Different model years

[Rancid13]

Originally posted by prius2006rocks@Dec 20 2005, 12:51 AM
Cute as a button?    HAHA JK I just think the newer Prius' look SO much better. But I respect your opinion and I am sure others agree with you 100% 

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ITA...the Gen1's remind me of a cross between a Tercel and a Corolla. Cute, but not much personality. The Gen2's are so much more easily identifiable as Prii. I see 5-15 Prii (both Gen1 and Gen2) every day out and around town. The most I've seen in a day was ~20, in the Irvine/Lake Forest area. All colors, all Gens.

[galaxee]

the gen1 is based on the echo, i think. i always confuse the two when i see them. 'hey, that's a prius! wait, no. aww.'

i like the hatchback, it's just so damn useful. never thought i'd have that much use for a hatch but now i couldn't imagine having a trunk again.

[hv74656]

My brother gets the "Is that a hybrid?" with his Echo a lot.
I haven’t seen a whole lot of Gen1's in Florida, probably because the A/C uses the ICE, making the mileage go down. Gen1's also don't have folding rear seats, the reason I wouldn't get one. If it's a hatch with no rear wiper, it's a '04. If it has pins near the front windshield, it's a '05. If it has clear back lights and a hybrid badge on the side, it's a '06. If you've never seen it, it's a '07.

[Rancid13]

Originally posted by galaxee@Dec 20 2005, 10:25 AM
the gen1 is based on the echo, i think. i always confuse the two when i see them. 'hey, that's a prius! wait, no. aww.'

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LOL, me too! I go, "Ooh, it's an older Prius!", then look again and say "Nope, Tercel/Echo/etc..." Oops. And I'm sure I've seen quite a few Gen1's and completely overlooked them, assuming they were regular cars. Gen2's stand out in a crowd.

[HokieHybrid]

Another easy way to spot a 2006 is the taillights. 2004-2005 taillights are black on the top, and the 2006's are white at the top.

[aaf709]

Isn't the Gen1 the one without the split rear window? And by that I mean, the lower part doesn't exist.

[bookrats]

Over the holidays, I'm planning on posting a "Sibley's Guide to '06 Prius Identification". (Sibley's is a top-notch-A-Number-One bird identification book for birders that came out a couple of years ago.)

Since Heidi and I are parking our Priuses ('05 and '06) next to each other each evening, we've been discussing how you can quickly differentiate a '04/'05 from an '06 Prius:

• From the front (head-on)
• From the rear
• From the side

To my surprise, it's a lot easier to tell an '05 from an '06 from the rear than I thought -- there's a small, but key (and easily identifiable) difference.

However, I need to scrounge some pictures up to demonstrate.

[DeCleaner]

I've been wondering the same thing since I got my new '06. Looking forward to the pics, bookrats!

[jsf]

Originally posted by HokieHybrid@Dec 20 2005, 09:39 AM
Another easy way to spot a 2006 is the taillights.  2004-2005 taillights are black on the top, and the 2006's are white at the top.

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That's the easiest way from the rear. From the front, the chrome strip and the amber extending the length of the front headlights, from the side, the emblem.

Easy enough.

[Rancid13]

Originally posted by bookrats@Dec 20 2005, 12:08 PM
To my surprise, it's a lot easier to tell an '05 from an '06 from the rear than I thought -- there's a small, but key (and easily identifiable) difference.

However, I need to scrounge some pictures up to demonstrate.

[snapback]176300[/snapback]

Yes, please do! I'm looking forward to visually identifying the small differences. I've heard the various changes/differences discussed around PC the last few weeks, but seeing them compared side-by-side would help out alot.