solar roof option

The fan powered by the solar roof is actually controlled by a switch on the dash - as long as the switch is on when the vehicle is turned off the fan will run if the sun is strong enough (after a delay of a few minutes). I find it does help keep the interior of the car cooler than it would otherwise be on a bright sunny day. Sunshields for the windshield and rear window help a lot, too.

The button on the fob is for remote AC, which runs off the hybrid battery if there's enough charge, and if you left the climate control on and in AC mode. The range for the fob is indeed limited, so it's of limited use to turn it on as you walk out to the car. I find it's more beneficial to not turn the AC on until after I've driven a while with the windows/sunroof open to get the hot air out.

 

I had it and loved it. It was one of the main reasons for purchase back in 2010. The solar fan/venting is akin to cracking your windows about an inch but without the security and dust issues.

Ironically I found it most effective on sunny, cool days during our "winters". We could sit in the car for over an hour with it powered down (key off) while watching our son's soccer matches and pre-warmups.

Remote A/C (FOB) range is pathetically short and turns off when you open the hatch (groceries).

 

I DID NOT go with the solar roof (Prius Two) because of how little it would have served me. I got the remote start as an extra. Which, by virtue, lets me remote-start the Prius, and if the AC is on, will engage cooling or heat to work towards the set temperature. It's nice in the winter time.

The "remote AC" of the Prius Three and higher models only gives you cooling for a few minutes IF you have enough battery power. Maybe that's enough in conjunction with the solar roof powering a fan to lower the temperature in the car, but there's no way 3-4 minutes of AC will "cool" your car enough by itself.

Of course, in Houston, you don't need to worry about "winter."

 

I'm in a completely different climate zone, and have never used the fob AC function. I have this feature because the spouse likes sunroofs.

The solar roof is a mixed blessing. When parked in the sun, it really does keep the car cooler, though not by the 110 vs 150 degree level that you hope for. But when driving in the sun, I can definitely feel more heat radiating down from this black roof than from the silver roof on my earlier 2010. In your climate, you likely have the AC cranked up higher than I use, so may not notice.

 

You can not set 60 with the prius I believe the lowest set is 65, after that it says low (whatever that means)

 

When using mine, I usually set the temperature to the 75-80 range, and adjust the fan between 1 to 3 bars as needed.

 

I've tested it during the hot days here, it makes a noticeable difference. When I entered the car, the air blowing in was relatively cool considering how warm the air outside was. High humidity negates it though, on a day with very high humidity, it didn't make much difference. I expected nothing from it, since I thought "how much difference can air blowing from two vents make?", but I am very impressed.
I wouldn't go for the solar roof just for that option though, it's not the selling point. The selling point IMO, is how much light enters the car. After driving the car with the cover closed for half an hour for example, opening up the cover makes a huge difference. It makes the car full of light and the perception of the interior space changes.

 

The actual number doesn't really mean much. If it is 75 degrees outside and you set it at 75 you will still feel very cool air blowing out.
How low you want the number to be depends a lot on the humidity, etc.

Mike

 

This. The AC puts out based on what's needed to reach the set temperature. More effort at 10 degrees higher than set...less effort when 2 degrees higher than set. Just set it for a temperature you're comfortable with unless you're trying to "max AC" the cabin for a reason.

Likewise, I'm not knocking the solar and 3-minute AC option. It's a nice perk when you live far enough south for it to shine. I'm far enough north that it wouldn't be that big an asset, and it left me with no way to remote start/heat the car during the cold season. Sadly, a lot of "perks" Toyota includes on high trim level seems to cater to a small segment of the population. It's why I went with a Prius Two rather than pay extra. The TWO items I wanted most was a reverse backup camera (which I installed for about $200 aftermarket) and the better driver's seat. The driver's seat wasn't worth paying $3,000 extra for. If Entune was actually worth it (at the time it had poor to mediocre ratings for the one or two things I would have actually used), I would have at least considered a Prius Three.