where's the front of my prius?

Hi, I just got a new 2008 Prius and I'm getting used to a whole different way of driving (former car was a BMW 3-series), but it's been fun. One thing I've been having trouble with is getting a feel for the space in the front of the car. Since you can't see where the front end ends because of the steep slope, I'm constantly afraid of scratching it when I'm pulling into my garage.

Does anyone have any tips or hints for getting used to/figuring out where the front end of the car is?

Use the Force Luke, use the force....

You can always use the Chicago Touch System: Pull forward until you feel a thunk, back up until you get a crunch, then pull forward to split the difference.

Tom

i keep various land marks in my garage to know where to park. like the dog food bag

someone put a little whip antenna on his front bumper /license plate frame to see where the front end is

they have these little rubber floor mats for parking cars, you can put one in the garage so you know your car is parked right, when the tire is in it

i sometimes will use the camera to back up a little to give me room in the front
to make getting into the car easier

I've owned lots of cars with no view of the front/rear (My old VW rabbit comes to mind).

Two tricks.
1. for garage parking. Once you park the car where you want it the first time, look left or right (depending on what side of the garage your car is in) and note what's directly across from your eyeline on the wall. Put a mark or some tape there if needed. Then next time you park, just line up to that mark.

2. When parking on the street, if there are buildings along the street with plate glass windows, check out the reflection in the windows. If you can see your car in it, consider it a parking aid.

3. pray toyota will release the intelligent parking assist for prius owners in america sometime in your lifetime

I've seen several people with little antenna-like things attached to the front license plate holder. Small, barely visible, but shows you, the driver, where the front is.

Couple of rough garage ideas (I use the "line up with something on the wall" method, myownself, as well as using parking carpets to protect the painted floor)...

1. Park the car where you want it first. Then hang a tennis ball on a cord from the ceiling so that it touches the windshield. From then on, just pull forward until the windshield kisses the tennis ball.

2. Park the car as in 1. Then lay a two-by-four across the front wheels, or at least just one wheel. From then on, just bump the wheel(s) against the wood. Not the most elegant solution.

As for out-and-about parking, just don't get close to parking bumps, signs, etc. Remember that the car probably isn't as long as others you've driven, so you probably won't stick out into traffic.

Yes, I agree it is difficult to judge exactly where the front of the Prius is when parking. As far as garage parking is concerned, the solution I came up with relies on an old tennis ball suspended from the garage rafters (see thumbnail attached). the moment the upper part of the windshield contacts the tennis ball, I stop. I happen to have some leeway after contact, but in the garage it works well.

In the outside world of course, it's different, and difficult. In supermarket parking lots and the like, I think it is just a matter of familiarity, developed with time.

You'll get used to it. I did, and I have to parallel park in NYC on a regular basis.

But here are some tips:

A.1. Get little rubber spool-like front license plate bumpers to screw into your front license plate's top two screw holes. They're made by a Canadian company, NoBump.com, and can be purchased through its website which links you to two of its vendors (of which I favor GirlsLoveWheels.com because of its lower delivered price). These will enable you to gently tap what's in front of you (your garage wall, or if outside it's usually the rear bumper of a parallel parked car) without damage to it or your front bumper.

A.2. Alternatively, you can make your own by buying a four-pack of black rubber chair leg tips for around $2, drill holes through them and attach them to your front license plate screw holes with screws and washers (and nuts for the bottom two holes). The top two screw holes are the ones that go into the license plate mount, so you'll need the right size screws and washers. The bottom two screw holes are dummy holes. So if you want to attach bumpers there, you'll have to use screws, washers and nuts.

BTW, the license plate mount's top two screw holes take a 6mm diameter tread screw. You might have to get longer screws than you have, such as 20mm to 30mm long screws.

For the bottom two screw holes, I use plastic screws and nuts, and metal washers.

NOTE: The rubber chair leg tips are not as substantial, protective, spongy and resilient as the NoBump.com rubber spools. But I like their tapered look more -- sort of punk and spikey.

B.1 Get antenna like sticks to mount on your front bumper corners. You can get nice ones from Sigma Automotive, but they're very expensive - $99 fixed & $265 auto!

Sigma Automotive – Toyota Hybrid Prius 2004 - 2009 OEM & JDM auto accessories

B.2 Alternatively, make your own pole marker by using a bicycle flag mount. You can attach the mount to your front license plate, and insert any pole you like that fits, whether it's a cut plastic bicycle flag pole or wooden dowel, or a telescopic antenna or pointer.

Congratulations on your new purchase. The bottom of the front bumper cover is relatively low. Hence it is easy to scratch the finish on a high curb or a concrete block which is placed to limit your forward travel into a parking space.

I agree Patrick. That is the biggest concern of mine when pulling into a parking space.

Here are other suggestions:

Garage Parking Stop Signal

Parking Stop Mats

Garage Parking Stops

I have to park front end against a concrete wall at work. I use the headlight pattern to judge when I'm close enough (works better in a garage or similar dim environment). As you get closer, the various little sidelobes in the headlight beam move down the wall towards the hood. You can calibrate this and use it.

Also, specifically for your garage, check out these items from AutoBarn:

Garage Parking Mats, Parking Aid Devices, Car Door & Bumper Protectors

when parking in a parking lot, i look at the side view mirrors of the car next to me and compare them with mine. it gives me a rough idea how far i need to pull in.

Great ideas! I have things set in my garage. But every time (in a hoe week, mind you) that I've had to park in front of those concrete blocks, I "park," get out to check, get in and pull up some more, get out . . . . So I may be looking into some of these things posted. Great thread!

Anyone have any experience using one of these outdoors? Small driveway with multiple cars - trying to pack them all in at night - something like one of those products would be nice - just needs to be rugged for the elements and to make sure no one runs off with it.

funny story:

my last car was a nissan altima. good car and i miss her. anyway, when my husband would drive it, he always drove it over the concrete blocks in front of parking spaces. He did this so many times that he managed to pull the front bumper off on the sides. i drove around like that for 2 years.

the other day i'm driving my new girl and he insists i am driving erratically and we switch. he pulls into the parking lot and takes the car up over the curb. way over. it is a testament to how completely amazing my husband is in all other things that he still has the body parts needed to walk and create life. i forgave him almost instantly and came away with only a few scratches on the underside of the front bumper. he will not drive my car again any time soon.:tsk:

like other posters, i just park pretty far back in parking lots. i try to line my driver side door slightly behind my neighbors. My back end sticks out a little, but not too much.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'm not so worried about hitting the front wall of my garage as I am about scraping the side (I have a tandem garage, and the "opening" is narrow...plus the alley is narrow so I have to come in at a steep angle if I want to make it in in one shot). Also, as Patrick Wong pointed out, I don't wanna scrape the bottom of the front bumper. I've always gotten to know the front dimensions of my last cars within a few inches, so it's been a really weird experience to have no idea where the front of my Prius is.