prius from the day before, stepping into the Scion iA was on the other end of the spectrum, and a bit underwhelming when we initially took our seats. The interior of the Scion iA is clean and simple even with the touch navigation system, so if you’re interested in just the basics and a car that will handle consistently and reliably, the Scion iA may be right up your alley. Even with the smaller engine of the two Scions we would be test driving, we were impressed at how well we got around in it. Starting at $17,595, this is also the most inexpensive of all of our road trip vehicles, and well worth it for anyone who’s needs are basic in an automobile. Before we knew it, we were at the Getty in Los Angeles, this time indulging in some art and culture rather than hard-nosed adventure. It was an amazing piece of scenery and a relaxing change of pace from all of the activities we’d already found along the way.
After feeding our intellectual cravings, we headed further north to grab some lunch at Spago of Beverly Hills in the Scion iM. Probably the most well-rounded of all of the vehicles we had the pleasure of driving on this trip, the Scion iM has a sharp appearance with sporty hatchback exterior design.
The interior is tastefully balanced with all of the dashboard features accessible without being visually overwhelming. The navigation, audio, and climate controls are straight forward, and easy to manage. We also noticed the cabin to be less susceptible to exterior noise than the Prius, so listening to your music on the road is a much better experience. With regards to driving performance, the get up and go leaves a little to be desired, but will fare adequately in normal driving conditions. Once the necessary speeds are met, the handling is precise and 
responsive, and we have no complaints in that department. Starting at just under $20,000, we have to call this package a smart buy when compared to the competition. We had a lot of fun cruising up to the Hollywood Hills in the Scion iM, and managed to get in a hike to the famous Hollywood Sign before dining with the stars at BOA in West Hollywood and concluding our journey with some Hollywood night life at Hyde on Sunset Blvd.
For anyone interested in looking into the vehicles we’ve tested here as an option, but not in the immediate future, please take note that future models of the Scions will be released as the Toyota Yaris iA and Corolla iM.
So concludes an epic road trip through Southern California! We had a great experience on the road and off while driving these 4 vehicles. Based on our initial reaction from the time we did spend in each vehicle, they all have close to equal positives and negatives going for them, and picking the one that is right has more to do with the buyer’s individual needs than anything. All have great fuel efficiency, but for the best of the bunch the Prius is an obvious choice. However, for a more balanced driving experience with the best all-round performance, we would recommend taking a look at the Scions. The good news here is that these vehicles all start at a remarkably moderate price that most young professionals can handle when preparing for the many road experiences, and adventures they may find in the years to come.
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