2010 Gen 3 Prius versus the Gen 2 Prius - what the pictures tell us

[Danny]

Jalopnik did a quick comparison of the current Prius vs the 2010 Prius using the photos posted on PriusChat yesterday.

It's a pretty interesting read, and I'll try to put together my own comparison to touch on some of the changes that they didn't address yet.


At The Front



One: The most obvious change from generation to generation is at the front, and the first sign that this is something new comes from the headlights. The previous generation said "aerodynamic" while the new, feathered lights say "sporty" more than anything.
Two: The new grille is also far more aggressive, shifting the logo into the middle with a pointed, almost F1-esque nose crease.
Three: Like the 2009 Toyota Matrix, the new Prius' nose features a lower front airdam with a dual-foglight package.
Four: Compared to the previous generation, the cab appears slightly further forward. It is hard to say if this is just an illusion created by the lower placement of the mirror and angle of the beltline or an actual change. Either way, the effect is to create a more forward leaning stance.
Five: The little crease at the edge of the bumper could be an aerodynamic touch or purely aesthetic.

Mid Section


One: The line running along the center of the doors in the previous generation has been moved down further along the wheel wells, which makes the new Prius look tall-and-squat as opposed to long-and-lean. This appears to be an answer to the charge that the previous generation looked like a wedge or a jellybean.
Two: As mentioned, the beltline is raked towards the A-pillar, giving it a runner's stance.
Three: The rocker panels are now larger and more enhanced, appearing to flare a bit at the rear wheel well.
Four: The blacked-out B-pillar look has been transferred from generation to generation and the overall shape of the greenhouse hasn't been significantly altered.
Five: The slab-slided Prius is no more. The doors angle further in towards the greenhouse with a line that carries from the front quarter panel back toward the shoulders.
Rear


One: We're waiting for a better picture of the rear, but in the meantime it appears the larger presence of the rocker panels has created a line that moves around the rear of the car that's picked up the sheet metal. The purpose of the black wings along the edge of the previous model was primarily aerodynamic and it looks better with body-matching paint.
Two: Though there is a new look for the shoulders, with new definition, the car retains a similar, if slightly less angled, C-Pillar.
Three: More fanny? Hard to say, but it looks like there is more junk in that trunk.
Four: Wheel design for the Prius has always been of the "appliance" variety. These sporty, flared five-spokes clearly point to a new direction.
Five: The gas tank now appears to be on the other side — just kidding. These are opposite sides of the car.

2010 Toyota Prius: 2010 Toyota Prius Versus Old Toyota Prius - Jalopnik

I also wanted to take a moment to thank Jalopnik for their snide-free coverage of the Prius so far. They are known to be a bit satirical over there Ray and the guys at Jalopnik are welcome here anytime.

[usbseawolf2000]

Side by side comparison I posted in the other thread.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Yeah, I like it.
I'm in no hurry to part with dear Priapus, mind you, but my wife's about due for a new car. . .

[ctbering]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

Yeah, I like it.
I'm in no hurry to part with dear Priapus, mind you, but my wife's about due for a new car. . .

I must be having one of those 'special' moments.
Are Prius lovers suppose to be excited with the 2010 Prius or a 2010 plug-in version? I am well-read yet can also be confused (possibly from the presidential debates). Is the 2010 Prius consumer going to get a Prius that gets 60 mpg's with better acceleration on electric mode sustaining (up to what MPH?) OR are we really better off waiting for the plug-in?
My biggest frustration with my 2008 Prius is nursing electric power during acceleration period before ICE kicks in. Does anyone know exactly how the 'driver' will experience the difference between generation 2 and generation 3 Prius acceleration-wise and MPG-wise?
Kudos to Prius Chat on the recent 2010 photos.

[gmalis1]

What did we all expect? A Prius that looks like a Ferrari?

Of course not...after all, the Gen2 Prius is butt ugly, IMHO, but hey...we bought it for the MPG's and the environmental impact.

After it became popular with the Hollywood types, then everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon and own one.

I couldn't care less how it looks...I'm looking for a plug in Prius that get's SENSATIONAL mileage, more than the exceptional mileage I get now with my 2005 Prius.

My wife and daughter laughed at me when I bought mine...how could I buy such an ugly car? When gas spiked over $4 per gallon, they all bemoaned to me that their next car would be a Prius.

How minds have changed.

[paprius4030]

Do we know any of the fact's and figures? Like what's the mpg's for the 2010?

[TonyPSchaefer]

Originally Posted by ctbering

My biggest frustration with my 2008 Prius is nursing electric power during acceleration period before ICE kicks in. Does anyone know exactly how the 'driver' will experience the difference between generation 2 and generation 3 Prius acceleration-wise and MPG-wise?
Kudos to Prius Chat on the recent 2010 photos.

We need to talk.

Attempting to nurse the electric power from a dead-stop is not an efficient way to drive the Prius. For the last four years we have debated this topic back and forth. In the end, the realization kicked in that the Prius engine coupled with the CVT will run at the most efficient gear ratio for the requirement at hand. Oh sure, you will see an instant MPG of 9. Or maybe worse. But you should exercise brisk (though not stomping) acceleration from a dead-stop. Depending on the terrine, you can start letting up on the pedal while still maintaining acceleration. Ideally, you are timing the stoplights when you can and eliminating dead-stops altogether.

As for personal experience, I'm hoping for exactly the same thing I experience now. That is, a flawlessly fluid transmission and smooth transitions from ICE to stealth and back when needed. But what I'm really hoping for is extended EV range (darrell's not going to like that I call it that).

[nerfer]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

Attempting to nurse the electric power from a dead-stop is not an efficient way to drive the Prius. For the last four years we have debated this topic back and forth. In the end, the realization kicked in that the Prius engine coupled with the CVT will run at the most efficient gear ratio for the requirement at hand. Oh sure, you will see an instant MPG of 9. Or maybe worse. But you should exercise brisk (though not stomping) acceleration from a dead-stop. Depending on the terrine, you can start letting up on the pedal while still maintaining acceleration. Ideally, you are timing the stoplights when you can and eliminating dead-stops altogether.

In other words, accelerate normally for best fuel economy. It's the braking where you need to be extra gentle.

(Attempting to use only electric power while accelerating is using battery power that comes from the generator that comes from the engine or from the brakes that cames from previous acceleration from the engine...not as efficient as using the engine directly).

Okay, back to the thread....

One: The most obvious change from generation to generation is at the front, and the first sign that this is something new comes from the headlights. The previous generation said "aerodynamic" while the new, feathered lights say "sporty" more than anything.

As mentioned in the previous post about the new pictures, it appears the raked-back headlights have been replaced with something a bit tamer in the final (lower-res) pictures, so this point may not be entirely correct.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by paprius4030

Do we know any of the fact's and figures? Like what's the mpg's for the 2010?

From what Toyota leaked to Edmunds and others last spring I think that we can expect about a 10-15% increase in fuel economy along with a jump in power as well, maybe to 150 hp combined.

In my case at ~ 2.1 gpc ( 48 mpg ) lifetime I'd expect to use ~1.8 gpc ( 53-56 mpg ) on average. Those that now regularly use 1.8 gpc could realistically expect to use ~ 1.6 gpc on average.

[samiam]

So the new design looks slightly raked forward.
Are we expecting the increased fuel efficiency as a result of it always going downhill?