Prius Interior Cargo Dimensions, please!

[Man104]

Great info, guys, thanks a lot!

BTW, would it not be easier to create a flat surface from the hatch to the steering wheel by comletely removing the backs of the back seats? Is it hard to do? They create quite an elevation, as seen on Jweale's pics. Would save some weight too and add to the fuel economy

[busker]

This was awesome information guys, thank you! I'm shopping for a car, and the Prius is starting to take the lead in my book. I'll test drive one tomorrow for sure now! But this camping/sleeping info is actually a pretty high-priority, and I wanted to know how doable it was. Looks like it's not impossible, anyway! But this is EXACTLY the sort of info I was looking for. Thanks for posting it!

Mostly, I want something I can easily fit cargo in - bikes, dog crate, drum cases, uniform bits - and gets the gas mileage, since I travel all over the country playing at pipe band competitions and stuff. I miss my old Cherokee for its cargo/camp-ability, but not the gas mileage! Right now I have an Impala, which gets reasonable gas mileage, but alas doesn't have the ease of a hatch to get stuff in and out. (And the one time I tried to sleep in the trunk with the rear seats folded down didn't work out spectacularly well...)

I hope this will be the golden goose. I've never bought a vehicle that wasn't American-made, but my boyfriend swears by his (and his family's) Toyotas. I just have ergonomic issues with the head-rest shoving my neck forward in his RAV4. So, that's my primary concern. (What good is getting all that gas mileage if you're seriously hurting after all that long-distance driving?)

We'll see tomorrow. But thanks for the detailed dimensions, photos and case-study info on turning your car into a tent. I thought I was going to have to resort to getting a hearse... except the lousy gas mileage in those things is frightening.

[patsparks]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IB104 @ Aug 29 2007, 06:45 AM) [snapback]503429[/snapback]</div>

Great info, guys, thanks a lot!

BTW, would it not be easier to create a flat surface from the hatch to the steering wheel by comletely removing the backs of the back seats? Is it hard to do? They create quite an elevation, as seen on Jweale's pics. Would save some weight too and add to the fuel economy
[/b]

Remember the battery creates a high floor in the cargo area.
The back seats fold down dead flat. There is a child seat anchor point in the middle of the seat, you may be able to remove the cover and replace it with a flat metal cover held on with a counter sunk screw. I'm just guessing, I haven't done it. A foam pad on the back of the drivers seat or an extra pillow will provide support over the back of the driver's seat.

Being able to sleep in the back of the car was an important feature for me, I have used the back of my old Camry wagon several times to sleep in. The RAV4 2 door can also have the seats folded flat into a bed, I have slept in there when camping with my son during a windy night. The tent was too noisy so we put all our gear in the tent and slept in the car.