Anyone else found the steering wheel left of center?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010.

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Have you found the 2010 Prius steering wheel left of center to your chest?

  1. Yes

    7 vote(s)
    36.8%

  2. No, it is centered

    10 vote(s)
    52.6%

  3. Don't know

    2 vote(s)
    10.5%
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  1. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Not talking talking about the wheel centered 'rotationally' when going straight down the road. Laterally - does the center of the steering wheel point directly to the center of your chest when sitting straight in your car?

    I found one left of center using this taken from www.heightsite.com > scroll to 'taller driving' > 5 ways to test ergonomics -

    '1) The Praying Test.
    To Guage Horizontal Alignment
    Sitting in the driver's seat, place your hands together, fingertips and palms touching as if praying. Now put the heels of your hands against your chest so that they are pointing outwards like an arrow. The wrists should actually be touching the chest. In this position, the hands will form a fairly accurate perpendicular to the body and it should be possible to see if they are pointing at the center of the steering wheel.
    TO PASS: Your hands should be pointing to the center of the steering wheel. If not, the wheel may be offset and the vehicle isn't right for you.'

    also

    '3) The Look Down Test.
    To Guage Legroom & Leg Alignment
    With both hands placed evenly on the steering wheel look down at the legs. It should be possible to see equal amounts of both legs between the arms. Frequently the left leg will be visible but the right leg will be obscured by the right arm which may indicate that the shoulder girdle is rotated in relation to the pelvis.
    TO PASS: You should see both legs equally between your arms. If not, the alignment can put undue strain on your body and the vehicle isn't right for you.'

    ... Going to check this on a few more 2010's tomorrow.
     
    #1 cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010
  2. Tech_Guy

    Tech_Guy Class Clown

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    Maybe one of your arms is slightly longer than the other.

    Keith

    P.S. Don't you have anything else better to do with your life?
     
    #2 Tech_Guy, Sep 3, 2010
  3. Jim05

    Jim05 Occasional Quasi-Hypermiler

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    I'm sure it's just Mother Toyota looking out for us with improved posture and decreased temptation to touch the Nav screen while driving. Previous generation Honda CRVs were known for the same thing, except more pronounced -- you noticed it just sitting behind the wheel.
     
    #3 Jim05, Sep 3, 2010
  4. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Second that!
     
    #4 32kcolors, Sep 3, 2010
  5. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Typical response from Tech and 32k.

    God forbid I question anything that may be unusual about the Prius.

    For comparison ....

    Camry, Accord, CR-V, CR-Z, 2001 Civic, 1992 Mazda626 showed no signs of offset steering wheel. Same arms in those cars.

    I don't know what your culture is, but in mine, I have no problem observing and putting issues up for debate.
     
    #5 cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010
    1 person likes this.
  6. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Never noticed an issue.
    Of course my wheel is well over to the right side of the car, but that is how cars are here.
     
    #6 patsparks, Sep 3, 2010
  7. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Folks, I sat in a spankin new 2010 Barcelona Red Prius V in Toyota 101 this evening. Pretty darn carefully did that test. I saw an offset for me. Put hands on steering wheel, saw my arms both to the left.

    Tried the Camry, Accord, etc....... straight.

    I'm not saying this stuff to a) justify my 2009 Prius. b) cut down the new Prius.
     
    #7 cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010
  8. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    It makes no difference if the wheel is offset a little.
     
    #8 patsparks, Sep 3, 2010
  9. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Is the wheel offset - or am I slouching again? Mother always said to sit up straight...
     
    #9 RRxing, Sep 3, 2010
  10. Paul58

    Paul58 Mileage Miser

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    I hadn't noticed, but probably will now... Thanks!
     
    #10 Paul58, Sep 3, 2010
  11. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    Some vehicles have this, some don't. If it bothers you, then don't buy the vehicle because it is an outcome of design decisions and cannot be easily corrected.
     
    #11 dogfriend, Sep 3, 2010
  12. LeadingEdgeBoomer

    LeadingEdgeBoomer Member

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    Not that I've noticed, but around here many drivers are. :)
     
    #12 LeadingEdgeBoomer, Sep 3, 2010
  13. saechaka

    saechaka Member

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    I agree. I have noticed it. I was hoping it would be aligned during one of the recalls regarding the steering linkage or something of that matter years ago. I've just learned to live with it. Just like having to live w/the fact that the speedometer reads 2mph faster than it really is. Which leads to mpg readings that are off, not by much, but still off.
     
    #13 saechaka, Sep 3, 2010
  14. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    I did the test in my UK, right hand drive, model and the wheel is exactly in the centre of my chest, maybe it was designed as a right hand drive model (do they drive on the right in hong kong ?) and the conversion to left hand drive throws it out a little.
     
    #14 kithmo, Sep 3, 2010
  15. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    I haven't noticed if it is centered or not.

    I have noticed that my left arm is "achy" when I drive my car. It might be that in my Integra, I often rested my left elbow on the arm rest, which I can't do in this car. I've had to play with the steering wheel height and seat height to get my arms into a "comfortable" position on the 2 and 10 portions of the steering wheel. But my left arm still hurts a little when I drive. If there was an offset to the steering wheel, this might explain it.
     
    #15 Codyroo, Sep 3, 2010
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i thought you were done with the prius, but it sounds like you still want one and are trying to find more reasons not to buy one.:)
     
    #16 bisco, Sep 3, 2010
  17. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Feel free to say what other newer model cars exhibit this.

    I checked new Corolla, camry, H'lander, Sienna, FJ Cruiser, Accords, Civic's more .... all virtually centered steering wheels. Another V showed to left (was in showroom, easily accessible).

    Reported it to Toyota Corporate, got case #. That's enough.
     
    #17 cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010
  18. SamelCamel

    SamelCamel New Member

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    Have you tested in another vehicle with centered console? (A Mini Cooper comes to mind.) Toyota's decision to center the gauges pushes the focus towards the center of the vehicle. The steering wheel being slightly offset follows this pattern (causes your focus to be drawn to the center of the vehicle.)

    -Sam
     
    #18 SamelCamel, Sep 3, 2010
  19. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    :p
     
    #19 cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010
  20. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    $1.50 piece of 'crosslink' from foam factory. Dense as neoprene.

    050705 160.jpg
     
    #20 cycledrum, Sep 3, 2010
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