Self Parking Prius-Japan model?

[Johno]

Check out this link to a Japanese exporter. Their Prius parks itself. I guess the Park Button on the dashboard means a whole different thing in Japan.
All this for $28k! We are getting ripped. No EV mode, no 16" tires, and no self parking. What up!
http://www.batfa.com/new_car_toyota_prius.htm

[Danny]

Have you seen it in practice? It takes like 5 minutes to self park intself - not worth it for me living in a city where people barely wait for you to parallel park in the first place.

[bigbaldcuban]

Lawsuits, johno. Lawsuits. One person/car gets hit while parking, owner claims it was the car. Victim sees $$$ and sues Toyota. :|

[Johno]

Do they not have Lawyers in Japan? Are they not sharks too?
Very different cultures. I still wonder why everyone else in the world
gets 16" tires and we don't?

[DaveinOlyWA]

i saw that car demo'ed on techtv. it is a cool feature for us but not really needed.

In Japan where space is a premium, it is very handy. we simply can do without, they arent as lucky.

[tag]

Originally posted by Johno
All this for $28k!

I checked the link and it would be $28,400 plus $900 for shipping to the U.S., so a total of $29,300. But, is that the BC package (or equivalent)? I wasn't able to determine that from the information on the site.

Even if this is a #9, at $28,400 self-park becomes a $2400 option and I'll bet that's more than a lot of people would be willing to pay for that feature.

[xlarimer]

HEY!!

Did you see the inside picture of that car on that link? I totally agree with where the Power button is! I always thought where they placed it was a bit strange for the US market or left-hand drive market.

I have learned how to press it with my pinky out so that I look very sophisticated when I'm doing it. (Or gay...whatever...they are the same thing, right? )

[DaveinOlyWA]

umm the power button position is basically not far removed from the key. i dont understand what you are trying to say.

you want to insert key with one hand and start with the other? you in a hurry?

[xlarimer]

Originally posted by DaveinOlyWA
you want to insert key with one hand

What is this "insert key" stuff? I don't know anything about that...In fact, I have never put the key into the key slot since I've gotten the car.



But I think having the power button right under the (what would be for us) the left most vent would make the dash a bit cleaner looking. AND it would be a better system for starting the car using both hands. One would turn it on while the other fastens the seatbelt and puts it into gear.

I have another pet peeve but I might have to be put into another thread. It is the way the door handles bend down instead of up. I repeatedly open and close the back windows instead of the front based off where my other Toyota had put its window controls. It seems that they put the controls a bit further up on the door handle so your hands naturally rest on the back windows.

[DaveinOlyWA]

Originally posted by xlarimer+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(xlarimer)</div>

What is this "insert key" stuff? I don't know anything about that...In fact, I have never put the key into the key slot since I've gotten the car.



But I think having the power button right under the (what would be for us) the left most vent would make the dash a bit cleaner looking. AND it would be a better system for starting the car using both hands. One would turn it on while the other fastens the seatbelt and puts it into gear.

I have another pet peeve but I might have to be put into another thread. It is the way the door handles bend down instead of up. I repeatedly open and close the back windows instead of the front based off where my other Toyota had put its window controls. It seems that they put the controls a bit further up on the door handle so your hands naturally rest on the back windows.[/b]

the key is inside the fob... i guess if you want to remove it before starting the car, that is your perrogative